Businesses in Boston will be able to find out for free how to protect their businesses from malicious software and security breaches thanks to onlincolnshire.

According to the Government’s 2015 Information Security Breaches Survey, the number of security breaches has increased and the scale and cost has nearly doubled. Ninety per cent of large organisations reported they had suffered an information security breach, while seventy-four per cent of small and medium-sized businesses reported the same

Delegates attending a workshop at The White Hart on 29th October, called ‘Beat the Hackers’, will learn tips and advice on how to protect their IT systems from threats and to identify potential risks.

Designed for the average business user and not IT experts, the event will show delegates how vulnerable they are to a range of everyday risks which need to be minimised and managed by all businesses, no matter if they are large or small.

The workshop, which will be delivered by Stuart Green from SJG Digital will cover:

• The threats
• How a hack happens
• Simple, cost-effective steps to keep hackers away

Stuart said: “Everything will be explained in a non-technical way, with minimal jargon and sensible advice that everyone will be able to follow.

“Hackers have the tools to expose and obtain your confidential information, so taking steps to stop them in their tracks is essential. This workshop will give you an idea of where to start when thinking about protecting yourself and your business.”

Executive Member for Economic Development at Lincolnshire County Council, Cllr Colin Davie, said: “Thanks to the onlincolnshire project well over 100,000 homes and businesses now have access to superfast broadband.

“While this is great for improving productivity and efficiency, businesses need to be aware of the risks which are unfortunately out there. Protecting your interests in this way is essential, so we would urge local businesses to attend to find out more.”

The session takes place on Thursday 29th October at The White Hart, Boston from 9.15am to 11am.

Attendance is free, but booking is essential. To reserve your place email onlincolnshire@lincs-chamber.co.uk or call 01522 523333.

To find out more about onlincolnshire, which is part-funded by the European Regional Development Fund, please visit www.onlincolnshire.org

Ends

Notes to Editors:

About onlincolnshire
• onlincolnshire is a Lincolnshire County Council-run project which is part-funded by the East Midlands European Regional Development Fund Programme 2007 to 2013.
• In March 2013, the council signed a £48 million contract with BT to provide superfast broadband to at least 88% of county properties by 2016, with the remaining properties having access to at least of 2Mbps broadband. A further investment of £2.8 million was announced in February 2014 which has increased the number of properties to 89%.
• The contract with BT concentrates on an intervention area of over 150,000 premises where existing or planned commercial roll outs would not deliver superfast speeds.
• The Department for Communities and Local Government is the managing authority for the European Regional Development Fund Programme, which is one of the funds established by the European Commission to help local areas stimulate their economic development by investing in projects which will support local businesses and create jobs. For more information visit www.communities.gov.uk/erdf
• Some internet users in rural Lincolnshire experience speeds of less than 1 Mbps. The UK’s average broadband speed is 12 Mbps, according to Ofcom.

For further information or to arrange interviews, please contact:
Kate Strawson
Shooting Star
kate@weareshootingstar.co.uk
01522 528540
@katestrawson