Author: Daniel Peters

Cyber Quarter – Strengthening business resilience, one person at a time!

Posted on by Daniel Peters

Although it can be quite daunting, one of the best ways to realise the importance of sound cyber security is through knowing the facts. 

According to Hiscox, one small business in the UK is successfully hacked every 19 seconds. Every day, it is estimated that there are around 65,000 attempts to hack small-to-medium sized businesses (SMBs), with around 4,500 being successful. That’s a massive 1.6 million SMBs in the UK every year. 

Furthermore, research demonstrates that one of the leading causes of cybersecurity breaches is due to human error. In 2021, it was found to be responsible for 95% of breaches, which has understandably led to the call for attention to be drawn to Human Factors. 

In cybersecurity, human factors refer to the situations when the human error results in a successful data or security breach; it can be said that humans are the weakest component in terms of security and imply the greatest risks and threats for any business or organisation. Unfortunately, a growing factor that is influencing human error is increased levels of stress. 

According to CIISec’s 2020/2021 State of Profession report, 557 security professionals have said that stress has become a major issue in recent years, with 80% also saying that they have seen the first-hand effects of stress on their staff. This is concerning as research has shown that, when people are stressed, they are more vulnerable to the attempts of cyber criminals. 

To raise awareness of this, the Cyber Quarter recently held a workshop at the Cyber Quarter building in Hereford entitled ‘People – The Hidden Human Cost of Cyber’ as part of a Business Resilience Programme. The aim of this workshop was to share insights with local businesses on how, by de-risking your people’s behaviours, de-risking your contracts and optimising your insurance, you can actually thrive after a cyber-attack and not just survive.  

Along with Clare Murphy & Rebecca Kirk from Harrison Clark Rickerbys Ltd, the Cyber Quarter were joined by Human Factors Specialist Ellen Kay.   

“Our people are not only our greatest asset but our greatest liability. You don’t hire your greatest insider threat you create them OR you give them your password! We can de-risk our organisations if we de-risk the thinking and behaviours of our employees. There is also a significant benefit by taking professional advice in advance of an attack and not afterwards. The most significant one is cost savings. Creating a culture of resilency will enhance not only performance but reduce risk. And at a time of huge economic change it is never more important to take care of your costs, your contracts, your supply chain, your customers, your employees and your market position. If you take action you can take control.” Ellen Kay. 

Here is some feedback from the session: 

“Invaluable advise”, “Thank you, thank you, thank you”, “Informative case studies”, “A great format” 

All the businesses who attended the workshop were able to apply the insights from the session into their own business. New employment contracts are being drafted, bespoke workshops are being discussed for a clients’ client-base and another company has signed up for our complete Human Factors programme. If you’re a business looking for support to improve your cyber resilience, feel free to send us an enquiry via the Cyber Quarter website, or send us an email via the address below. 

Email: cyberqtr@wlv.ac.uk 

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Wolverhampton clinches ‘Cyber University of the Year’ award

Posted on by Daniel Peters

The University of Wolverhampton has clinched a top award for ‘Cyber University of the Year’ at this year’s The National Cyber Awards 2022 held in London recently. 

The awards have been set up to reward those who are committed to cyber innovation, cyber crime reduction and protecting citizens online. 

The university offers a range of undergraduate, postgraduate and doctoral programmes in cyber security and computer science at its Wolverhampton City Campus and it officially opened the new Cyber Quarter – The Midlands Centre for Cyber Security in Herefordshire last year.  

The centre is a joint venture between the University of Wolverhampton and Herefordshire Council and is part-funded by the Government’s Local Growth Fund, via the Marches Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) and the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF).  

The cyber team has engaged with over 100 businesses, assisted nearly 60 SMEs to improve their cyber defences, started 30 cyber related Research and Development projects and supported over 19 new to firm or new to market products. The academic team has also helped set up 5 new cyber related spin-out companies and are leading several regional and national Cyber networks.  

Professor Prashant Pillai, Centre Director Cyber Quarter – Midlands Centre for Cyber Security and Professor of Cyber Security at the University, said: “We were delighted to have been named finalist for the second year running in these prestigious awards and it was amazing to have clinched the top prize as ‘Cyber University of the Year’ at the recent awards ceremony. 

“The expertise and specialist focus of our new centre is part of a wider, growing ecosystem of cyber sector companies based within the Cyber Quarter on Skylon Park in Herefordshire. The area is already home to a highly regarded cyber economy, and the knowledge, expertise and opportunities that the centre brings along with the strong academic expertise at the University is helping to establish Herefordshire as one of the capitals of the cyber security sector. 

