Police are testing online tools to help Yorkshire small firms combat e-crime, before extending the system to the rest of the UK.
The yorkshire-safe.org web site features a tool to allow businesses to check the security of their systems and provides hints and tips on security.
It also contains information about how to collect e-crime evidence, and where businesses should go to report offences.
The system will be rolled out at a national level by March, and to Europe by September.
‘We wanted to make it as simple as possible for people to have an understanding about the most basic elements of security for e-business or surfing the internet,’ said Babak Akghar, reader in informatics at Sheffield Hallam University and technical leader of the project.
‘People can go through a simple self-assessment and get explanations as to why they need certain security measures. The idea is that crime prevention is cheaper than investigation,’ he said.
Partners in developing the system include the four Yorkshire police forces, the Serious Organised Crime Agency (Soca), Sheffield Hallam University, the Department of Trade and Industry, Mid-Yorkshire Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Yorkshire Forward and People United Against Crime.
‘E-security is crucial to the operation of a successful business. This project has the potential to make a real difference to the businesses it supports,’ said Soca director general Bill Hughes.
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