The Cheshire Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) has called for small businesses in Chester to join him for a cyber awareness event at Chester Zoo next week.

Taking place on Friday 16 May, the breakfast briefing event will help small businesses from Chester understand the simple steps needed to protect them from growing cybercrime.

Dan Price, Cheshire PCC, will give a speech to businesses and the North West Cyber Resilience Centre will deliver a short presentation and workshop around cyber resilience.

A new Government cyber survey found that phishing is still the most prevalent and disruptive type of breach or attack - with 85% of businesses revealing they had experienced a phishing attack, up slightly from 84% last year.

The survey also found that UK businesses experienced 8.58 million cyber crimes over the past 12 months - up from 7.8 million.

DI Dan Giannasi, heads up the North West Cyber Resilience team, said: "We're strongly encouraging West Cheshire businesses to come along to our event at Chester Zoo and find out more about the effects of cyber breaches and attacks on small businesses.

Last year, the Police and Crime Commissioner funded a cyber awareness programme (Image via: North West Cyber Resilience Centre)

"We work closely with the PCC's office and Cheshire Police, to ensure that small and medium businesses have access to the practical advice that they need to remain safe and resilient."

Last year, The Police and Crime Commissioner funded a cyber awareness programme.

Run by the North West Cyber Resilience Centre (NWCRC), the scheme runs specifically for small businesses to arm themselves with the key knowledge and tools to become more resilient against online business fraud.

Dan Price, Cheshire Police and Crime Commissioner, said: "Cybercrime can have a devastating impact on businesses.

"Prevention is the best form of defence.

"I am working closely with the North West Cyber Resilience Centre to ensure all Cheshire businesses have access to help and support preventing them from falling foul to cyber criminals."

The Cheshire Cyber Security Programme was launched for small and medium businesses last year.

It includes free membership and training from the NWCRC, which is a police-backed not-for-profit organisation launched in 2019.

The programme offers 150 free membership places for the NWCRC, providing free cyber security awareness training and one-to-one advisory sessions for each business.

Businesses can sign up to the breakfast cyber briefing event at Chester Zoo here.