“It’s a magnificent new Centre that brings to Hereford a brand- new research and innovation, training and incubation hub that focuses on how we can develop the cyber skills of the future with the research and innovation that many of our companies need. This is a major innovation in the area and one that will firmly put Hereford and Wolverhampton on the map in terms of cyber security.” 

The winners were announced on Monday 26 September 2022 at the awards evening at Novotel West in London. You can see the full list of finalists on the website at www.thenational cyber awards.org 

Cyber Quarter – Midlands Centre for Cyber Security offers a package of tailored security testing, training, Research & Development and sector expertise to businesses and investors.  

Supported by the university’s cyber academic team of the Faculty of Science and Engineering, the centre offers product testing and certification, CPD and short courses and cyber conferences such as the recent Cyber Fringe Festival which attracted experts from across the globe.   

The 2,000 square metre building provides significant resources for research and development across three cyber laboratories, advanced training facilities and additional business space for up to 16 cyber companies.  

The centre, which secured £2.82m of funding via the Marches LEP’s Growth Deal with Government in 2017, is part of the new Cyber Quarter at Skylon Park, already home to numerous defence and security sector businesses.  

The new centre incorporates a full height glass atrium to provide a dual break-out space and function hall, alongside the main three storey building which houses business suites, innovation rooms, IT workshops and a ‘Cyber Range’ – a cutting edge facility that will defend against the global rise of hacking.  

Anyone interested in courses offered or businesses looking for incubation space can find out more about the Cyber Quarter – Midlands Centre for Cyber Security on the website. 

Cyber Strength Through Diversity

Posted on by Daniel Peters

Diversity and Inclusivity have been a point of discussion in the cyber sector for over a decade now. There have been several government and private sector led initiatives over the years trying to further improve the diversity in the cyber sector. We all agree that diversity adds strength to any cyber team. However, there are still several barriers and challenges that ethnic minorities in the UK are still facing when either trying to get into the cyber sector or when they are looking at career progression within the sector.  

The Ethnic Minority in Cyber (EMiC) network is a pilot network supported by Department of Digital, Culture Media & Sport (DCMS) 

The University of Wolverhampton have been leading the pilot network with other partners and took an active role in creating a series of student training workshops for ethnic minority students to support their career development. Over 300 students registered for the four sessions. Cyber Quarter was one of the partners involved in the delivery of these workshops of the network and was also involved in leading the delivery of the EMiC Flagship event – The ‘Symposium on Cyber Strength through Diversity (Ethnicity)’, held at the Edgbaston Park Hotel in Birmingham on 28 April 2022. The event was attended by cyber professionals from industry, government, and academia. It consisted of selected talks and a facilitated workshop that not just looked at key challenges and perceptions of the cyber sector, but also how some possible solutions that could be developed.  

The Keynote speech was delivered by Simon Hepburn, CEO of the UK Cyber Security Council, who emphasised the importance of diversity in cyber teams and the steps the Council are taking on further supporting this. Andrew Elliot, Deputy Director Cyber Security, DCMS also presented the different initiatives the government has taken over the years and how they have helped improve the diversity in the cyber sector.  

Our very own Professor Prashant Pillai, Centre Director Cyber Quarter and Associate Dean University of Wolverhampton, who is the Steering Group Co-Chair for the EMiC network said, “The was a successful event that was well attended and received excellent feedback. It has not only made us all think about some of the key aspects but has also got several key leaders of the sector to support the network by pledging to become an EMiC mentor. The network will not only help people who want to get into cyber or those who are looking at career growth but will also help businesses to bring diversity into their cyber teams. We are aiming to make this a national network and are planning several activities and events over the next year.” 

On 3 May 2022, DCMS published the 2022 Cyber Security Skills in the UK Labour Market report, which highlights 25% of the workforce came from ethnic minority background. More information can be also found in the Joint report between the NCSC and KPMG UK called Decrypting Diversity: Diversity and Inclusion in Cyber Security.  

New cyber building officially opened in Herefordshire

Posted on by Daniel Peters

The new £9 million Cyber Quarter – Midlands Centre for Cyber Security based at Skylon Park on the Herefordshire Enterprise Zone has been officially opened today (Monday 6 December 2021).

