Mustarred, a regulatory compliance and IT advisory firm, has announced plans to provide complimentary cybersecurity consultations to more than 1,000 small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) across Nigeria as part of this year’s Data Privacy Week activities.
The initiative targets early-stage businesses with fewer than 20 employees and less than four years of operation, a segment widely regarded as highly vulnerable to cyber threats due to limited security infrastructure and low awareness of data protection practices.
According to a report by Electro IQ, a research platform. In 2025, 43 percent of cyberattacks occurred against small businesses. Many of these companies have weak cybersecurity defences and are comparatively easy to breach.
Many small businesses in Nigeria handle sensitive customer and employee information daily, but often postpone cybersecurity and data privacy compliance until after experiencing a data breach, regulatory scrutiny, or audit-related challenges.
Mustarred said the free consultations are designed to help SMEs assess how their data is stored, processed, and protected, while identifying immediate cybersecurity and privacy risks before they escalate into operational disruptions or regulatory violations.
“The goal is to help small businesses build basic cybersecurity resilience early and understand the importance of protecting data from the onset of their operations,” the firm said in a statement.
The initiative comes amid heightened regulatory attention following the enactment of the Nigerian Data Protection Act (NDPA), which requires organisations of all sizes to demonstrate accountability, implement minimum security safeguards, and maintain audit readiness.
Beyond the free consultations, Mustarred also supports businesses with privacy risk assessments and NDPA audit preparation, helping firms interpret regulatory requirements and strengthen their data protection frameworks ahead of compliance reviews.
The complimentary cybersecurity consultations will be offered on a first-come, first-served basis throughout Data Privacy Week.