Chamber event targets cyber crime

Barnsley & Rotherham Chamber of Commerce is giving local business owners the chance to find out more about how to safeguard against cyber attacks after announcing plans to host a special workshop aimed at tackling the growing problem.

Led by IT solutions company AAG Systems, the session forms part of the Chamber’s regular ‘Meet the Experts’ event, designed to help local businesses access expert advice from local professionals.

Taking place on 28th April, Lisa Middleton will provide Chamber members and local business owners with all they need to know about protecting their business against cyber-attacks and how to spot them before they cause serious damage to online data.

Cyber scams cost businesses over £4 billion each year in lost data and online theft, whilst the cost of cybercrime as a whole in 2016 amounted to £27 billion, according to statistics from a report published by the Cabinet Office.

The workshop will look at how business owners can educate their workforce on how to spot the signs of cybercrime and what safeguards can be put in place to ensure their business doesn’t fall victim to fraudsters.

Lisa Middleton, Senior Solutions Specialist, AAG Systems said:

“Whilst most businesses make some provisions to protect against cybercrime, a recent Government report suggested 34% of all attacks were the result of human error. It’s a common misconception that a simple firewall or anti-virus software is enough to protect against cybercrime, however, in many cases safeguards are only as good as the ability of staff to use them.

“In the battle against cybercrime, educating employees is a vital step. Businesses face cyber threats daily and it should be a priority for everyone involved in the business to be able to identify potential attacks. This workshop will help to identify common cyber scams, how to protect your business and what can be done, should the worst happen.”

Andrew Denniff, Chief Executive of Barnsley & Rotherham Chamber, said:

“The Chamber’s ‘Meet the Experts’ events are open to all organisations and offer a chance to explore many different issues which can impact upon the day-to-day running of a business.

“The aim of this workshop is to educate local business owners, whilst looking at some of the implications of failing to keep your data safe. Cyber security is often something which is overlooked by many people, not just business owners; we all know it exists but we always think it won’t happen to us, yet the statistics prove otherwise.”

‘Meet the Experts – Defend your Business against Cyber Attack’ takes place on Friday 28th April from 8:30am to 10pm at Barnsley & Rotherham Chamber headquarters at Unit 2 Genesis Business Park, Rotherham, S60 1DX. Chamber members can attend free of charge and non-members can purchase tickets for £10 +VAT from the Chamber website: https://www.brchamber.co.uk/event/meet-experts-defend-business-cyber-attack/