Erika Lewis, Director for Cyber Security and Digital Identity at the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, was joined by a senior representative from the National Cyber Security Centre – a part of GCHQ – alongside partners to cut the ribbon on the new building which has already scooped two prestigious construction awards.

The centre is a joint venture between the University of Wolverhampton and Herefordshire Council and is part-funded by the Government’s Local Growth Fund, via the Marches Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) and the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF).

The £9m state-of-the-art hub supports innovation and industry in the sector, offering a package of tailored security testing, training, Research & Development and sector expertise to businesses and investors.

Minister for Media, Data and Digital Infrastructure, Julia Lopez, said:”This new state-of-art-centre will be a fantastic addition to the country’s booming cyber security industry and offer businesses the support they need to take their ideas to the next level.

 “Growing and developing the UK’s technology sector is a crucial part of our mission to level up and we are backing firms with pro-innovation policies and supporting people to get the skills to succeed.”

Professor Prashant Pillai, Associate Dean Research and Knowledge Exchange and Centre Director Cyber Quarter – Midlands Centre for Cyber Security, said: “Now, more than ever as globally we collectively try to recover following the Covid-19 pandemic, this new centre will be of real value to people who are launching or growing their business.

“The expertise and specialist focus of the new centre will be part of a wider, growing campus of cyber sector companies based within the Cyber Quarter on Skylon Park. The area is already home to a highly regarded cyber economy, and the knowledge, expertise and opportunities that the centre brings will help to establish Herefordshire as one of the capitals of the cyber security sector.

“We are hoping to forge strategic partnerships and relationships with some of the world’s leading expertise in cyber and security, really putting Herefordshire and the Midlands on the international map.”

Cllr David Hitchiner, Leader of Herefordshire Council, said: “It is wonderful to see the Cyber Quarter – Midlands Centre for Cyber Security officially open. We have been working jointly with the University of Wolverhampton for several years now and it has been thrilling to see the Centre take shape.

“Herefordshire is already home to a thriving cyber security industry, and the Cyber Quarter will further cement our status as a capital of the rapidly expanding and cutting-edge sector. The investment is central to our ambition to attract new hi-tech investment, draw expertise and create knowledge-based, high-income jobs in the county.”

Mandy Thorn MBE, Chair of the Marches Local Enterprise Partnership, said: “A huge part of the LEP’s decade of success is the fostering of new partnerships between the public, private and academic sectors. The Midlands Centre for Cyber Security is a landmark example of what we can achieve by working together.

“Developed with LEP investment of £3m from our Growth Deal with Government, it is one of a number of Herefordshire projects that the LEP has supported as part of its £18.8m overall investment into the Zone that will deliver innovation, progress and high-value jobs.”

Andrew Manning Cox, Chairman of the Hereford Enterprise Zone, added: “The opening of this building cements Skylon Park, and the wider Herefordshire area, as the natural home for cyber security research and innovation in this country.

“We are already home to a cluster of businesses working within the sector and the centre will be vital to building on this expertise as we develop our cyber campus, helping companies based here to tap into a £64.5 billion global market.”

Supported by the university’s Wolverhampton Cyber Research Institute (WCRI), the centre offers space for up to 16 cyber SMEs as well as offering product testing and certification, CPD and short courses and cyber conferences attracting experts from across the globe.

The project, a partnership that included Speller Metcalfe, Hybrid Structures, Associated Architects, Cundall, Ramboll, Gleeds and Couch Perry Wilkes as well as the University’s Estates and Facilities Team, recently scooped a Building Project of the Year Award as well as being announced joint winners for the Integration & Collaborative Working Award at the Constructing Excellence West Midlands Awards held in November.

Anyone interested in professional development courses or businesses looking for incubation space can find out more about the Cyber Quarter – Midlands Centre for Cyber Security on the website.

For more information contact the Corporate Communications Team comms@wlv.ac.uk.

Cyber is jewel in UK tech crown – report welcomed

Posted on by Daniel Peters

Business leaders at Skylon Park today welcomed a new report which  revealed the UK’s growing cyber industry attracted record investment last year despite the global pandemic.

The DCMS Annual Cyber Sector Report, which tracks the UK’s cyber security industry, found the number of active firms in the sector increased by 21 per cent in the last year.

Andrew manning cox

Andrew Manning Cox is Chairman of the Hereford Enterprise Zone, Skylon Park, which is home to the new £9m Cyber Quarter – Midlands Centre for Cyber Security.

