NCC Group is supporting a new dedicated cyber incident response helpline for SMEs, in partnership with the Scottish Business Resilience Centre (SBRC).

Within this partnership, the NCC Group team provide pro-bono support as part of a select group of third-party providers of incident response services. Following the initial call from the business, the SBRC helps to direct organisations to the appropriate service to help them secure their systems and improve their overall security posture.

The free helpline is available to all Scottish SMEs and third sector organisations to provide immediate and ongoing support following a suspected cyber incident. Since its launch in October, the helpline has already supported a number of organisations  across Scotland.

NCC Group has partnered with the SBRC for over six years, supporting the Centre in a range of initiatives designed to help businesses in Scotland and across the UK stay secure.

Mike Upton at NCC Group, said: “The widespread, accelerated rates of digital transformation and rapid shift to digitisation and remote working have opened up a whole host of new security challenges for businesses. This is particularly true for smaller organisations, where in-house security resource may be limited.

“We have been working in partnership with SBRC to support organisations over the years, and are proud to continue this at such a critical time by providing an always-available team that can support organisations affected by cyber crime.”

Mark Cunningham-Dickie at the SBRC said: “It’s been a challenging year for businesses of all sizes, but SMEs have been hit particularly hard. It’s more important than ever that small businesses are on top of security processes, and can access support should a breach occur.

“This is why our helpline and ongoing partnerships with NCC Group and other industry leaders are so crucial. Through this way of working, we can not only help organisations repair immediate damage to their systems, but improve their security strategies so that they can increase overall resilience in the future.”

Organisations concerned about their IT security can reach the cyber incident helpline by calling 01786 437 472, or can find out more on the SBRC website.