FAQ

How is Surviving Cyber different from services currently available?
Most small businesses have poor cyber risk management practices. The focus of small companies is often on very basic technology defences but that’s not enough anymore. The Surviving Cyber courses explain what the Cyber IT industry and insurance industry have to offer to small companies. We don’t promote the sale of cyber technology or insurance, although we see value in both offerings as part of a risk management approach.
Who are the Surviving Cyber courses intended for?
The Surviving Cyber courses are designed for the owners and managers of small knowledge-based businesses. These are the people who are ultimately responsible for managing all the risks of the business, including cyber risk, and have the most to lose if a cyber incident causes catastrophic consequences for the company.
Why would a small knowledge-based company need the courses offered by Surviving Cyber?
Cyber risk is the great unmanaged risk for small companies. It has the potential to devastate a small business and is far more likely to happen than many other insured risks, e.g. a building fire or flood. The course helps small company owners and managers prepare for and ultimately survive a cyber-attack by making their businesses more cyber resilient and their people more cyber aware.
Do the Surviving Cyber courses offer value for money?
I believe that the Surviving Cyber courses offer good value for money especially when you consider the time and energy that would be required to acquire the knowledge they contain. The Jumpstart Course is an entry-level course and is priced accordingly. The Pathway Course is more extensive and covers a wider range of topics. It is the mid-priced option. The Coaching Course is the top-end offering and is priced accordingly. It includes 6 hours of group coaching plus one hour of one-to-one coaching at the end of the course in week 6 to review the participant's pathway plan. The benefit of taking the Courses is access to a guide to help you on your journey to cyber resilience in a cost-effective manner.
Is a Surviving Cyber course likely to be time consuming?
The Jumpstart Course contains 3.75 hours of video content organised in 4 Sections to be taken at your own pace. If you took one module per week, you could finish the course and implement the results in less than 30 days. The Pathway course contains 5 and a half hours of video content covering a broader range of topics, again, to be taken at your own pace. The Coaching course is held over a 6 week period, comprising 6 small group coaching sessions, each of one hour's duration, followed by a final one-to-one session with your instructor to review the participant's pathway to peace of mind from cyber risk. To get the most out of the Coaching course, participants should be prepared to do some work between sessions.
Can I benefit from what Surviving Cyber offers without subscribing to these courses?
Yes, of course. The free course "5 Days to Essential Cyber Security" is designed to help small businesses address the most common internet-based risks. You can register for the free course on this site. You can also subscribe to the Surviving Cyber YouTube channel and LinkedIn page. When you are ready to make a commitment to improving your cyber resilience, you can sign up for a self-study or coaching course.
Does my IT Managed Service Provider (MSP) already provide cyber risk management services?
Most small companies do not have access to an IT managed service provider who has expertise in cyber security or the provision of cyber risk management services. It is advisable to check with your IT Service provider whether they are providing any cybersecurity or cyber risk management services and the extent of any services provided.

I thought that cybersecurity was something my outsource IT provider would look after? My incident response plan was to ring my "IT guy". I wouldn't know what else to do if I got hit with ransomware. Are these suitable courses for me?
These courses are designed to help you form your first cyber resilience plan and prepare you to address exactly these kinds of issues e.g. outsourcing day-to-day activities to an IT Service Provider and forming an incident response plan.
I don't understand all this IT technical cybersecurity stuff. Can't I just buy cyber insurance and skip the need to learn about managing cyber risk in courses like these?
These are not courses about cybersecurity per se but about cyber risk management. The courses have been created to be useful to the ‘non-technical’ owners of small companies as well as to the management people they employ. Buying insurance is only part of the solution and comes after the risk has been assessed and reduced. Insurance doesn't take the risk away. It is financial protection, but you are still responsible for having controls in place. These courses will help you understand these issues.
I am not strong in Technology, and our company does not have an IT Department. Will these courses be too technical for me, and will it serve the needs of my company?
Technology is not my strongest area either! I created these courses for business owners and managers, not for IT professionals. They are designed to give non-technical owners and managers enough knowledge so that they can confidently discuss the subject with their IT providers and plan for the non-IT aspects of cyber risk. Creating a Cyber Resilience Plan will serve the needs of your company regardless of size or sophistication.
Which of the Surviving Cyber courses is right for me?
The Free course is perfect if you are a complete beginner and want to get basic cybersecurity controls in place now. The Jumpstart course is designed to jumpstart your efforts to manage cyber risk by helping you create a Cyber Resilience Plan for your business, probably the first of its kind. It is also designed for beginners. The “Pathway” course is a more extensive course that also covers People risk, Governance risk, Incident Response Planning, and Cyber insurance. The Coaching Course is a cohort-based group coaching course delivered live by me on Zoom over a 6-week period and includes a one-to-one session in week 6 to review your Pathway document. Which course is right for you depends on your circumstances, how much time, money, and effort you wish to commit to your business survival, and whether you prefer an online course that you can take at your own pace or a coaching course taking place on a fixed schedule. The Free Course, Jumpstart course, and Pathway course are available now on demand to take at your own pace. The Coaching Course is not currently available but is organised to meet demand.
How can I know if The Jumpstart Course or The Pathway Course is likely to satisfy me and deliver the indicated results?
Both courses are based upon the original live Coaching Course “Surviving Cyber: The Small Business Owner’s Pathway to Peace of Mind”. The Testimonials for the live Coaching Course show that the course delivered value to its participants. The Jumpstart Course contains the same content as its predecessor but is presented in a self-study format. The Pathway course is more extensive and includes additional Sections on Incident Response and Cyber Insurance. I am confident that both courses will deliver value for money and that is why I offer a 30-day unconditional guarantee.
Does my insurance broker already provide cyber risk management services?
Although cyber insurance has been around for over 20 years, it is still a relatively new product in the UK and Ireland. In fact, the take up rate for cyber insurance among small companies in the UK is thought to be only around 11%. Insurance brokers who do not specialize in this area may struggle to adequately explain the insurance to customers as it is a highly technical and complex risk. For this reason, your insurance broker may have raised the topic of cyber insurance with you but may not have offered cyber risk management services to your company.
Does Surviving Cyber provide advice about insurance or act as an insurance intermediary or broker in Ireland or the UK?
No. Surviving Cyber provides online education courses. Solenco Ltd t/a Surviving Cyber does not provide advice about insurance or act as an insurance intermediary or broker in Ireland or the UK. Insurance mediation is a regulated activity in both countries.
How can I know if these Surviving Cyber courses are likely to satisfy me and deliver the indicated results?
All of the Courses are based on the initial live Coaching course held in early 2021. The Testimonials for the initial Coaching course show that the course delivered value to its participants. You can see these Testimonials on the "Home" page. I am confident that the courses will deliver value for money and that is why I offer a 30-day unconditional guarantee.