Leading the fight against cyber crime

Partnership will help businesses protect themselves online

An innovative partnership between police, private sector and academia has launched in the South East to help businesses in Berkshire protect themselves against cybercrime.

The South East Cyber Resilience Centre (SECRC) is part of a network of centres being established across the country to provide businesses with an affordable way to access cyber security services to help protect themselves from attack.

The SECRC offers a range a membership options depending on what level of support businesses need.

The core membership is free to all businesses with 50 or fewer employees, and provides firms with access to a range of resources and tools to help them identify their vulnerabilities, as well as providing guidance on the steps they can take to increase their levels of protection.

The centre is headed up by a director who is also a detective superintendent with the South East Organised Crime Unit.

Justin Torgout, who has taken on the director role, has been in policing for more than 25 years, where he has worked across a diverse number of functions.

An experienced senior investigating officer, he has managed large-scale investigations and is an accredited kidnap and extortion manager.

He said: “Having worked closely with the force Cyber Crime Unit in Hampshire, I have seen first-hand the significant threat that businesses across our region face from cyber criminals.

“I have also seen the damage a successful attack can do to businesses, from sole traders to multinational organisations.

“The SECRC team are committed to helping local business understand more about the threats they face and help them get better protected.

“The SECRC brings together the expertise of law enforcement, private industry and academia to deliver affordable services to help businesses mitigate their cyber security risks.

“We have already had a great response from businesses wanting to be involved with our board and advisory group.

“Our website is now live so businesses can find out more about how we can help them and sign up for one of our packages.

“The core membership is free and comes with a pack of practical guidance and information to help businesses identify their current risks and what they can do to mitigate against them.”

The SECRC has been funded by the National Police Chiefs’ Council Cyber Crime Programme, which secured £2m of Government funding. The South East is the fifth region to go live.

Mandy Haeburn-Little, CEO of BRIM, who advised on establishing and developing the CRCs, said: “This represents a new era for cybercrime prevention where policing will work hand in hand with private sector in the alignment of cyber strategies.”

Businesses can find out more information about the centre here.

To keep updated with the latest developments follow @SouthEastCRC on Twitter or on LinkedIn and sign up to receive the SECRC e-news on the website.