Chief Inspector Nick Elton, Digital Investigation and Intelligence pf Hampshire and Isle of Wight Police was welcomed as the guest speaker at the Basingstoke Business and Enterprise Forum (BBEF).
The BBEF Forum was founded in 2017 and is an opportunity for small and medium sized enterprises(SMEs) and local institutions in Basingstoke to hear guest speakers and meet regularly with Basingstoke MP Maria Miller and other politicians.
The Chief Inspector talked about the vital role of cyber security and the increasingly sophisticated nature of cyber-crime. He explained that SME’s and their supply chains can be particularly vulnerable to cyber-crime given tight spending budgets. He emphasised that the effects of cyber-crime are far reaching ; the loss of intellectual property, business disruption, regulatory fines and reputational damage leading to loss of clients.
Maria commented: “Basingstoke businesses had the opportunity to discuss the challenges they face due to Cyber Crime. Chief Inspector Elton answered a wide range of questions and highlighted the importance of companies not only ensuring their own cyber security but checking that of their suppliers. The Office of National Statistics in 2017 showed that Cyber Crime accounted for over 50% of all crimes. The ONS also found that 82% of SMEs had not thought their data was worth stealing. Chief Inspector Elton’s message was clear-cyber protection is paramount to the success of SME’s and the economy as a whole.”