The North East Business Resilience Centre (NEBRC) has been commissioned by Leeds City Region Enterprise Partnership (LEP) to deliver a £100K cyber security support programme for self-employed and micro-businesses across the Leeds City Region (excluding Barnsley), helping them to access vital cyber services.
Small businesses have been particularly affected by the rise in cyber crime during the coronavirus pandemic, as well as less able to deal with the fall out of attacks due to their size and budget limitations. The NEBRC will help run a dedicated outreach education programme, designed to improve cyber resilience through assessment, testing, certification, education, embedding free or affordable solutions where required, alongside an ongoing partnership approach.
Roger Marsh OBE, DL, Chair of Leeds City Region Partnership (the LEP) and NP11 commented: “The LEP is continuing to support businesses with the impact of Covid-19, and cyber security is a key part of our recovery plans to produce resilient and thriving businesses.
"I am delighted to be working with NEBRC on our new cyber resilience programme to help those that currently need it the most. This is a brilliant opportunity for micro-businesses to benefit from expert advice, and I’d encourage all to get in touch and find out how they can mitigate cyber security risks and protect their business.”
Mark Burns-Williamson, West Yorkshire’s Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) said: “As we all know, it’s currently a very difficult time for many, and that goes for business too. The last thing any SMEs need right now is a cyber-attack, so it’s fantastic that £100,000 worth of extra support is being put in place for prevention initiatives.
"These initiatives will help to safeguard against online criminals and in the current climate, suffering an attack may well mean the difference between a business staying open and closing.”
Commenting on the appointment, NEBRC Director and Police Superintendent Rebecca Chapman said: “We are proud to be part of this crucial, new programme, working with SMEs across the region to support cyber security in this modern age.
"As an organisation we work with our partners to protect people, places and processes. We are only too aware of the difficulties many micro and small businesses in particular are facing during this pandemic, when so many of us are working from home and reliant on new and different IT systems. We are looking forward to offering insight and support to the local and regional community to help ensure that cyber safety is a priority for all.”
To find out more about this programme, and to apply, visit the LEP website or contact enquiries@nebrcentre.co.uk