Merseyside Police urges small business owners in the city region to sign up for free cyber crime training course with places running out fast. Tony McDonough firms

Merseyside small firms are being urged to sign up for the free cybercrime course

Small firms in Merseyside are being urged to sign up for a free cybercrime training course before places run out.

Using money and assets seized from criminals through the Proceeds of Crime Act, the Merseyside Cyber Security Programme is funded by Merseyside’s Police and Crime Commissioner Emily Spurrell and Chief Constable Serena Kennedy.

Figures from Action Fraud showed there were 7,182 reports of fraud or cyber-attacks in Merseyside with reported losses of £28.6m over the last year.

Utilising the specialist knowledge of the North West Cyber Resilience Centre (NWCRC,) the initiative was launched in August 2023, offering 300 businesses access to a wealth of guidance and free training to increase their knowledge around online safety.

This programme is designed to help business owners to tackle the growing threat posed by cyber-attacks from phishing or malware attacks, making it more difficult for them to be targeted by fraudsters and reducing the number of potential victims. 

Due to popular demand, spaces on the course are now limited, with less than a sixth of those 300 places remaining. Anyone wishing to book their place is advised to do so as soon as possible or risk missing out.

Emily Spurrell said: “Prevention is key when it comes to tackling the growing threat of cybercrime.

“For business owners, the knowledge and skills our free cyber security training gives them has the power to protect their organisations, so I’m delighted so many have already signed up for a place.

“We want to make sure every one of the 300 spaces on this course is used, so I would urge any owners of small or medium sized businesses who haven’t yet secured their space to get in touch.

“Any one of us can be a potential victim of cybercrime. That’s why it’s vitally important we do all that we can to provide education and guidance to business owners.”

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Detective Inspector John Black, head of the Cyber Dependent Crime Unit at Merseyside Police, added: “Cybercrime often requires complex investigations.

“In the last year since the Merseyside Cyber Security Programme was launched, our cybercrime unit has investigated cases affecting businesses, ranging from the unauthorised accessing of customer data by ex-employees through to ransomware.

“Most notably, our cybercrime unit tracked down a teenage phone hacker who stole £66,551 from a woman and five companies using PayPal.

“Following a 16-month investigation, in September last year, the offender was sentenced at Liverpool Crown Court and given a 12-month jail term, suspended for a year.”

Click here to sign up for the course