He said: “The report shows how vital the fast-growing cyber sector is to the national economic recovery, worth an estimated £8.9 billion, with a record £800 million of investment raised by firms.

“This region has already been identified as the fastest growing hotspot for cyber outside London, so it holds enormous potential for Herefordshire’s future prosperity too.

“Skylon Park is the only enterprise zone in the UK which has a defence and security sector focus.

“We are seeing high numbers of enquiries from potential investors currently – both looking to invest on Cyber Quarter as well as take advantage of some of the specialist services on offer to help protect businesses from cyber threats at the new centre too.”

The new report showed a nine per cent rise in employment in the industry with more than 3,800 new full time jobs created, bringing the total number of people working in the sector to 46,683.

The sector is now worth an estimated £8.9 billion, with a record £800 million of investment raised by firms.

Digital Minister Matt Warman, at the launch of the report, said: “The need for cutting-edge cyber security has never been greater and this resilient sector is growing, diversifying and solidifying its status as a jewel in the UK’s tech crown.

“With more than 3,800 new jobs created, firms – large and small – are doing vital work keeping people and businesses secure online so we can build back safer from the pandemic.”

The main findings from the report are:

  • Despite the current economic climate, 2020 was a new record year for cyber security investment with UK cyber security businesses raising over £821 million across 73 deals – more than twice that raised in 2019
  • The sector’s total annual revenue has continued to rise (by 7 per cent), reaching £8.9 billion within the most recent financial year
  • The sector contributed more than £4 billion to the economy – up 6 per cent in the last year, with mainly mature firms driving growth
  • The majority (65 per cent) of the 46,683 cyber workforce are employed by large firms (250+ employees).

Academic contributes expertise to new cyber security governing body

Posted on by Daniel Peters

A University of Wolverhampton academic has contributed to a government initiative to create an official body governing training and standards in cybersecurity.

Tony Proctor, Principal Lecturer in the University’s School of Maths & Computing, has worked alongside leading industry partners in the development of a new UK Cyber Security Council.

Funded by the Department for Culture Media and Sport (DCMS) the UK Cyber Security Council will provide a single governing voice for the industry to establish the knowledge, skills and experience required for a range of cyber security jobs. It will work with training providers to accredit courses and qualifications and give employers the information and confidence they need to recruit effectively.

Tony has been working with the Chartered Institute for Information Security (CIISec) on key deliverables for the council which included the development of a standard to provide Chartered Status for individuals in the profession and other developments aimed at bringing the sector in line with professions such as law, medicine and engineering.

He said: “Cybersecurity has never been more important – especially during the pandemic where statistics have shown that there has been a 600% increase in cyber attacks on SME businesses. At the present time, there simply cannot be enough awareness raising around the cyber threats that we all face.

“It’s crucial that people entering the profession get access to world-class training and guidance and that their qualifications are tailored to the growing and ever evolving needs of the sector.”

The work is part of the Government’s Cyber Security Strategy. The Council will be formally launched at National Cyber Security Centre flagship event, Cyber UK next week. Working closely with the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC), the Council will strongly support the Government’s £1.9 billion National Cyber Security Strategy to make the UK the safest place to live and work online.

The University of Wolverhampton recently joined forces with Herefordshire Council to build a £9 million state-of-the-art Cyber Quarter – Midlands Centre for Cyber Security. The new building based on Skylon Park on the Herefordshire Enterprize Zone is part-funded by the government’s Local Growth Fund, via the Marches Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) and the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF).

Cyber Quarter – Midlands Centre for Cyber Security will offer a package of tailored security testing, training, Research & Development and sector expertise to businesses and investors.

Supported by the university’s Wolverhampton Cyber Research Institute (WCRI), the centre will also be home to 16 cyber SMEs and well as offering product testing and certification, CPD and short courses and cyber conferences attracting experts from across the globe.

Anyone interested in studying at the University of Wolverhampton, should register for one of the forthcoming Virtual Open Days.

SMEs and proactive incident responses

Posted on by Daniel Peters

Cybersecurity is becoming ever more important. Every day organisations across the world are facing potential disorder through cyberattacks, such as ransomware, and stories of large businesses experiencing data breaches are frequently being reported.

No organisation or business is safe; this year has already seen a number of British universities being the victim of cyberattacks.

Dr Haider al-Khateeb, Deputy Director of the Wolverhampton Cyber Research Institute at The University of Wolverhampton has written the following blog post on proactive incident response (IR); a process to manage disruptive cyber events.

