The Norfolk Cyber Conference 2024

On Thursday 28 November, we headed to Barnham Broom for another fully booked cyber security conference.

This conference is designed to provide businesses with updates, insights and tips on how to protect themselves from cyber threats.

This year we welcomed a diverse panel of expert speakers providing different views on cyber security. This included Harpreet Singh of Mimecast: the technical; Dave Hughes of Eversheds Sutherland: the legal; and Paul Maskall: the emotional.

Harpreet kicked off the morning by sharing the risks employees pose, with 68% of breaches involving human element. However, it’s not as simple as providing all staff with the same training. Some users may be more engaged in security, others may not. And the way we work has changed, including how we communicate and store data.

8% of users cause 80% of security incidents.

So, where do you start? Well, Mimecast can help with this. They measure the risk of individual users based on their security decisions, how often they are attacked, and their role within a company. You can download Harpreet’s full presentation below.

Next up we welcomed Dave to the stage. Dave highlighted the difficulties in compliance when it comes to cyber security, particularly when employees are not as engaged as others. Dave provided an overview of the practical compliance principles, as well as stating the importance of establishing how much data you have, how long you keep it, how accessible it is and how often it is shared.

Dave’s slides can be downloaded below.

Last up was our keynote speaker, Paul Maskall. Paul tapped into the way our emotions and the events happening in our lives can impact the way we react to and view cyber scams. You can provide your team with all the education and technology possible, but if their well-being is not sufficiently supported they are more susceptible to manipulation. If you are stressed due to events happening at home, and you come to work where you may have a large project happening, a scam email that adds further pressure and demand is easy to fall victim too.

In summary, the education and tools play a key part, but the culture of your business and how your staff feel can greatly impact your level of risk.

Following this, all three speakers gathered on stage for a panel Q&A session.

The Norfolk Cyber Conference would not be possible without the support of our sponsors: Atkinson Moss, ConnectWise and Mimecast.

At the event, we mentioned Paul Newton who was originally meant to speak at the conference before he sadly passed away. Paul has done incredible work for the cyber security industry, using his talents as a magician to teach others about deception and trickery in the cyber space. We recommend taking a look at his book, podcasts, and previous talks. Visit his website.