Bendigo Bank Launches New Cybersecurity Training Program for Local Businesses

The City of Greater Bendigo is running four free Cyber Resilience sessions aimed at residents, with a focus on older adults learning to spot phone scams, secure devices and handle passwords. Bendigo and Adelaide Bank has updated its required staff training to cover data risk management, email practices and phishing detection through automated drills.

These steps come as digital threats increase across regional areas, pushing organisations to scale up education efforts that were once limited in scope. Local programs now reach both bank employees and community members who previously had fewer structured options for learning safe online habits.

Local programs expand reach

Bendigo and Adelaide Bank launched its Banking Safely Online sessions in September 2023. More than 1,000 customers and community group members have attended those sessions, according to records from the bank. The City of Greater Bendigo sessions add another layer by offering no-cost entry points for residents outside the bank's customer base.

The bank's internal changes include mandatory modules that all staff must complete, shifting from earlier versions that lacked the automated phishing components now in place. This update aligns with the same organisation's public sessions that draw participants from across the region.

Next steps for residents

People can register for the City of Greater Bendigo sessions through local council channels listed on its site. Bank customers can check upcoming Banking Safely Online dates via the Bendigo and Adelaide Bank website or branch notices. Both efforts continue to run without announced end dates, giving ongoing access to the core skills covered in each format.