SYDNEY - AussieJournal -- Western Sydney University has opened a new world-first centre that will assist small businesses in NSW to respond to cybercrime incidents and strengthen their cybercrime prevention capabilities.

The Western Centre for Cybersecurity Aid & Community Engagement (CACE) provides free services to assist small businesses in responding to cybersecurity incidents such as ransomware, email compromise, phishing, and payment fraud.

It works collaboratively with companies to help them prepare for future threats. The Centre offers training and resources that harness the latest technology, cybercrime psychology and skills.

The new Centre is located at Western Sydney University's Parramatta City campus, in the heart the Parramatta CBD. It is managed by the University in partnership with leading NSW cybersecurity companies Emergence, Gridware, DC Encompass and Secolve, as well the NSW Cybersecurity Innovation Node.

The Centre was established thanks to funding of more than $745,000 from the Australian Government's Cyber Security Business Connect Grants Program.

Professor Alana Maurushat, a Western Sydney University Professor of Cybersecurity and Behaviour is the Director of Western CACE. She said the Centre is the first-of-its-kind in the world to be embedded in a University - providing free and accessible services to an economically-important region like Greater Western Sydney, which has a large number of small-to-medium businesses.

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Cybersecurity attacks can cause significant stress to organisations, causing them emotional, financial and even physical harm. Professor Maurushat said that cybercrime is getting more sophisticated. She pointed out that the rise in remote working and online communication has led to an increase in cybercrime incidences over the past two years.

Every business should make cybercrime a top priority, no matter how big or small. Our Centre is specifically designed to assist small businesses in Sydney and NSW to strengthen their cybersecurity defenses. It gives them tools to recognize cyber threats and provides advice and support to help build resilience and capacity in their organization against future cybercrime.

The next generation of digital security defenders are helping on the frontline - over 80 students from the University's Bachelor of Cybersecurity & Behaviour degree have been trained in cybersecurity incident response and work at Western CACE alongside government, industry, and certification partners. The Centre also has students from the School of Law.

Visit https://dcencompass.com.au