ONS estimates that there are around 2 million economically active businesses in the UK, of which 99.9% are Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) [gov.uk, 2021]. With different cyber awareness initiatives, high-profile hacks and breaches, and the introduction of GDPR in recent years, many businesses know the importance of incorporating cyber security as part of their business operations. However, confidence in cyber security and data governance is unconvincing, with businesses across sectors scoring their confidence in cyber security and data governance 53 out of 100 [sample of 61 businesses receiving Digital Skills training from UWE Bristol]. This lack of confidence can lead to prioritisation and focus on other aspects of business operations and as a result, they are exposed to different cyber security threats such as Intellectual Property (IP) theft and ransomware. This is further exacerbated by a recent survey that found 32% of the SMEs that resorted to paying ransomware demands in 2021 only recovered 65% of their original data demonstrating both the unlikely nature of recovering files, but also the naïve assumptions of organisations in how to address these cyber threats effectively.

As well as the specific threat from cyber-attack, there are wider issues surrounding 'data governance'. The introduction of GDPR raised awareness of the need for good data management practices but there are concerns that SMEs may not have the tools or skills to address the governance issues raised through regulations. This presents a clear and present challenge both in terms of their cybersecurity posture and the UK Government's long-term vision of making the UK a safe place for business to work in.

By bringing together practitioners and academics from multiple disciplines, both at UWE and from Gloucestershire College, our project aims to support SMEs across the wider West of England regions to apply data governance and cybersecurity principles in-house within their organisations.

Workshops:

To date, we have supported 17 SMEs across the region through our workshop delivery:

• Thursday 2nd February: The Growth Hub (Gloucester)
• Thursday 16th February: Gloucestershire College (Cheltenham)

We hope to be able to offer future dates for our in-person discussion-led workshops.

Resources:

To help broaden the reach of our workshops for those who can not attend our in-person sessions, we offer the materials as freely available online:

• 001 - Cyber Resilience for SMEs
• 002 - Introduction to data governance and The Five Safes