A GROUP of leading south-east businesses has joined forces to launch a cyber alliance that will provide pro-active support to SMEs in the battle to prevent successful and costly online attacks by criminals. According to the government, nearly half of UK businesses have reported a cyber-attack or breach in the last 12 months with ransomware, DDOS and phishing being among the tactics regularly used against businesses. Estimates of the cost of cyber crime to the UK and global economy run into hundreds of billions of pounds. In response to the growing threat, law firm DMH Stallard, IT experts and support services company PAV i.t. and insurance brokers and risk managers Sutton Winson are spearheading a new task force that gives businesses a fully resourced support partner that will provide greatly enhanced cyber resistance. Richard Pollins, managing partner at DMH Stallard, said: “Larger institutions are often perceived as being at the frontline of the war against cyber criminals, but they are also among the best resourced to integrate sophisticated defence systems. “This means the criminals, often working in highly organised gangs, will go after easier targets such as SMEs. “Many SMEs do not have adequate contractual cover in their terms of business to cover what happens in the event of a cyber crime event which impacts on them, their customers or suppliers” Jason Fry, managing director at PAV i.t., said: “The cyber alliance provides an all-encompassing and cost-effective solution that can greatly reduce the likelihood of a successful attack through proactive planning and around the clock access to a broad range of relevant expertise.” The SME Cyber Alliance considers it imperative that all SMEs implement the correct measures to safeguard them from a cyber attack. If an attack does take place, knowing what to do next is key to avoid heavy losses.
A coalition of small businesses in south-east England have banded together to work proactively to prevent cyber attacks. The initiative has been set up, in part, by insurance broker Sutton Winson. It is the first time that a group of smaller firms from across Britain and Ireland are working together. “The cyber alliance provides an all-encompassing and cost-effective solution that can greatly reduce the likelihood of a successful attack", said Jason Fry, managing director at PAV i.t.