Tag: cyber security

Act Now Expands its Cyber Security Team

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Cyber security is one of the Information Commissioner’s regulatory priorities; not surprising when you consider the Notices of Intent (to fine) issued by the ICO on British Airways and Marriott International. Recently we learnt that two companies involved in building emergency coronavirus hospitals have been hit by cyber-attacks. Cyber security is an important subject that Data Protection Officers need to understand to be able to fulfil their role effectively.

Act Now Training is pleased to announce that leading cyber security expert, Olu Odeniyi has joined its team of associates. Olu is a Cyber Security, Information Security and Digital Transformation Trusted Advisor who has 30 years’ experience. During this time, he has held several key senior leadership, strategic and operational positions, in the public and private sectors. As a former trustee of three charities, Olu held the roles of Technical Lead, Treasurer and Chair, where he was responsible for regulatory compliance, operational and project risk management.

Recent projects delivered by Olu include investigation of cyber related breaches, analysis of organisations’ cyber security postures and in-depth risk assessments. Olu has advised companies on requirements for attaining the government backed cyber essentials certification and the coveted ISO 27001 Information Security Management.
Workshops, presentations and lectures at the University of West London were given by Olu on topics such as information security and digital transformation.

At the University’s Enterprise Hub, Olu guided start-up companies on cyber security issues ranging from processes to technical considerations – he continues to support and mentor such companies. Analysis of academic cyber security research on novel ways to secure IoT (Internet of Things) devices using artificial intelligence concluded with Olu reporting his findings to the University.

Olu speaks at various conferences and information sessions on information governance and cyber security. In February this year, Olu spoke at the PrivSec Conference on ‘Deepfakes’ (hyper realistic synthetic video/audio generated by deep neural networks) to a packed theatre at the QEII conference centre in London. The session was hosted within the Threat Intelligence theatre with other speakers such as Mike Hulett, Head of Operations at National Crime Agency (NCA).

Olu is a professional member of the BCS (British Computer Society – The Chartered Institute for IT) and a Microsoft Certified Professional (MCP). Within the BCS, Olu is a member of the Information Risk Management and Assurance (IRMA), Information Security, Artificial Intelligence and the Cybercrime Forensics specialist interest groups. Olu said:

“I am delighted to be joining the Act Now team. I look forward to using my cyber security and digital transformation expertise to help Data Protection Officers understand and overcome the cyber challenges their organisations face. Over the coming months I will be developing practical online training courses that delegates can take from the comfort of their office” 

Ibrahim Hasan, solicitor and director of Act Now Training, said:

“Olu’s reputation proceeds him. His expert knowledge coupled with experience of working for a range or organisations will help us expand our cyber security services. Together with our other cyber expert, Steven Cockroft, we are confident that we will be able to service the increasingly complex cyber needs of clients.”

In addition to training, Olu can help your organisation with personal data breaches, PEN testing, incident management, breach reporting and incident responses. Olu can also act as an outsourced or interim Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) or a Chief Information Officer (CIO).

Olu will be a delivering a free webinar on “Introduction to Cyber Security for DPOs on 26th May 2020 (11am). Places are limited so please book early. Our GDPR Update is ideal for those looking to keep abreast of the latest GDPR developments. Finally, the GDPR Practitioner Certificate course is now available as an online option and filling fast.

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Cyber Security Month is Here!

Cyber security concept, authentication screen on computer, confidential business data

October is European Cyber Security Month. This is the EU’s annual awareness campaign that takes place each October across Europe. The aim is to raise awareness of cybersecurity threats, promote cybersecurity among citizens and organisations; and provide resources for online protection, through education and sharing of good practice.

Every single day the cyber security landscape becomes more complicated. Criminals are continually inventing new ways to carry out cyber-attacks. A Freedom of Information  request by insurance broker Gallagher, recently revealed that UK councils were fending off an average of 800 cyber attacks per hour.

Organisations that do not take appropriate action are at grave risk of business disruption, reputational damage and regulatory action. In July we saw the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) signal its intention to use its powers to issue Monetary Penalty Notices (fines) under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). Two Notices of Intent were issued against British Airways and Marriot International respectively.  Both relate to cyber security incidents but for different reasons and amounts. (More here.)

Cyber security needs to become a top priority for organisations and individuals. Training and awareness is crucial. The National Cyber Security Centre publishes a regular report on cyber incident trends in the UK with guidance on how to defend against and recover from them. Act Now is running a series of  Cyber Security workshops led by cyber expert, Steven Cockcroft. The first one was in London last week and attracted delegates from both the public and private sectors. Habib Khatib, Head of Operations at Talk Direct Talk Direct (Leeds) Ltd, said:

“This was an excellent workshop which really opened my eyes to the threats that organisations face from cyber criminals. Steve’s expert knowledge will help me to implement a cyber action plan within my company.”

To celebrate Cyber Security month, all new delegates booking on a Cyber Security workshop will received a discount of 10% if they quote the reference “OCTOBER10%”. This offer applies until 11.59pm on 31st October 2019. A day to remember for more than one reason!

More on these and other developments in our GDPR update workshop presented by Ibrahim Hasan. Looking for a GDPR qualification? Our practitioner certificate is the best option.