What the NCSC Recommends: UK Cyber Security Guidance
The National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) is the UK government's authority on cyber security. It publishes free, authoritative guidance for home users and organisations of all sizes, guidance that Cyber Nova AI's platform is built around. This page summarises the NCSC's most important recommendations and how to act on them, without having to read through hundreds of pages of government documentation.
NCSC Cyber Aware: the official campaign
The NCSC's Cyber Aware campaign sets out six actions it considers most effective at protecting people online. Cyber Nova AI's platform is built to help you implement all of these, and track your progress against them.
NCSC's Top Five Actions for Home Users
Use a strong, separate password for your email
Your email account is the master key to your digital life: password resets go there. Use a strong password you do not use anywhere else. Enable two-factor authentication.
Install the latest software and app updates
Most successful cyber attacks exploit known vulnerabilities in out-of-date software. Enable automatic updates on all devices. Apply updates promptly when they are available.
Turn on two-factor authentication (2FA)
Also called two-step verification. 2FA means a criminal needs your password AND your phone to access your accounts. Enable it on email, banking, shopping, and social media accounts.
Back up your data
Keep copies of your important files (photos, documents, financial records) separate from your main device. An encrypted external drive or cloud backup (with 2FA) are both good options.
Use three random words as your password
The NCSC recommends three random words strung together as a memorable but strong password: "PurpleMonkeyBicycle" is far stronger than "P@ssw0rd1". Use a password manager to generate and store unique passwords for every account.
NCSC Guidance for Small Businesses
The NCSC publishes a Small Business Guide covering four practical areas. These are the same areas assessed in Cyber Essentials.
This section covers organisational guidance. Cyber Nova AI currently supports individual users. Business guidance will follow in a future release.
Access control
Give staff access only to the systems and data they need to do their job. Use separate admin accounts for admin tasks. Remove access immediately when someone leaves.
Malware protection
Use anti-malware software on all devices. Enable network filtering to block known malicious sites. The NCSC recommends Windows Defender (free, built into Windows) for most small businesses.
Network security
Separate guest Wi-Fi from your business network. Change default router passwords. Enable a firewall. Consider a VPN for remote workers accessing business systems.
Incident response
Know what to do before something goes wrong. The NCSC's Exercise in a Box is a free tool that helps small businesses test their cyber incident response plans.
Report Phishing Emails to the NCSC
The NCSC operates the Suspicious Email Reporting Service (SERS). If you receive a suspicious email, forward it to:
report@phishing.gov.uk
The NCSC analyses reported emails and uses them to take down malicious websites. Over 14 million suspicious emails have been reported since the service launched, leading to the removal of more than 200,000 scam websites.
Follow the NCSC's guidance, tracked automatically
Cyber Nova AI gives you a personalised checklist based on NCSC and Cyber Essentials recommendations. Track your progress, see your Security Score, and know exactly what to do next.
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Frequently asked questions
What is the NCSC?
The National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) is the UK government authority on cyber security. It is part of GCHQ and provides free guidance, threat intelligence, and incident response support to UK organisations and individuals. The NCSC publishes the Cyber Essentials scheme and free guidance at ncsc.gov.uk.
Does the NCSC give advice to home users?
Yes. The NCSC publishes specific guidance for home users at ncsc.gov.uk/section/information-for/individuals-families. Their Cyber Aware campaign provides simple, actionable steps covering passwords, software updates, two-factor authentication, and backing up data, the same ones Cyber Nova AI's platform is built around.
Can I report a cyber incident to the NCSC?
The NCSC accepts incident reports from UK organisations via ncsc.gov.uk/section/about-this-website/report-an-incident. For individuals, report cyber crime to Report Fraud (reportfraud.police.uk) and phishing emails to report@phishing.gov.uk. The NCSC also runs the Active Cyber Defence programme which blocks millions of phishing attacks at the national level.