Last week we hosted our first in-person Security Awareness Training session at our offices at the Manchester Technology Centre. The In-Person Cyber Security Awareness Training session was part of our fully-funded ,Business Resilience Program - we're hoping to host more sessions in the coming months!

At this first training session, we welcomed businesses from across the region to start their cyber security journey. We delivered a 90-minute training session which focussed on building a strong foundation of Cyber Security, with each business taking the opportunity to network with one another.

“The basics of cybersecurity were presented really well.”

The training was split into two halves, each delivered by one of our Cyber Security consultants, with a refreshment break in between. The first half of the session had attendants mastering the basics of security, and then raising some eyebrows when they learned how attackers can manipulate public Wi-Fi hotspots and attack unsuspecting victims. Before delving into the importance of strong passphrases & multi-factor authentication, alongside discussing the tools and services that the centre makes available to our members.

“The engagement was brilliant to keep everybody on their toes.”

With the basics mastered, the second half of the session had a heavy focus on the most common attack against SMEs - Phishing. Using a combination of demonstrational tools, and audience engagement we discussed the different types of Phishing attacks.

This was followed by training on Malware & Ransomware, as these attacks account for 21% of attacks against SMEs. Again, during this section real-world examples were used to engage with the audience and demonstrate how important it is for the attendees to protect their businesses. Finally, the session was rounded up with training on updating devices, and how encryption could be used as a protection method against attackers.

What is the fully-funded Business Resilience Program?

The ,Business Resilience Program has been created in collaboration with Police and ISO accredited Risk Managers to improve your business's cyber resilience through assessment, testing, training and education - signposting to free or affordable police and government-backed guidance and tools where required.

This unique fully-funded opportunity is available to all Greater Manchester-based small businesses – particularly the self-employed sole trader or micro-businesses who don’t have the resources to engage in expensive cyber security services. The program also includes a 12-month Business Starter Membership, giving you access to additional support and security resources you can download and share with your team.

This training session was the first of its kind as part of our fully-funded Business Resilience Program. If you're running a business in Greater Manchester and want to ensure your business is protected against cyber-attacks - ,you can sign up for free here.