BUSINESSES were able to discover the increasing risk of worldwide hackers to business and exactly how they can protect themselves from the 21st century threat of cyber crime at a free breakfast and networking meeting at Sixways, Worcester.

Finditinworcestershire’s "Cyber: Protect yourself against the growing reality of a cyber attack" event provided an insight into the dangers facing small and medium enterprises and how local businesses can avoid becoming a victim of a cyber attack.

Expert speakers included Dibble Clarke of 3DSL Ltd, who gave an overview of the meaning behind "cyber", going on to describe the lasting damage a hacker can do to a business of any size or location worldwide. An example was given when Dephrisk conducted a "life hack" on a website to show how easily a hacker can access a business’s details and confidential information.

Tom Dold from the National Cyber Skills Centre also offered essential hints and tips to help businesses protect themselves and avoid a cyber attack.

More than 100 local businesses attended the event and took advantage of Finditinworcestershire’s networking breakfast, using the morning to talk business.

Kathryn Wagstaff, Project Manager of Finditinworcestershire, said: “More and more attendees are benefitting from the opportunities in the room and making more and more contacts, as well as forming those valuable relationships that can lead to more business. The impact of cyber-crime is estimated to cost the UK £27 billion a year and is an issue that all businesses in the county can’t ignore. It was great to see so many local businesses learning how they can put measures in place to protect themselves from an attack.”

A collection of the county’s businesses, including Douglas Anderson Photography and Areca Design, displayed their brand, products and services to Finditinworcestershire members with an exhibition stand, making further steps to develop business links.