BUSINESS leaders from across the region are calling on the government to support companies across Coventry and Warwickshire which are facing increased cyber security risks.
Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce has joined forces with the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) to warn that businesses face increasing risks of attack without stronger engagement with government.
A new report by the BCC is calling on ministers to carry out a cyber security awareness programme for businesses, particularly smaller firms, update the National Cyber Strategy, and reform cyber security insurance to provide firms with better protection.
It is also recommending that ministers address the shortage of UK cyber security professionals and support more training in all workplaces and engage directly with businesses to strengthen confidence in the UK’s digital infrastructure.
The report advises that the Cyber Security and Resilience Bill, due to be published this year, must be developed in full consultation with businesses to avoid creating ‘an unnecessary burden for businesses’ and to ensure that firms are ‘actively incentivised to report cyber breaches or attacks’.
Corin Crane, chief executive of the Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce, said: “It is clear that cyber security threats pose a significant risk to businesses, particularly SMEs which are less likely to have in-house expertise to mitigate these risks.
“It is therefore incredibly important that the government does all it can to protect businesses and consult with them when developing the new Cyber Security and Resilience Bill.
“Any legislation should avoid creating further costs for businesses, providing businesses with certainty and helping to drive economic growth.”
Mike Bridges, Director of IT at EBC Group – the official IT provider to Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce, said: “Cyber security education and promoting awareness is crucial for businesses so that the correct level of security is implemented and there are no weak entry points.
“With Artificial Intelligence growing at an accelerated rate, it is essential that underlying infrastructure is secure, locked down and monitored.
“AI works at a rate that is thousands of times faster than humans, so the speed at which a cyber threat can become a huge problem, and potentially disastrous for a business, is now much more of a concern.
“Therefore, action must be taken to protect companies that have taken years to build, but could be compromised in seconds.”
EBC Group is set hold a free AI and cyber security event alongside the Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce at Warwick Conferences on April 11. Visit https://tinyurl.com/469fw9vu for details and to register.
