Ethical hackers tested the security of willing businesses in the first of several classes for London small and medium sized businesses, arranged by the Mayor’s Office for Policing And Crime (MOPAC) and Federation of Small Businesses.
Steve Warwick, FSB London Regional Chair, said: “Many small businesses are recognising the advantages of cloud computing services, but there remains a great deal of concern that sensitive data may not be secure or the service not reliable. Businesses don’t want to transition to cloud based systems without knowing who will be liable if something goes wrong. These Masterclasses will enable small businesses in London to be more digitally secure and also save their business time and money to get on with running the business without fearing a cyber threat.”
MOPAC plans a London Digital Security Centre (LDSC), based on the Stirling-based Scottish Business Resilience Centre. The Director of SBRC, Mandy Haeburn-Little, is assisting London to establish a similar model for London.
A recent survey by the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) found that almost six in ten (59pc) small businesses admit to limited or zero awareness of current scams or vulnerabilities affecting London. Yet more than half (55pc) of FSB members in London say that they are using the Cloud. Almost nine in ten (88pc) FSB members in the capital believe that small businesses should be offered free or low cost external test services to see how easy it is for hackers to access their information.
