We were delighted to be involved with the South West’s first Cyber Security Awareness Week (#CSAW) which took place earlier this month.
The event was hosted by Exeter-based Bluegrass, an IT managed service provider and local cyber expert, with whom we work very closely. The purpose of the event was to raise awareness of the rise in cyber crime and educate local businesses on how to protect themselves.
Over the course of five days the event attracted 200 delegates to hear from
18 expert speakers at 11 events across six Exeter venues. We were included in the speaker line up and provided advice on cyber insurance, a vital consideration for businesses, all of whom are at risk of cyber crime.
Despite each speaker providing advice on different aspects of cyber security there were five key messages that kept being repeated across the week. We recommend you take note of them to help protect your business and data:
• Every business is an open target to cyber criminals, even yours
• Backups are vital and must be checked to ensure they’re working
• Email is one of your weakest links and requires adequate security protection
• Staff need to be trained to be alert to ransomware/cyber attacks and know what to do should a member of staff activate a virus
• Strong passwords are essential
Bluegrass are already planning more events on cyber security. If you want to know about the latest threats and how best to protect your business make sure you get yourself on the delegate list. For more information please visit their website www.bluegrass-group.com or email [email protected].
The event has inspired the #CSAW group to develop a free, impartial advice website on all matters related to cyber security which you can find here
If you have concerns or questions about any aspect of cyber security we suggest you get in touch with either ourselves or Bluegrass (01392 207194).