The new Police CyberAlarm helps businesses understand and monitor malicious cyber activity.
Every business in the North West can now access a free digital tool designed to help understand and monitor incoming threats from hackers. This new service acts like a ‘CCTV camera’ policing the traffic a business sees online.
Police CyberAlarm was first introduced to a number of organisations in various regions as part of a pilot. Following its success, the government-funded initiative is now being rolled out across the North West and the rest of the country.
Detective Inspector Dave Turner from the Regional Cyber Crime Team said:
“The threat of cyber-attacks against businesses are increasing and police and industry need to work together to combat this threat. Police CyberAlarm is a great example of what can be achieved when policing and private industry works together. The more members we have, the more data we get which will provide law enforcement with a much richer intelligence picture about the current and emerging threats businesses are facing. The data will also be presented back to members in the form of regular reports to help them take steps to improve their cybersecurity.”
What is Police CyberAlarm?
We know (from the 2023 Cyber Security Breaches Survey) that the average annual cost of cybercrime for businesses is estimated at approximately £15,300 per victim. We also know that of the 32% of businesses that identified cyber security breaches, as many as 11% are attacked at least once a week.
The Police CyberAlarm is a free tool to help your business understand and monitor malicious cyber activity.
Police CyberAlarm acts as a “CCTV camera” monitoring the traffic seen by your businesses’ connection to the internet. It will detect and provide regular reports of suspected malicious activity, enabling your business to minimise your vulnerabilities.
What are the benefits to my business?
Regular Reporting - Detailing potentially malicious/attack activity discovered on your firewall/ internet gateway. You can use these reports to investigate further and better protect your business.
Business Information and Intelligence - Data is used to providing details on the latest threats discovered, allowing your business to update security measures.
Identify your Business Vulnerabilities - Scan your business's website and external IP addresses for known vulnerabilities. These regular reports can help you protect your business from known suspicious activity.
Helping the Police Help You - Data is also used by the police to identify current threats, take enforcement action against cybercriminals and help your business prepare and better protect itself.
The new Cyber Alarm can benefit any business with a computer network, including SMEs, organisations (public and private sector), charities, education establishments and local government.
Businesses can sign up on the Police Cyber Alarm website. Once added to the website, they will receive a unique code that will provide access to full instructions and how to install Police CyberAlarm.
If you’re a small business and want to understand the reports better when signing up for the Police Cyber Alarm, we’d be happy to discuss more with you.
