Industry leaders talk cyber security at EBC Group event

On Friday 13th October, EBC group hosted our Cyber Security Event at the BT building at Three Snowhill in Birmingham. With speakers from BT, ConnectWise, West Midlands Police, Assure Technical, Sutcliffe Insurance and Kingsley Napley. Our Special Guest speaker of the afternoon was the brilliant Andy Gomarsall, Former Rugby Union Player and World Cup winner. These speakers came together to educate on the importance of cyber security and what we can do to avoid a security breach.

Our first speaker, Steve Blackshaw from BT, tackled The Importance of Secure Networks. Steve’s expertise touched on the necessity of robust security measures and how these can be applied both in the working world and in our everyday personal lives. A takeaway from this was that “There are soon to be 700 billion devices connected to the internet” and as usage grows, businesses and institutions continue to generate greater amounts of data, soon to cause an inevitable traffic jam of data that is fast approaching.

Leigh Cockell, Specialist in Cyber Security from ConnectWise then took the stage to provide an insight into what is happening in the cyber threat landscape, and what we can all do to reduce our exposure and risk. Leigh highlighted the growing sophistication of cyber threats, reminding attendees that the battle against cyber adversaries is an ever evolving one. Leigh also touched upon AI and highlighted that “4/5th’s of business leaders intend to use AI in the near future.”

Khatija Nichols, representing the West Midlands Police, provided a gripping exploration of serious cyber crime networks. Her insights served as a reminder of the real-world consequences cyber crime inflicts upon businesses and the significance of proactive law enforcement measures in this digital age. An eye-opening statistic that was highlighted during this presentation was that “Cyber Crime accounts for Approx. 42% of ALL reported crime.”

Pete Rucinski, from Assure Technical, explored the world of Cyber Essentials, Testing, and Compliance. His talk offered practical strategies to ensure cyber resilience. As well as some frightening insights such as: “60% of small businesses that suffer a cyber-attack go out of business within 6 months.” Pete also stated the importance of Cyber Essentials and how Penetration Testing is key in our digital world, allowing us to detect and remediate vulnerabilities.

Duncan Sutcliffe, of Sutcliffe Insurance, reinforced the importance of effective cyber insurance. As cyber threats continue to evolve, it has become crucial for businesses to secure comprehensive insurance policies to mitigate financial risks in the event of a breach. Duncan alerted the audience on the insight that “67% of cyber incidents were caused directly by employee error, negligence or social engineering.” Showcasing just how important it is that employees are educated on cyber security so that they are well equipped to navigate the digital world safely.

Chris Recker from Kingsley Napley addressed the audience on the crucial topic of what happens in the event of a cyber-attack. His insights gave attendees an understanding of how to respond effectively in these situations, minimising the damage and disruption caused by such incidents.

To cap off this exceptional event, we were honoured to have Andy Gomarsall, a former Rugby Union player and 2003 World Cup Winner, as our special guest speaker. His unique perspective offered valuable insights into the world of sustainability, with a spotlight on #WorldsToDoList. The audience was asked to think about what happens to our old tech once it was thrown out and shown some insightful information on the matter. Andy’s experience in professional sport demonstrated the parallels it shares with the realm of cyber security in terms of teamwork, strategy, and resilience.

Peter Tyrrell