ALL businesses, including local, parish and town councils, are invited to attend a free course and benefit from understanding cyber threats and online fraud.

The charity Devon Communities Together is working with Devon and Cornwall Police to develop free training courses to help voluntary, community and social enterprise (VCSE) organisations and Devon parish and town council staff and councillors to understand online threats and how to protect business data, money and reputation.

The General Data Protection Requirement (GDPR) will come into effect in 2018. It will change how organisations can collect, use and transfer personal data and businesses and councils are urged to be ready.

A number of experts in their field will be brought together to deliver this unique opportunity for those who seek to take action to protect themselves, their business (small and medium enterprises - SMEs) and staff from cyber-related crime, including representatives from Get Safe Online (GSOL), SW Cyber Security Cluster (SWCSC), Regional Police Cyber Crime Unit (RCCU)

The course will undertake to develop awareness and understanding on the following issues:

• Attendees will depart with improved knowledge and the information/support to enable action in their own workplace to mitigate risk.

• Digital (Cyber) crime – an overview of what it is, how it impacts on SME and what you can do to mitigate the risk.

• How to recognise some of the more common cyber threats and information on the steps to take to reduce the chances that they will happen.

• Policy and procedure considerations for your business and staff who work within it.

• Understanding rules around legal requirements for collecting and using personal data.

• Advice on procedures in the event of digital data breaches

• New Data Protection legislation – The General Data Protection Requirement (GDPR)

• The secure transmission of documents and integrity of email correspondence.

With cyber security often in the news today, the training will also frame a business or council’s online safety in the context of the wider world.

The course will run from 9am to 3.45pm on Wednesday, January 25.

To book a place or for further information, telephone 01392 248919 or email: [email protected] .

Alan Quick