Proactive incident response

Incident response (IR) is a process to manage disruptive cyber events. It includes several incident handling techniques and phases to help businesses detect, analyse, contain, eradicate, and recover from various types of cyber events.

Cyber events refer to incidents ranging from computer malfunction and defaced websites to exceptionally disruptive Denial of Service (DoS) attacks such as ransomware. Additionally, the National Centre for Cyber Security (NCSC) in the UK includes accidental incidents such as damage from fire or flood in the definition of ‘incident’.

Therefore, preparing for IR is also planning for business continuity, a vital requirement for all organisations.

However, deploying incident handling techniques following a cyber-attack or data breach is not straight forward and can be challenging to businesses. The process requires technical consultancy to support each phase in the IR plan. For example, to produce bespoke policies, response procedures, communication protocols, training, IR team, and the right toolkit. These requirements are typically tailored based on several factors including business functions, priorities, infrastructure, and budget.

When should an IR plan be developed?

As soon as the business is formed to engage with stakeholders in the supply chain.

For a small business, it is expected that (at least) a basic IR plan is in place. A basic plan includes key contacts, escalation criteria, basic incident life cycle (can be a flowchart) supported by guidance on legal and regulatory requirements.

Eventually, a more comprehensive plan for proactive incident response will be needed to support business continuity.

Is my IR plan good?

Other useful questions to ask include, but not limited to:

Is your IR plan reactive or proactive?

How do you utilise Cyber Threat Intelligence (CTI)?

Do you have a post-incident activity within your plan?

IR as a term is reactive, so it is no wonder that a proactive approach to incident response is a foreign concept to many businesses.

However, it is very critical to understand that while disruptive technologies (such as cloud computing, virtualisation, IoT, and AI-powered software) introduce business opportunities, they inevitably continue to proliferate the threat landscape in our fragile cyber ecosystem. For example, consider the systematic integration of the Internet of Things (IoT) and Cyber-Physical Systems (CPS) into the supply chain to increase operational efficiency and quality.

The myriad of sensors could increase data collection capabilities for businesses to facilitate process automation aided by artificial intelligence (AI) but without adopting an appropriate Security-by-Design framework, threat detection and response are destined to fail [1].

As such, recent headlines from the news include “home working increases cyber-security fears”; “hackers threaten to leak plastic surgery pictures”; and a hacking campaign compromising the infrastructure of SolarWinds, as a result, UK security analysts are trying to determine the impact of this hacking campaign on the UK.

These are a few of many examples to show that proactive cyber defence is needed to move your plan towards next-generation incident response planning. This would typically include:

Cyber Threat Intelligence (CTI) for proactive IR: using an intelligence-led approach to optimise your incident response planning

Adaptive response: the ability to respond in a timely and appropriate manner.

Analytic monitoring: monitor and detect adverse actions and conditions in a timely and actionable manner.

Trustworthiness: immutability, transparency, traceability, and integrity [2].

What is the impact of Industry 4.0 on IR planning? 

Have you thought about the impact of the Fourth Industrial Revolution (or Industry 4.0) on your business? It is the ongoing automation of traditional manufacturing and industrial practices, using modern smart technology. It is also highly associated with large-scale communications within Smart Cities.

We actively research emerging challenges and have recently published new findings to help businesses understand how the state-of-the-art is emerging when it comes to cyber resilience and incident response aspects of cyber-physical systems (CPSs) in smart cities [3].

The full report can be accessed free of charge on the following link: https://doi.org/10.3390/smartcities3030046

How can we help?

Cyber Quarter – Midlands Centre for Cyber Security provides a single hub for cyber security needs for small or large business and is backed by the expert academic team from the Wolverhampton Cyber Research Institute. Funded support to is available for SME businesses facing emerging cyber security challenges, such as developing a next-generation IR Plan. The Centre also provides world leading testing facilities for businesses to test their smart technology and infrastructure.

Please email us at cyberqtr@wlv.ac.uk 

SOLVD and Cyber Quarter to host tech leaders’ forum on cyber security

Posted on by Daniel Peters

SOLVD and the Cyber Quarter are hosting ‘Tech Leaders Forum: Cyber Security’ a free event for Shropshire businesses to learn more about advances in cyber security threat intelligence and best practice on dealing with cyber security breaches.

The session, which runs on 20 April, between 10 am and 11:30 am, is aimed at CEOs, senior managers and chief technology officers from small and medium businesses in Telford, Shropshire and across the Marches.

