Teams from the Eastern Region Special Operations unit (ERSOU) – a specialist policing unit working across the region – are working with the Eastern Cyber Resilience Centre (ECRC) to offer charities in the area guidance on the threat posed by cyber criminals.

Charitable trusts are considered at high risk of being targeted by online fraudsters, with 32% of charities having reported experiencing some form of cyber security breach or attack in the last year.

There are approximately 13,000 registered charities in eastern England, and all are being offered the opportunity to attend a series of free webinars hosted by those who specialise in investigating and protecting against such criminality.

Read on to learn more about the funded services available for charities:

Charity Leaders Threat and Resources Awareness Sessions

These sessions are for charity leaders aimed at highlighting fraud and cyber threats charities face and highlighting police resources that are available to support charities counter these threats. This will feature the ECRC who offer free membership to organisations to help them develop their cyber resilience. 

You can sign up for these events using the links below:

• 10:00 – 11:00am - 8th January

• 19:00 – 20:00 - 22nd January

Free Staff Awareness Training Webinar

We have three remaining staff awareness sessions aimed at helping charities’ staff and volunteers improve their personal awareness around fraud and cybercrime:

Dates for the sessions are:

• 6pm – 7pm, Wednesday, 20 November

• 10am-11am, Tuesday, 14 January

• 2pm – 3pm, Wednesday 29 January

Free Vulnerability Assessments

The ECRC is offering FREE Web Application Vulnerability Assessments (WAVA) for small and medium-sized charities – a service worth hundreds of pounds. 

A WAVA involves looking at your website or web services to determine if there are any weaknesses which could be exploited by cyber criminals. To do this, we use a combination of automated scans and manual passive testing which would not impact on the performance of your web services. If any weaknesses are found, we rate the risk that they pose to your business and can advise you on next steps you can take with your internal IT team or an external partner to address them.

Our free Vulnerability Assessments are delivered through our service provider Cyber PATH - a initiative created by the National Cyber Resilience Centre Group (NCRCG), offering university students studying cyber-related fields the chance to provide various cybersecurity services. These students receive training from experienced cybersecurity professionals, ensuring you receive high-quality services at a fraction of the cost.

Book your Vulnerability Assessment here - enquiries@ecrcentre.co.uk

About the Eastern Cyber Resilience Centre (ECRC)

The Eastern Cyber Resilience Centre (ECRC) is a policing-led organisation established by the Home Office to help small and medium organisations tackle the rising threat of cyber-attacks. 

As one of our growing numbers of free core members, you will receive regular updates which include the latest guidance, news, and security updates. Our core membership has been tailored for businesses, charities and schools of all sizes who are based across the seven counties in the East of England.  

Join our community today at www.ecrcentre.co.uk 

About the Eastern Region Special Operations Unit (ERSOU

Created in 2010, ERSOU operates across the seven police forces that make up the Eastern Region - Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire, Essex, Hertfordshire, Kent, Norfolk, and Suffolk. It is made up of a Regional Organised Crime Unit (ROCU) and a Counter Terrorism Policing unit, which respectively manage the threat of serious and organised crime and terrorism across the region.

Working closely with local forces, external stakeholders and partners such as the NCA, the ROCU tackles and disrupts organised criminality such as drugs and firearms importation, cyber attacks, large-scale fraud, and much more.