A SHIPLEY-based insurance broker has started a series of seminars to make businesses in the Bradford district more aware of the dangers of cyber crime.

Packetts, based in Merchants Quay, held its first seminar in the 1911 suite at Valley Parade.

Cyber crime is the UK’s fastest growing form of fraud, with accountancy heavyweight PWC saying half of all British businesses will be affected by cyber crime in the next two years.

Small and medium-sized businesses (SMEs) from Bradford were invited to the seminar, which featured a guest talk from information security expert Gary Hibberd, titled ‘The good, the bad, and the ugly of cyber’.

SMEs are a prime target for hackers, as are business owners aged 40 and above, who are often too busy to pay attention to their online security.

Mr Hibberd is an expert in cyber crime, regularly contributing to government initiatives on cyber security and counter terrorism.

In his talk, Mr Hibberd demonstrated how easy it is for hackers to access the ‘dark web’, and how easy it is for criminals to hack into a business’s secure computer records.

He gave the gathered business representatives advice on the steps to take both before and after a cyber attack, how to cover all the legal ramifications of data loss, and how to restore computer systems following an attack.

Wayne Cowley, a director at Packetts, was one of the seminar organisers.

He said: “This seminar certainly shone a light on the darker recesses of the internet and what is really going on out there.

“Both disturbing and fascinating, it was business-essential information.”

The seminar was the first in a series of seminars planned by Packetts, in co-operation with Leeds-based law firm Chadwick Lawrence.

Attendance at the meetings is free. For further information about the seminars and to book a place, contact Mr Cowley by emailing waynec@packetts.com or by calling 01274 206500.

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