PureCyber Hosts Cyber Security Roundtable with Insider Media Wales
The recent series of high-profile UK cyber attacks has prompted organisations across sectors to question how they can better shield themselves from both external cyber threats and human error.
In response, executives, cyber leaders, and organisational policy makers from across the Welsh business community gathered at PureCyber’s Cardiff HQ, where we were proud to host an informative Cyber Security Roundtable in collaboration with Insider Media Wales.
The discussion featured insights from PureCyber CEO, Damon Rands, and a range of our valued partners including, Drew Evans (Hodge Bank), Sharan Johnstone (University of South Wales), Mike Kennard (Cardiff University), Rob Lucey (Tai Tarian), Harri Lloyd Davies (Bevan Buckland), Justin Harrington (Geldards), Rob Fletcher (POBL Group), and Rupert Poole (Hugh James), brought together to share current challenges and practical strategies in cyber resilience from across a range of sectors within the Welsh business community.
“Cyber security should be simple. Start by understanding what data you have, where it is, and how you use it. That should inform what layers you add.” ~ Damon Rands, PureCyber
Attendees explored the growing complexity of threats and the pressure on businesses to improve their readiness - from technical protections to culture and compliance.
Ransomware, phishing, data governance, and board accountability were recurring topics, alongside reflections on the recent high-impact retail breaches that have brought cyber security back to the forefront of minds across all sectors.
“A lot of clients have said that the Marks & Spencer attack was the most impactful hack they’ve ever seen” ~ Damon Rands, PureCyber
Strategic Priorities Discussed at the Roundtable:
Some of the core strategic priorities covered at during dicussions included the following:
Making cyber everyone’s responsibility - not just IT, but embedded throughout the organisation
“In smaller companies, cyber risk sits with the CEO. In structured organisations, it has to be the board’s responsibility too. It’s a top three risk priority.” Says Rands.
Improving supply chain resilience - working with suppliers to meet the same high standards
In the case of supply chain resilience, Rands explained that: “It’s useful for organisations to understand their place in the supply chain. We’re reliant on it being secure. It’s our responsibility to help educate them.”
Planning for recovery - validating backups, preparing for ransomware scenarios
“Most of the hacks over the last couple of years have been through vulnerabilities that should have been remediated. If you're sitting with really old technologies, that's a problem…There is a chance that at some point, something's going to go wrong. Work on the premise of doing everything you can to prevent; but then have a good plan for recovery.”
~ Rupert Poole, Hugh James
Supporting leadership decision-making - giving boards clarity, not complexity
On supporting leadership with decision making, “Your strategy should start as non-technical: What are we protecting? Where is it? How do we do that?” explained Rands.
Investing in people - ensuring staff at every level are trained and alert
“The last line of defence is the users. Grab people when they come into the company at inductions and make sure there's a cyber presentation or awareness programme. Don’t underestimate the amount of time that education takes and how important it is.”
~ Rob Lucey, Tai Tarian
We’d like to thank all those involved in the recent roundtable, and look forward to our next opportunity to share insights and continue to raise awareness of the major cyber issues facing organisations and business of all scopes and sizes across all sectors in Wales, the UK and beyond.
Photography: Huw John
How Can PureCyber Help?
The PureCyber team are here to take over the burden of your cyber security and ensure your organisation’s data remains secure and well managed, with proactive monitoring and real-time threat intelligence - providing you with a comprehensive and reliable cyber department to support you in all aspects of your security efforts, including: 24/7 Security Operations Centre (SOC) services, Managed Detection & Response (MDR/EDR),Threat Exposure Management (TEM) & Brand Protection Services & Penetration Testing.
PureCyber is recognised as an Assured Service Provider by the NCSC to offer governance and compliance consultancy services/audits. Contact our team of compliance experts to enquire about our full range of Governance Support - including Cyber Essentials, ISO 27001, FISMA, SOC1 and SOC2 standards.
Get in touch or book a demo for more information on our services and how we can safeguard your organisation with our expert cyber security solutions.
Email: info@purecyber.com Call: 0800 368 9397