Test your security systems and processes

The City of London Police sees the threat from cyber daily as we run Action Fraud, the national fraud and cyber reporting centre. With the average financial loss from cyber now reaching £45k we see businesses and livelihoods destroyed and the most frustrating part of most of these crimes is that they were preventable. Far too many still see the threat as too complex or for others to worry about, and this needs to change.

Businesses of all sizes have plans for emergencies like a fire with all employees knowing what their role is through robust and tested procedures. But ask many businesses of all sizes and sectors if they have plans for a data breach or some other form of attack and many will look blank and refer you to their IT department or provider.

Help to test your systems and processes isn’t difficult to find either. The Mayor’s Office for Policing and Crime has set up the London Digital Security Centre, which aims to secure and protect London’s small and medium sized businesses against cyber risks and threats.

Commander Chris Greany, National Coordinator for Economic Crime City of London Police (at time of writing)