Network offers support to protect businesses against cybercrime

Working across the region, The North East Business Resilience Centre (NEBRC) is a non-profit organisation which exists to support small, medium, and sole trading businesses from cybercrime. The organisation offers a wide range of business-resilience services, delivered by an expert team of trusted professionals, police officers and innovative ‘ethical hackers’ from Sheffield Hallam and Northumbria University.

The pandemic period has seen a 400% increase in cyber fraud¹ with statistics reflecting that small businesses - and particularly the self-employed sole trader or micro business - have found themselves at greatest risk and without access to relevant cyber support and services.

Police and Crime Commissioner Keith Hunter said: “Cybercrime is a growing threat, with criminals using ever-more sophisticated techniques to defraud not just individuals but businesses too.  

“Police and Crime Commissioners across the North Eastern Region, including Humberside, provided funding to get the business resilience centre started and to the point where it is self-funding. We are always looking to support businesses and assist them to become more resilient so we looked around for good practice and saw a similar operation in Scotland and we were keen to bring the learning and opportunities to our region.

“I would encourage businesses to make contact with and make use of the facility, and increase their awareness of the threats to their business and what they can do to protect themselves.”

The NEBRC offer a free Core Membership package, enabling businesses to benefit from a unique level of guidance and expertise, including: 

• Free Guidance - How organisations can protect themselves in cyberspace, including 10 steps to cyber security.
• Exercise in a box – a tool to give your organisation a ‘dummy’ run of a cyber-attack. Similar to testing your fire drill. 
• Board Toolkit - Resources designed to encourage essential cyber security discussions between the Board and their technical experts.
• E-news – regular digestible updates relevant to organisations in the North East about cyber resilience.
• Welcome pack, outlining details of the NEBRC, key stakeholders and services offered.
• Link to local Police protect officers.

For further information on the NEBRC, please visit www.nebrcentre.co.uk. If you would like to sign up for free Core Membership, please fill out the ’sign up for free Core Membership’ form, which you will find at the bottom of the home page on the website.

BE AWARE: BE SMART: BE PROTECTED

¹National Fraud Intelligence Bureau

• The North East Business Resilience Centre (NEBRC) is a non-profit organisation which exists to support and help protect North East England businesses from cybercrime.
• It works in partnership to protect people, places and processes and is constantly looking at new ways to keep businesses free from risk.
• The collaboration involves Local Universities from Sheffield Hallam and Northumbria and the seven Police Forces in Northumbria, Cleveland, Durham, North Yorkshire, West Yorkshire, South Yorkshire, and Humberside.
• The North East Business Resilience Centre was established late 2019.  NEBRC is funded by a range of private and public partners including the Police and a wide range of business investors and members across England.
• NEBRC works proactively with colleagues throughout the UK based on the successful Scottish BRC model with the help of their ex-CEO Mandy Haeburn-Little.
• For further information visit: www.nebrcentre.co.uk or contact: enquiries@nebrcentre.co.uk