The Regional Business View by Ashley Rogers: 'Take my advice and act today'

With frequent stories on large businesses like M&S and Co-op and their cyber security troubles, we are constantly reminded in the private sector that enterprises large and small need to be vigilant, to ever present security threats.

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Larger firms have dedicated cyber teams to help defend themselves but for smaller businesses, this tends to fall on the owner/manager.

Among the usual priorities are control of sensitive data or the 'magic keys' to the kingdom, a never-ending number of sign-ons to supplier websites, passwords for payroll and invoicing platforms and access to multiple apps e.g. commercial banking and HMRC. This info tends to concentrate in just one or maybe two peoples' hands.

From a business owner perspective the logical presumption is that keeping all this essential info, in the fewest hands possible is far safer. Loose lips sink ships after all.

My own experience though is that this safety without contingency planning comes at a price.