The Cyber Resilience Centre for Wales has announced the appointment of its first two Advisory Group (AG) members.
The WCRC is part of a network of police-led centres being established across the country to provide businesses and organisations with free and affordable cyber security guidance and services to help protect themselves from cybercrime.
Its Advisory Group will provide the WCRC with guidance, advice and will influence the direction of the centre, which is headed up by Detective Superintendent Paul Peters.
Speaking about the first two members, Paul Slevin from Chambers Wales and Mike Learmond from the Federation of Small Businesses in Wales (FSB), Paul Peters said: “We are delighted to welcome Chambers Wales and the FSB to the WCRC. The wealth of knowledge and expertise both parties bring to the table will be of great value to users of our services and we look forward to working closely together to further support businesses across Wales with their cyber resilience.”
Paul is chair and president of Chambers Wales and is committed to growing Welsh businesses both nationally and internationally, with a primary focus on ensuring that organisations survive challenging times and support change to achieve sustainable growth.
His previous experience includes working for private investment companies, family businesses, SMEs and the public sector. He has been able to garner in-depth knowledge and insight into company restructure as well as acting in advisory roles. And, with considerable international experience, he has a deep understanding of local and overseas trading.
Paul said: “Secure technology is vital to enable the growth of SMEs and the Welsh economy. These businesses must protect their property, data and supply chains and by having an infrastructure of expertise and support available, this then provides an invaluable resource.”
Fellow AG member Mike Learmond is senior development manager for the Federation of Small Businesses in Wales, the UK's largest campaigning pressure group promoting and protecting the interests of the self-employed and owners of small firms. It supports members through a comprehensive range of benefits that are designed to save money and protect against tax and legal problems.
In his role with the organisation, Mike’s focus is North Wales and is responsible for ensuring that the needs of small businesses in the region are maintained as a high priority on the political agenda, as well as assisting FSB members in helping to obtain the relevant guidance when they require it.
Commenting on his new position with the WCRC, he said: “I am delighted to be joining the advisory group for the newly formed Cyber Resilience Centre for Wales. Recent FSB research has shown that across the UK, small businesses are collectively subject to almost 10,000 cyber-attacks a day. The annual cost of such violations to the small business community is estimated to be £4.5 billion, with the average cost of an individual incident put at £1,300.
“There has never been a better time to establish a pan-Wales support body to help educate and protect these vulnerable businesses. I look forward to working with the team to help provide the tools needed to survive in the digital arena.”
Businesses can join the Cyber Resilience Centre for Wales through a range of membership packages to access guidance, tools and affordable services to help better protect themselves against the threat of cyber-crime.