The short answer: A properly protected small Australian business (2-50 employees) should budget $150-$400 per month for comprehensive cybersecurity - roughly $2,000-$4,800 a year.

That can feel like a lot until you compare it to the alternative. Here's exactly where the money goes and how to budget for it sensibly.

Why cybersecurity costs matter more than ever

The Australian Cyber Security Centre puts the average cost of a cyber-attack on a small business at $46,000. For context:

  • 84% of Australian businesses experienced a cyber-incident in the past year (Cyber Wardens, 2026).
  • Average ransomware downtime: 3-7 days.
  • Recovery costs (forensics, legal, PR) often exceed $25,000.

Put simply: spending $300/month on prevention is less than 1% of the average incident cost.

Cybersecurity pricing models for small businesses

1. One-off services (audit, penetration testing)

| Service | Australian small-business cost | | --- | --- | | Security audit / risk assessment | $350-$750 one-off | | Penetration testing | $1,500-$4,000 depending on scope | | Vulnerability scan | $200-$500 per scan |

2. Monthly managed services

| Service level | Typical cost (10 employees) | | --- | --- | | Basic endpoint protection (antivirus only) | $50-$120/month | | MSP-managed antivirus + patching | $100-$200/month | | Fully managed EDR + monitoring | $12.50-$25/device/month | | Comprehensive package (email, devices, cloud) | $300-$600/month total |

3. Per-device pricing

For endpoint protection specifically:

  • Traditional AV: $2-$8/device/month
  • Modern EDR: $10-$35/device/month
  • Fully managed EDR with 24/7 monitoring: $15-$45/device/month

What you get for the money

The Audit & Consult service ($350 one-off)

A comprehensive review that surfaces your biggest risks:

  • 60-minute discovery call to understand your setup.
  • Walkthrough of Microsoft 365, Google Workspace, email, devices and backups.
  • Light-touch scan for exposed services and public data leaks.
  • Plain-English report with a prioritised fix list.

The Enhance service ($150/month)

Ongoing protection that keeps your cloud environment secure:

  • Microsoft 365 & Google Workspace hardening and ongoing tuning.
  • Email and file protection (phishing and ransomware detection).
  • Patch and update monitoring across all devices.
  • AI-scam and phishing awareness training for staff.
  • Monthly plain-English security summary.
  • Priority support when something looks suspicious.

The Defend service ($12/device/month)

Device protection for every laptop, phone and tablet:

  • Modern EDR endpoint protection (not just free antivirus).
  • Device management for all business endpoints.
  • Encrypted backups of key files.
  • Remote wipe if a device is lost or stolen.
  • Monthly device health checks.

Australian pricing vs overseas providers

  • Boutique Australian specialists (like Jordan Gall): $150-$400/month for comprehensive protection, with local support and Essential Eight familiarity.
  • Australian MSPs: $300-$800/month, usually bundling broader IT support beyond security.
  • US/European providers: Can look cheaper up front ($100-$250/month), but time-zone gaps and compliance mismatches add hidden costs.
  • DIY tools only: $0-$100/month in licences, but it needs real in-house expertise to run properly.

Budgeting for cybersecurity in 2026

Baseline protection (essential)

  • Multi-factor authentication on all accounts: $0-$15/month (often free with Microsoft/Google).
  • Endpoint protection (EDR): $12/device/month.
  • Basic backup solution: $5-$15/device/month.

Mid-tier protection (recommended)

  • Everything in baseline, plus:
  • Email security filtering: $2-$6/user/month.
  • Security awareness training: $1-$4/user/month.
  • Monthly vulnerability scanning: $50-$150/month.

Enterprise-level (for high-risk businesses)

  • Everything in mid-tier, plus:
  • 24/7 security monitoring: $200-$500/month.
  • Quarterly penetration testing: ~$2,000 per test.
  • Incident response retainer: $1,000-$3,000/year.

The Essential Eight investment

Aligning with the ASD Essential Eight framework typically requires:

  • Maturity Level 1 baseline: $150-$300/month for configuration and monitoring.
  • Annual reassessment: $500-$1,000 one-off per year.
  • Staff training: Often included in managed services, or $200-$500 for external workshops.

How I can help you budget effectively

From working with small businesses across the Tweed Shire and Northern Rivers:

  • $12/device/month covers modern EDR for every device in your business.
  • $150/month Enhance service provides comprehensive cloud-environment security.
  • Monthly terms, no lock-in - adjust as your business grows.

Free ways to get started

  • Take the 2-minute Risk Check - Identifies immediate vulnerabilities at no cost.
  • Enable MFA everywhere - Usually free and blocks most automated attacks.
  • Review your backups - Make sure you can actually recover from an incident.
  • Read the Essential Eight guidelines - Free guidance from ASD on minimum security.

<div class="cta-panel mt-lg"><h2>// Start with a free assessment</h2><h3>The 2-minute Risk Check costs nothing</h3><p>Get an instant risk score and see where your business stands.</p><div class="cta-actions"><a class="btn btn-primary" href="/assessment.html">Start the Risk Check →</a></div></div>

If you'd like a quote tailored to your business size and needs, I'm based in Kingscliff and serve small businesses across Australia. Get in touch.

Key takeaways for budgeting

1. Budget 1-3% of annual revenue for cybersecurity - a common small-business benchmark. 2. Prioritise prevention over recovery - prevention is far cheaper. 3. Start with essentials, then scale - MFA and backups first, monitoring next. 4. Choose monthly billing - it's easier on cash flow. 5. Compare apples to apples - check what's included vs what costs extra.

The bottom line

Cybersecurity isn't really a cost - it's insurance against downtime, financial loss and reputation damage. For most Australian small businesses, $150-$400 per month buys comprehensive protection against the $46,000 average incident.

Based in Kingscliff, I provide enterprise-grade cybersecurity at small-business prices Australia-wide. See my service options or get a custom quote.