Vizulate Digital Director Mick Brant has been invited to be part of an expert panel at a Free Cyber Security Seminar being held at the Conference Centre in Brighouse on Friday 10th February.
The half-day seminar is part of a joint initiative by Brighouse-based IT support and solutions company Netpoint Solutions and the Regional Cyber Crime Unit at West Yorkshire Police to alert business owners to the growing threat of cyber crime.
Without intervention, cyber attacks could stifle small business growth and in the worst cases, it can cause businesses to shut down.
At the seminar, DCI Smith will explain the risks to businesses and will advise them on the ten critical policies, procedures and protections that every business should have in place to protect themselves.
DCI Smith said: “Businesses regardless of size are vulnerable to attack from the cyber criminal who, if successful, can cause significant harm to the continuous of the business. Awareness of this threat is the first step in protecting your business from the risk of a cyber-attack, followed by education and implementation of simple cyber security measures.”
Netpoint Solutions Director Steve Vickerman said, “We know that unfortunately there is growing list of Yorkshire businesses that have lost tens of thousands of pounds to cyber fraud. We really can’t emphasise enough how important it is that business owners are aware of the risks and what steps they can take to reduce the risk of a cyber attack. At this event, they’ll receive advice directly from the Head of the Regional Cyber Crime Unit.”
In June 2016, the FSB, which is also helping to promote the seminar, published its report, ‘Cyber Resilience: How to protect small firms in the digital economy,’ which suggested that smaller firms are collectively attacked seven million times per year, costing the UK economy an estimated £5.26 billion.
FSB West Yorkshire media spokesperson, Neil Kendall, said: “The digital economy is vital to small businesses – presenting a huge opportunity to reach new markets and customers – but these benefits are matched by the risk of opportunities for criminals to attack businesses. FSB research shows that two-thirds of businesses have been a victim of cyber crime in the last two years, costing each business on average, almost £3,000. Without a concerted effort to reduce cyber crime and improve resilience, small businesses could be at real risk and that is why we would urge business owners to attend this event. It’s free, it takes just a couple of hours out of their working day but they will get some highly valuable and practical advice from DCI Vanessa Smith on how to protect themselves from cyber attacks.”
Speaking about the website-specific security risks to businesses, Mick Brant said: “All websites and web applications are potentially vulnerable to security breaches unless best practice is adhered to.
“In the same way that computer desktop and operating environments have to be updated with patches because a new vulnerability has been discovered, so should website frameworks and applications.
“Best practice and ongoing maintenance and support are a key part of the Vizulate Digital offering and we adhere to best practices such as secure hosting – which should be considered as the first line of defence. Where clients subscribe to our support service, we apply regular updates of core plugins and files and ensure any applicable security updates are applied to keep the site safe. We ensure our e-commerce sites are PCI DSS compliant and only use recognised and audited payment gateways so payment liability is the responsibility of the payment provider. And where clients subscribe to our support service, we schedule regular backups to ensure that even if the worst should happen it can be quickly restored.”
The free seminar runs from 9.30am to 12 noon on Friday 10 February at the Junction 25 Conference Centre on Armytage Road, Brighouse. The seminar is aimed at businesses that employ up to 100 people, and it is ideal for any business which handles financial, medical or personal data or any business owner that is concerned about being defrauded.
Refreshments and a buffet lunch are also provided providing an opportunity for delegates to informally network. Places at the event are limited so early booking is advised.
