While many small businesses are waking up to the threat of cybercrime, it’s the ones that see cyber security as being more than a burden and really embrace it that are reaping the benefits, says Lancaster University’s Professor Daniel Prince.

Dan Prince, who is professor of cyber security at the University’s School of Computing and Communications says: “It can be tempting to view introducing cyber security measures as a mandatory task that needs to be ticked off so that you can get on with your core business.”

However, Professor Prince, who has worked with SMEs in Lancashire and beyond for many years to help them to understand cyber security innovation, is urging SME leaders to take a different perspective on preventing a security breach.

Lancashire Telegraph:

He says: “Looking at it a different way, a company that cares about and protects its customers is more attractive to buy from and do business with.

“Suddenly, cyber security seems less of a drag and more a real business benefit”, says Dan Prince.

It means that businesses can get ahead of their competitors if they first prioritise cyber security and then make current and prospective customers aware of this commitment, says Professor Prince.

He explains: “Think about Johnson & Johnson baby products. Their focus on caring and protecting is front and centre in their branding. This is a tactic to reassure consumers that they are a company that they can trust.

“Similarly, SMEs that have both good cyber security measures in place and a culture that takes the potential of a breach seriously, should integrate it into their marketing messages. That’s when cyber security will truly shift from being a burden to an asset that offers businesses a return on the time, effort and money invested in it.”

Lancashire Telegraph:

To help business leaders in Lancashire make marketable changes in their businesses’ approach to cyber security, Lancaster University Management School (LUMS) and the University’s School of Computing and Communications have joined forces to create the new Cyber Strategy Programme.

The Programme brings together experts from both highly-accredited university departments to help SME leaders understand the risk that cybercrime presents and minimise the threat by confidently implementing changes within their systems and teams.

Places on the programme are fully-funded by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) for Lancashire businesses that employ between five and 250 people.

For more information visit www.lancaster.ac.uk/cyber-strategy-programme