A UK risk management and security firm, Protection Group International (PGI), has had its cyber training facility opened by Karen Bradley, the Minister for Modern Slavery and Organised Crime.
Representatives of the Home Office, the Association of Chief Police Officers, the National Crime Agency and UK Trade International, foreign diplomats and defence attaches as well as FTSE100 and global corporations travelled to Bristol for the official opening. PGI adds that it has developed tailored courses for board members and senior management, mainstream IT specialists and workforces. Karen Bradley said: “This government is committed to tackling cyber crime and through the National Cyber Security Programme has taken decisive action to transform the UK’s response. To stay one step ahead of the cyber criminals, we need to ensure enough people in all sectors of the economy have the right skills to understand and take action against the threat they pose. PGI’s innovative training facility marks a major step forward in this ongoing fight. It is an excellent example of how British know-how and capability can help governments and businesses around the world protect themselves in cyberspace.”
Barry Roche, PGI’s Chief Executive, said: “The need for organisations to protect themselves against cyber crime has never been greater. Regulators, customers and employees all expect their data to be kept secure and the burden of accountability rests squarely with those responsible for maintaining that security. Whether you’re a board member, IT manager or IT professional, ensuring that you’re not the weak link when it comes to cyber security is a business critical issue. PGI’s Cyber Academy has been designed and developed to equip management and IT professionals with the real world knowlegde and skills they require to address this challenge and become an effective first line of defence against cyber threats. We are immensely proud of the people and technology we have brought together to deliver it.”
Brian Lord, Managing Director for Cyber at PGI, a former Deputy Director for Intelligence and Cyber Operations at GCHQ, said: “The cyber security agenda is broader than just ‘IT’. People commit crimes and other hostile acts, machines do not. Attackers exploit human vulnerabilities and the weaknesses inherent in IT systems and infrastructure due to human errors in coding, design, maintenance or procurement. Consequently, a strong cyber security programme should also consider human factors from the vulnerability of the systems’ users to the motivations guiding attackers. An organisation’s real strength, efficiency, profitability and return on investment in countering the threat lies not in how much money is spent on IT security technology, but in the knowledge, awareness and behaviours of all its people. Without the latter, the former is a waste of money. PGI’s Cyber Academy will be a multi-disciplinary institution that combines high levels of technical knowledge with insights gained from psychology, anthropology and criminology. Our objective is to bring together experts from these different fields to better understand and develop methods to counter new and emerging threats.”
And Sebastian Madden, Group Cyber and Technology Director, said: “The global nature of the cyber threat means that the response must also be global. One of the principal objectives of PGI’s Cyber Academy is to make British skills and knowhow available to the UK’s friends and allies overseas to help them develop their own cyber capability and capacity. We are working with our international partners and foreign governments to take the PGI Cyber Academy overseas to share our skills and build technical knowledge and – we hope – make the world a safer place for everyone to do business.”
About Protection Group International (PGI)
It’s a privately owned UK business offering risk management training to combat cyber threats. PGI specialises in protection of clients’ assets: human, physical, legal, intellectual property, financial and operational. PGI Cyber Academy is just off the M5 near Bristol. Visit www.pgicyberacademy.com