Reader in Cyber Security and Deputy Director of the Wolverhampton Cyber Research Institute (WCRI) Dr Haider al-Khateeb, one of the event’s speakers, said: “Disruptive technologies introduce business opportunities but inevitably continue to proliferate the threat landscape in our fragile cyber ecosystem. And this is only made worse by Covid-19, as home working has only increased cyber security risks.

“This presentation will strategically discuss trending cyber security threats and the current state-of-the-art approaches to boost businesses readiness through cyber threat intelligence.

“During the session, we’ll explain how participants can get access to University expertise and to funding to diagnose and develop their company’s cyber posture.”

According to a Government report released last year, 80 per cent of businesses consider cyber security to be a high priority. Nearly half of all UK businesses recognise that they have a basic cyber security skills gaps, especially as attacks and technology become increasingly sophisticated.

The report also shared that almost half of businesses and a quarter of charities reported having cyber security breaches or attacks over a 12-month-period, causing significant disruption.

Cyber security breaches and attacks can result in a number of long term costs, including: loss of share value; loss of investor funding; long-term loss of customers; and additional costs from handling customer complaints, fines, compensation and legal costs. This can add up to millions of pounds.

Other speakers at the free online event are Tony Proctor, Principal Lecturer and Consultant at the University of Wolverhampton, and Gabriela Ahmadi-Assalemi, University of Wolverhampton PhD researcher and Deputy Chief Information Security Officer at University of Cambridge.

Bookings for the event, and further information, are available on EventBrite: https://solvd_cyber_webinar.eventbrite.co.uk/

SOLVD is an initiative run by the University of Wolverhampton and Telford and Wrekin Council, and the Cyber Quarter is a joint venture between the University and Herefordshire Council.

Cyber team gets strength in numbers

Posted on by Daniel Peters

The team at the Midlands Quarter – Centre for Cyber Security has been strengthened with the appointment of two cyber experts. 

Ollie Olver and Rachael Percival have joined the team on short-term contracts as Knowledge Transfer Manager (KTM) Cyber Consultants who will shape and deliver the client offer to local organisations. 

The new £9 million centre was handed over in December 2020 by contractor, Speller Metcalfe and is due to officially open later this year. Based on Skylon Park, Hereford Enterprise Zone, Herefordshire is fast becoming the UK’s leading centre of excellence in cyber security, supporting innovation and industry in this growing sector. 

The centre is a joint venture between the University of Wolverhampton and Herefordshire Council and part-funded by the Government’s Local Growth Fund, via the Marches Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) and the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF). 

Ollie has over 30 years’ experience in the Defence, Communications and Cyber sectors and specialises in blending people, processes and technology, securely. He is currently the CEO & Principal Consultant for Cyclopz Group Ltd, a Hereford-based company with a global reach. 

He said: “I bring a vast amount of knowledge from across a wide spectrum of global organisations where there has been a need for fast and effective Digital Cyber Leadership and Management. 

“It’s my passion to lead and enable organisations to be safer, more efficient and resilient and I’m really looking forward to help shape the future of the Cyber Quarter.” 

Rachael holds CREST accreditation as a Threat Intelligence Analyst alongside a number of cyber related certificates. She has specialised in the Security and Intelligence sector throughout her entire career, was the first female to pass the ‘Women in Cyber Academy’, has worked as an International Close Protection Officer, a Police Response Officer and in the Armed Forces. 

Rachael said: “I enjoy helping minimise the risk of people’s cyber security presence and in this new role will be looking to advise businesses on their digital footprint.  As an intelligence analyst first and foremost, my aim will be to analyse the current security risk then advise on how best to manage them.   

“Data is a very sensitive, yet important, part of our everyday lives and I will be giving tailored advice on how best to protect data using the experience I’ve gained in my roles with the police and the military. 

“My work will be focused on raising awareness for businesses in order to reduce the risk of being attacked. Statistics show that cyber attacks have increased by 600% since March 2020 and everyone is a target.” 

Cyber Quarter – Midlands Centre for Cyber Security will offer a package of tailored security testing, training, Research & Development and sector expertise to businesses and investors. 

Supported by the university’s Wolverhampton Cyber Research Institute (WCRI), the centre will offer product testing and certification, CPD and short courses and cyber conferences like the recent Cyber Fringe Festival, attracting experts from across the globe.  

