1. society
2. crime

Winter Newsletter 2010
Free One Day Conference
BCRC recently achieved national recognition during July,
winning the Best Security Initiative award within the Nominet
Best Practice Challenge 2009.
How to run a successful and secure
eBay business
BCRC won first place in it‟s
of „Best Security InitiaTuesday 23rd March 2010 — 9:30amcategory
to 4:30pm
tive‟ facing some fierce competiThe Source at Meadowhall,
tion. On receiving the award,
300 Meadowhall Way Head of Unit David Stockdale
stated that „This is a clear recognition of the expertise we demonstrate on a daily basis at the
BCRC‟.
Organised by the Business Crime Reduction
Centre the event provides advice and specialist
knowledge to improve business skills and a Source: BCRC Data provided by South Yorkshire Police
general understanding of trading online.
Expert speakers will cover:
Running a successful business online
Latest eBay threats and scams
How to prevent identity theft
How to identify fraudulent online traders and
customers
Trading online can provide excellent opportunity
for maximising revenues, however businesses
must be aware of the security risks these include:
Hacked Accounts
Feedback Scams
Chargeback‟s
Requests to post to relatives abroad
Item not as described
Lost in post
Fake Listings
Experts estimate the annual cost of cybercrime is
$100 billion worldwide. To reduce the chances of
becoming a victim of cybercrime, attendance at
this event is essential.
The Business Crime Reduction Centre works in partnership with South Yorkshire
Police, Barnsley and Rotherham Chamber of Commerce, Doncaster Chamber of
Commerce and Sheffield Chamber of Commerce.
The Business Crime Reduction Centre is part of People United Against Crime:
Registered Charity No: 1052889: Registered Company No: 3144166
To book your free place, and for more
information please visit our website :
www.bcrc-uk.org
Alternatively email us at:
[email protected]
or call on
0114 275 1283
Hairdressers & beauticians
premises targeted by thieves
BCRC celebrates landmark
achievement
Analysis of crime statistics in South Yorkshire
highlights a growing trend of hairdressers and
beauty salons being targeted by criminals.
Items that are high in value such as hair
straighteners and beauty products are
attracting the attention of thieves.
BCRC‟s team has achieved it‟s Business Assist
output target 4 months ahead of schedule.
Following an increased target to the 31st March
2010, BCRC has assisted 951 businesses to
improve their security measures smashing the
target of 917.
During the early part of 2009, there were 123
crimes committed against salons. 54 of them
were burglaries. Equally worrying are the 27
cases of theft, 24 of which occurred when
thieves entered the premises posing as
legitimate customers.
For further details or advice on securing your
business, contact Zac Wharton on
0114 275 1283 or [email protected].
David Ransom holds the Nominet Best Practice Challenge Award
for Best Security Initiative, supported by the BCRC team
70 days and counting!
There is now under 3 months until BCRC rolls
out across the rest of the Yorkshire and
Humber region.
Plans are well under way for the recruitment of
new staff, and also for the services that will be
available through the new and expanded
service that BCRC will offer.
“It‟s an exciting and busy time, however I‟m
sure that BCRC will go from strength to
strength, and become the one-stop-shop for
crime against business across the entire
region,” said Project Director David Ransom.
Through the services provided by BCRC, SME‟s
in South Yorkshire have also been able to secure
457 jobs and safeguard £66,163,000 in business
turnover. Additionally, 78 organisations have
improved their IT practices, adding value to the
ICT development of the Yorkshire & Humber
region.
BCRC continues to exceed many of the
performance criteria and is well ahead of target
to take plans forward into the new project starting
in April 2010.
LSN takes the lead on logistics security
Following the launch of the Logistics
Security Network (LSN) in October,
BCRC is now focussed on providing
organisations within the Logistics
sector a dedicated, free service.
LSN provides advice and
The Business Crime Reduction Centre works in partnership with South Yorkshire
Police, Barnsley and Rotherham Chamber of Commerce, Doncaster Chamber of
Commerce and Sheffield Chamber of Commerce.
The Business Crime Reduction Centre is part of People United Against Crime:
Registered Charity No: 1052889: Registered Company No: 3144166
guidance from specialists within the
logistics industry to help reduce the
impact of crime across the sector
for regional businesses. For other
benefits of the free membership
service visit www.lsn-uk.org.
Wireless scanning helps businesses reduce the risk of e-Crime
In a recent survey of a business park
in Hull, BCRC‟s Wireless Security
Analyst found nearly half of
businesses to be insecure.
