Conference switches on to cyber-crime threat

Businesses in Dorset were urged to help pull the plug on the rapidly growing menace of cyber-crime when they attended a county summit.

More than 100 delegates including business leaders, academics and experts attended the third annual Dorset Business Crime Conference at the Hamworthy Club in Wimborne.

It was held by the Dorset Police & Crime Commissioner Martyn Underhill, Dorset Chamber of Commerce and Industry (DCCI) and the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB).

Mr Underhill warned of the increasing threat of cyber-crime and also urged businesses to speak up about crime by reporting all incidents to police to give the force a true picture of the problem.

Attendees also heard from DCCI chief executive Ian Girling, Dorset Police Chief Constable Debbie Simpson and FSB home affairs chairman Richard Parlour, as well as Minister for Policing, Crime and Criminal Justice and Victims Mike Penning in a video message.

Mr Underhill said: “These events are a valuable opportunity for us to come together and to exchange knowledge and experience.

“By doing this, we will improve our understanding of business crime and develop our responses to it.”

Mr Underhill added: “The threat from cyber-crime is a rapidly growing problem.

“I would urge businesses to stay safe and make use of the tools available, including our recently launched CyberSafe Campaign and the national Get Safe Online initiative.”

The event included the launch of a new, twice-yearly Business Crime Newsletter and details of a new DCCI and Bournemouth University Cyber-Crime Forum that launches on September 15.

Mr Girling said: “Crime is a serious issue for business and it is important that there is a strong relationship with the police.

“Organisations like DCCI and the FSB can strengthen that relationship and encourage businesses to do all that they can to guard against crime.”

Local FSB Dorset chairman David Ramsden, who was accompanied by FSB regional development manager Neil Eames, said: “Crime is one area where we can all work together for eachothers’ benefit.

“One first step is to report every single crime to the police to help them to help us.”

Delegates also joined in workshops during the day.

Experts from Bournemouth University, who are working with the police’s new Cyber-Crime Unit, delivered a session during the afternoon along with Get Safe Online.

PC Tim Poole and PCSO Alex Bishop from the Beaminster Safer Neighbourhood Team led a rural crime workshop, while PC David Fish held the retail crime and shoplifting clinic.

Mr Penning said: “A small crime in one business is a big crime in another.

“There are different types of crimes which affect margins, jobs and the prosperity of the country.

“We want to see better reporting on crime so we can understand better the effects on business.”

Dignitaries also included the Mayor of Bournemouth, John Adams.

According to the Home Office almost one in four small businesses has been the victim of business crime in the past two years.

Call DCCI on 01202 714800 for more details or to register for the Business Crime Newsletter.

The Cyber-Crime Forum in September is for DCCI members only and is bookable via the DCCI website at www.dcci.co.uk.

A photo gallery from the crime conference is available on the Police and Crime Commissioner website at www.dorset.pcc.police.uk