Mitigate Cyber are a trusted cyber security company based at the Centre of Excellence in Cyber Security Research, at Lancaster University. They offer a range of prevention-first security solutions that can be tailored and they work to help companies mitigate their organisational risk regarding network and data vulnerabilities through a state-of-the-art user hub and a team of cyber security experts.

Mitigate Cyber have a suite of eight, key products and services including Cyber Security Awareness Training, Phishing Simulator and Bespoke Campaign, Penetration Testing, Cyber Essentials Certification, Compliance, Consultancy, Cyber Liability Insurance, and Real-Time Visibility and Intelligent Scanning.

Mitigate Cyber believe that if you are a business that processes data and relies on technologies, then cyber security is a necessity! It doesn’t matter what the nature of your business is, or whether you have 5 or 500 employees, cyber security is essential in this day and age, and they design and build our services to work with, and add value to, any business.

Like many businesses Mitigate Cyber has adapted to the last 12 months with major adjustments to the way its business operates. Being based at Lancaster University, they have had to follow their guidelines and all of our staff and services have had to be conducted remotely.

Mitigate Cyber was motivated to join the Cyber Resilience Centres Trusted Partners group because their values align with the Cyber Resilience Centre. Mitigate Cyber are a prevention-first cyber security company, they prioritise implementing the appropriate defences and effective awareness to mitigate a company’s risk of a breach.

The problem they see in so many businesses (especially SMEs) is they are not taking cyber security seriously and are not making it a priority within the operations of their business. This partnership with the Cyber Resilience Centre is a perfect opportunity to raise awareness, increase knowledge and help businesses within the North West.

What would you say a small business should prioritise when it comes to thinking about Cyber Security?

A number-one priority should be implementing effective cyber security awareness training! Considering how 80% of cyber breaches are a result of staff error, it is imperative to ensure that your staff are receiving the appropriate training to transform them into a resilient first line of defence against cyber attacks.

Anyone can be a victim of a cybercriminal, and any business can suffer from a breach – building awareness and implementing best practices is key to an effective cyber security strategy.

What's the biggest myth you've heard about Cyber Security?

That 'cyber security is only the concern of the IT team!' This is simply not true – cyber security should be seen as a strategic risk management issue that not only protects your business’s data and networks but that it is something that adds value to your business.

For more information about Mitigate Cyber and its services, visit their website.