The business community across Hampshire and the Isle of Wight has been brought together to learn more about online and fraud protection at a major conference hosted by the Police and Crime Commissioner, Donna Jones.
The event in Winchester on Monday (16th October) was held as part of Safer Business Action Week and Cyber Awareness Week, with experts in the sector updating businesses and charities on the current threats with advice on the range of preventative steps that should be taken.
PCC Donna Jones has said:
Article continues below this advertisement “Businesses are a key part of our communities, boosting local economies so this free event was about raising awareness so more cyber criminals and fraudsters can be caught and prosecuted.
“The speakers all brought a combined message that we must be vigilant, and arm ourselves with as much information as possible to keep ourselves, our businesses and our communities protected as much as we can from the constant online attacks that devastate livelihoods and cause considerable personal distress and financial ruin”.
Delegates heard from local, regional and national cybercrime and fraud experts with speakers from the National Crime Agency, Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary, the South East Cyber Resilience Centre, and the banking industry.
Donna adds:
“Fraud and cybercrime are key priorities in my Police and Crime Plan, and they cost businesses and individuals across the UK billions every year, so this event highlighted not only the threats posed but the need to invest and prepare rather than react after these fraudsters have struck at the heart of communities.
Article continues below this advertisement “Businesses that benefit from this knowledge and expertise will help our neighbourhoods feel safer and be safer, and I’m really pleased that my first Cybersecurity and Fraud Summit has had such a positive impact.”
Paul Maskall, the Fraud and Cybercrime Prevention Manager at UK Finance, spoke at the Summit:
“Very often when it comes to fraud and cybercrime, it can catch people at the wrong time when we’re distracted either as individuals or businesses.
“We also aren’t necessarily motivated to take on board the education until it’s actually happened to us, but it’s really important we all take fraud and cybercrime seriously within an organisation, within a business, and across the board.”
Safer Business Action Week, from 16th to 22nd October 2023, is being led by the National Business Crime Centre and is an opportunity for Police forces to highlight their support for businesses and how they’re working in partnership to support communities and drive down business crime.
Here’s an egg and this is how you suck it. The only eggs she ever gets near are the ones going into her cake.
russians and Chinese hammering uk with this but our great government keeping it all under wraps not to scare anyone, full facts need to be known
And they want people to Bank Online.
Cash is a much safer option
Leave the job of crime to the police, but they’ll need some decent funding which they’ll get once the Torys are permanently sacked next General Election.