Greater Manchester Cyber Resilience Centre offers free membership following surge in coronavirus-related online crime

More vulnerabilities are present for cyber criminals to exploit during this period

Non-profit organisation the Cyber Resilience Centre for Greater Manchester is offering a three-month membership for local businesses of up to 100 employees to improve their cyber resilience during the COVID-19 outbreak - including tailored advice, regular cyber news updates and useful tools.

This comes after Action Fraud reported a 400% increase in COVID-19 related crimes and scams in March alone. With many businesses having fewer staff members checking online systems and more staff working remotely, more vulnerabilities are present for cyber criminals to exploit during this period.

Cybercrime is already estimated to cost the Greater Manchester economy £860 million a year and many businesses struggle financially to cope with the aftermath of breeches and attacks.

The Cyber Resilience Centre is a joint venture between Greater Manchester Police (GMP) and Manchester Digital.

Detective Superintendent Neil Jones from Greater Manchester Police said: ‘’During this time of crisis, businesses of all sizes are falling victim to online crime. The Cyber Resilience Centre’s offer of support will help many become more resilient.’’

For more information on how to protect your business from cybercrime during COVID-19, visit:

• https://cyberresiliencecentre.com/COVID-19_Guidance

To register for membership, simply email the team on:

• info@cyberresiliencecentre.com