We’re supporting ‘Safer Business Action Week’ from today (Monday, October 14th). It's a week of action which provides an opportunity for police, businesses and business support networks to highlight the vital role that businesses play in our local communities and beyond.

In recent years the business community, retail in particular, has experienced a range of new threats and as a sector they have invested heavily in technology and security to prevent crime, including cyber crime. But there is always room for improvement and further knowledge.

This is the second year the National Business Crime Centre (NBCC) have run a national week of action to focus on business crime to support local businesses, their staff, and to highlight their importance in the community.

Shoplifting from physical stores may have been the only crime to which retail businesses were particularly vulnerable in the past. This type of theft in the UK has increased to its highest level in 20 years.

In fact, this year, the British Retail Consortium released their crime survey for 2023, which reported 16.7 million incidents of customer theft costing over £1.8 billion

But as technology advances and the world becomes more digitally interconnected and technologically dependent, cybercrime is quickly emerging as a significant threat to retail, also.

Many members of the public believe that cybercrimes such as hacking and the use of ransomware only target large corporations and major institutions with the financial resources to pay significant extortion demands.

However, it is estimated that 46% of all cyber breaches occur in companies with fewer than 1,000 employees. According to government statistics, an estimated 22% of businesses in the UK experienced a cyber attack within the last year.

The world of cybercrime is fast-evolving, and even businesses with the best intentions to secure their systems can lag behind the curve when it comes to being effectively protected, but this comes at a cost. The National Crime Agency explains: 

As a police-led organisation, the EMCRC has a vital role to play in protecting businesses from those unseen threats, and we can offer advice and guidance via our free information packs and community membership.

Purpose and objectives of the week

• To put a focus on business crime, raise awareness of the issues affecting businesses and highlight the existing work taking place to support businesses  

• To support the business community by taking a proactive stance on business crime with our free advice

• To promote collaborative working and strengthen the relationships between the EMCRC and the business community

• To highlight and celebrate achievements and good news stories, but also to offer real-life case studies of what can go wrong

  
  

Look out for more news and information from us next week, as we look closer at the week of action, which falls right in the centre of Cyber Security Awareness Month.

NBCC Guidance

The team at the NBCC have drawn on their years of experience in policing and security to develop a series of Crime Prevention guides which businesses can download from their website to help them improve their crime prevention and make their businesses more secure.

Each guide features top tips and step by step practical advice focused on specific industries and crime types.

Reporting

Report all Fraud and Cybercrime to Action Fraud by calling 0300 123 2040 or online. Forward suspicious emails to report@phishing.gov.uk. Report SMS scams by forwarding the original message to 7726 (spells SPAM on the keypad).