The 2,000 square metre building will provide significant resources for research and development across three cyber laboratories, advanced training facilities as part of the University’s Wolverhampton Cyber Research Institute and additional business space for up to 16 cyber companies. 

The centre, which secured £2.82m of funding via the Marches LEP’s Growth Deal with Government in 2017, is part of the new Cyber Quarter at Skylon Park, already home to numerous defence and security sector businesses. 

Business granted power to broaden cyber knowledge through collaboration

Posted on by Daniel Peters

The University of Wolverhampton’s Cyber Quarter –Midlands Centre for Cyber Security and the Marches Local Enterprise Partnership have teamed up to grant power to local businesses to improve their protection against cyber threats and aid recovery following the Covid-19 pandemic. 

Two funding pots are available to help local employers across The Marches improve their broadband connectivity and to help reduce the potential for cyber security risks. 

The grants are being funded by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) and are on offer to SME businesses across Herefordshire, Shropshire and Telford & Wrekin. 

The Marches & Gloucestershire Business Broadband Grant is offering up to £25,000 for companies to upgrade their internet connection and ensure they have the connectivity needed to work and trade in the new business world. 

At the same time, staff at the Centre for Cyber Security are drawing on ERDF funding to offer companies a Cyber Organisational Needs Analysis (CONA) which includes an assessment by Knowledge Transfer Manager Cyber Consultants and PhD Cyber researchers from the University’s Wolverhampton Cyber Research Institute (WCRI). The assessment includes an external Cyber Security Rating which includes a review of vulnerabilities and recommendations aligned to business priorities. The report covers categories of Compromised Systems, Diligence and Public Disclosures. 

Ian Stoddart, Marches & Gloucestershire Business Broadband Grant Support Officer, said: “As we move out of the pandemic, businesses will be aiming to move at pace, opening up to growth possibilities and efficiencies from business broadband. One of the natural consequences from this is that it opens employers up to a greater risk from cyber-attack and fraud. 

“Statistics have shown that there has been a 600% increase in cyber-attacks on SME businesses during the Covid-19 crisis. As larger businesses strengthen their cyber security, criminals have begun to focus on smaller companies who are less likely to have the in-house skills or understanding to protect themselves. 

“By teaming up with the Centre for Cyber Security and making best use of the funding available, which includes cutting-edge cyber security expertise, we can ensure that businesses can thrive in the new normal as they make more and more use of home-working, e-commerce, online ordering and delivery as well as needing to post and download increasing amounts of data and information on a regular basis.” 

Nicki Roberts, Managing Director at Kinetic 6 based in Hereford, said: “We were so excited by the Cyber Quarter coming to Hereford, we felt it recognised and endorsed that Herefordshire is fast becoming the leading global cyber hub and, rather selfishly, we wanted to be first in the queue to access the expertise and resources on offer!  

“The team have taken the time to get to know our organisation, our core values and the innovations we are currently working on, from this knowledge they provided support in the form of mentoring, knowledge transfer, market appraisal, assisted in raising our profile and facilitated great connections with new stakeholders.  

“We were fortunate enough to visit the new facility in between lockdowns and were hugely impressed, we look forward to contributing to the concepts to be created and nurtured there.” 

James Thompson, managing director of Sansaw Estate near Shrewsbury, said the grant had helped boost broadband speeds from 20-30Mbps to as much as 100Mbps at the business park. 

“It has been transformational and as a result of what we have done we now have 100 per cent occupancy. I have done a lot of grant applications and this was one of the easiest to do. I cannot speak highly enough of the team.” 

The grant – part-funded by the European Regional Development Fund – provides up to 100% of the capital installation cost and helps to match businesses with potential suppliers. 

Businesses must be based in Herefordshire, Shropshire or Telford & Wrekin, be a small or medium-sized enterprise (SME) within an eligible sector, be able to demonstrate an economic case for high-speed broadband connectivity and be beyond the scope of committed broadband infrastructure roll-out plans.  

To apply for the Business Broadband grant, companies must register on the Marches & Gloucestershire Business Broadband Grant portal at http://www.mgbroadbandgrants.com/. Registration is subject to approval and can take up five working days.  Once approved, you will be required to complete a ‘request for quotation’ form and suppliers will then submit quotes. To see more businesses which have been helped by the grant visit: http://connectingshropshire.co.uk/business-broadband-grant/ 

Businesses can apply for the Cyber Organisational Needs Analysis by filling out this form here