BCRC is offering a free service to
SMEs in Yorkshire and Humberside
to check the security of their wireless
networks and secure it for free if
necessary.
What are the dangers?
Laptop computers and mobile phones
can search for insecure networks and
have a range of around 30 yards,
however, a determined hacker with a
high gain network card and aerial can
locate wireless networks and traffic
from a much greater range.
Open networks or those with insecure
encryption can lead to:Access to sensitive company
data and network traffic
Wireless networks can be
rendered inoperable by „man in
the middle‟ attacks
Edward Dodd, BCRC Adviser and Certified Wireless Security Analyst working in
partnership with PCSO Tracey Forbes of Humberside Police Force
Malicious damage to
business systems
Theft of internet banking IDs
and passwords
Illegal use by third parties.
In the worst case, to facilitate
terrorism, or by paedophiles
to access illegal images
The business owners could
become suspects in a Police
investigation as a result of
the above
If you are unsure about your
wireless network security,
contact BCRC and book a
review by a qualified wireless
security analyst.
For more information, see:
www.bcrc-uk.org
BCRC provides ICT e-Crime training to the Police
BCRC gained the Skills For Security
accreditation mark to deliver the new
ICT e-Crime security training
package.
to identify potential issues with IT
infrastructure, clarify policies with
clients and improve security
awareness of computer users. It
will also allow them to provide
Following in-depth work by the BCRC instruction on the best way to
team, the package will provide Police secure their ICT equipment and
practices within a business.
trainees with the knowledge
For further information about
training opportunities, contact
BCRC on 0114 275 1283 or visit
www.bcrc-uk.org
For further information about our events, please visit www.bcrc-uk.org or contact us on 0114 275 1283 or [email protected].
The Business Crime Reduction Centre works in partnership with South Yorkshire
Police, Barnsley and Rotherham Chamber of Commerce, Doncaster Chamber of
Commerce and Sheffield Chamber of Commerce.
The Business Crime Reduction Centre is part of People United Against Crime:
Registered Charity No: 1052889: Registered Company No: 3144166
Page 4
How secure is YOUR business?
The Business Crime Reduction
Centre (BCRC) helps small to
medium sized businesses (SME‟s)
reduce the impact of crime. The
BCRC is supported by Yorkshire
Forward and the European Union.
www.bcrc-uk.org
The BCRC offers free and impartial
on-site risk assessments and
Services that BCRC provides:
advice on resisting physical and
electronic threats to businesses.
E-crime prevention advice and
The BCRC employs trained
support
Business Advisers to serve SME‟s
Advice on protection against web
within Yorkshire & the Humber by
threats
showing businesses how they can
Physical and ICT security
prevent attacks on ICT equipment
assessments
in addition to general crime
Events / Seminars
prevention activities.
Links to professional support
organisations
If you would like further
information on BCRC or a free
and impartial ICT or physical
security survey,
please contact us on:
0114 275 1283
Email:
[email protected]
Or visit our website at:
www.bcrc-uk.org
Computerisation and globalization make fraud easier to carry out and conceal
Organised criminals have taken advantage of changes in working practices with identity theft becoming a
continuous threat.
In the Yorkshire and Humber region, KPMG identified 29 cases of serious fraud in the 2000‟s with a total
value of £29.5m. This included an asset stripping business fraud which resulted in the collapse of three
Sheffield companies and the loss of 46 jobs. (Source: KPMG Fraud Barometer)
Advice from the Business Crime Reduction Centre includes the need to ensure that firewall‟s and other
electronic security measures are continually updated, including being vigilant against the „insider threat‟. Many
fraudsters work for their victims for years and are well trusted by their employers. This trust can lead to lapses
in controls and oversight of risks. For confidential advice on these matters, contact BCRC on 0114 275 1283
or visit www.bcrc-uk.org.
South Yorkshire business crime still down on previous year
Reported crime rates against businesses continue
to fall in South Yorkshire. The graph shows a spike
in October 2009, but the general trend remains
well below the previous year.
The overall decrease in crime demonstrates the
continued contribution that BCRC is making in the
fight against crime.
Theft and handling stolen goods continue to be the
main types of crime taking place, with burglary and
criminal damage following at a much lower rate.
BCRC remains focused in assisting businesses to
secure their assets and promote continuity.
Business Crime Reduction Centre, 4th Floor Castle Market Buildings, Exchange Street, Sheffield, S1 2AH