Staffordshire’s Commissioner for Police Fire and Rescue and Crime is urging businesses to take advantage of free training and become more Cyber Savvy following a ransomware attack on an International business based in Staffordshire.
Staffordshire Police’s business crime advisors have been working with Steelite International after it was targeted by an online criminal who demanded money from the company in return for the ‘recovery’ of its data.
Deputy Commissioner, Sue Arnold, who leads on cybercrime on behalf of the Commissioner said: ‘This was a heinous attack from someone who not only tried to extort money from the business but could also have jeopardised the payroll this week ruining Christmas for so many families.
‘It’s all too easy to fall foul of online fraud, and the consequences can be devastating.
‘We all have to become smarter if we’re going to reduce the impact of this kind of crime and this free training will enable businesses to stay ahead of the fraudsters. Cyber Crime champions are the first point of contact for information and will be able to share it easily and quickly with their colleagues!’
The new initiative was launched earlier this year by Staffordshire’s Online Fraud Forum – a partnership of local business and public sector organisations chaired by Sue Arnold.
The free training gives Staffordshire businesses the chance to get cyber savvy and stay one step ahead of online fraudsters, with designated workplace champions.
Last year, online fraud and cybercrime was estimated to have cost £11 billion pounds and fraudsters are increasingly targeting businesses large and small.
ACC Emma Barnett said: ‘Cybercrime is a real and current threat to local businesses due to emerging digital crime trends over the last decade.
‘The risks posed to businesses are significant and many organisations are being frequently exposed to cyber security risks.
‘The cost to a business in terms of lost revenue or reputational damage through a cyber-attack can be devastating and there is a human impact of victims to these attacks and on line frauds
‘This initiative helps make it more difficult for criminals to target businesses across Staffordshire by raising awareness of the current cyber threats and sharing information on how to protect themselves and prevent cyber-attacks in the future’.
Cybercrime is swiftly becoming the most damaging crime a victim can experience. Millions of pounds of money and reams of sensitive data are stolen every year and a lot of this can be prevented with some simple actions.
The training, is delivered by Staffordshire Police’s Crime Prevention Design Advisor, Kate Dempsey and Staffordshire’s Digital Police Community Support Officer.
Kate Dempsey, lead advisor on the training, said: ‘Introducing a cyber champion into the workplace will in itself raise awareness of online safety.
‘This is a really good opportunity for businesses to get free advice and training.
‘Keeping up to date with cyber and fraud threats reduces their risk of becoming a victim in the future’.
PCSO Matthew Hough-Clewes is one of less than 10 digital PCSO’s throughout the UK and took on the role to protect the public and businesses from online fraud in December last year. ‘I have visited a number of groups and organisations, showing them how to protect themselves online and not be tricked into giving away information to the wrong people. I’m really excited about this new Cyber Champion initiative and look forward to helping businesses in Staffordshire improve their cyber security’.
For more information about becoming a Cyber Champion in your workplace and sign up for future training sessions email: pfcc@staffordshire-pfcc.pnn.gov.uk
