Leonardo & SWCRC
The UK’s national network of Cyber Resilience Centres is a police-private partnership, supported by Home Office funding. Staffed by serving police officers, the Centres aim to support smaller businesses, charities, and vulnerable parts of the public sector from cybercrime.
Leonardo Cyber Security have been instrumental in facilitating the set-up of the South West Cyber Resilience Centre, providing financial contribution, expertise, and taking the Chair of the Centre’s Management Board. In doing so, they have provided tangible support to around 350 members across the region and are positioning the Centre to grow its protective reach and support the local economy.
Membership of the Centre is free and offers a wide range of benefits. It provides businesses with a plain-English guide to cyber resilience, based on the National Cyber Security Centre’s offering. Every member gets a personal follow up from a member of the Centre’s staff, and they are invited to attend free webinars where they can ask questions of local and national experts. And – crucially – membership also gives access to a monthly update on the latest cyber threats and breaches, along with information on the steps a business needs to take to stay safer.
The Centre also works with local universities to enable clients to access uniquely affordable cyber services, from checking the security of an organisation’s website and systems to training their staff or helping them develop business continuity plans. Utilising the skills of local university students not only helps to connect the wider business community, but it also serves as a valuable talent pipeline for the individuals involved. And finally, the Centre acts as a signpost to commercial providers who have the right accreditations to provide cyber security advice, ensuring that its members can find local, reliable expertise.
Mark Moore, the Centre’s Director, said,
“The South West Centre is enormously grateful to Leonardo for the lead they have taken. They have been a central component of our effort to protect the SW regional economy, and to ensure that smaller organisations can access the advice and support they need to remain resilient. With Leonardo’s support, we continue to seek new partners at local level, and to increase our reach into the organisations who need us.”
For more detail on the work of the South West Cyber Resilience Centre, you can visit us at www.swcrc.co.uk, and for an overview of the national network, click here.