New cyber resilience chief appointed
Detective Superintendent (DSupt) Vanessa Eyles has been appointed director of the Cyber Resilience Centre for the West Midlands, taking the reins from predecessor DSupt Alison Hurst.
DSupt Eyles (pictured) joins the team from her previous role within West Midlands Police where she held the position of detective chief inspector for Western Complex Child Abuse.
As director of the WMCRC, she will be responsible for driving the organisation 's financial growth across membership and its 'paid-for ' services as well as pushing the cyber resilience message.
With significant experience already in cyber security, having made her mark in uplifting resilience within the Public Protection Unit for West Midlands Police during the height of the Covid pandemic, she has also previously been the Cyber lead for a large section of Birmingham local policing.
Bringing with her 25 years of policing, DSupt Vanessa Eyles is an experienced senior investigating officer who has handled large-scale investigations and serious crimes including kidnaps, firearms crimes, attempted murders and crimes within HMP Birmingham.
DSupt Vanessa Eyles, said: “I 'm delighted to be joining the Cyber Resilience Centre for the West Midlands and to continue supporting businesses across the region to tackle the threat posed by cybercrime.
“The annual average cost of cyber-attacks on SME 's is £4.5billion and I firmly believe that businesses have been through more than enough over the last 18 months with lockdown related closures and loss of earnings, so to be joining the WMCRC at a time where businesses need support the most is something I 'm incredibly proud to be a part of. ”
The Cyber Resilience Centre for the West Midlands (WMCRC) is one of nine centres that have been established across the country to provide businesses and organisations, with an affordable way to access cyber security services and guidance to help protect themselves from attack.
The WMCRC offers a range a membership options depending on what level of support businesses need in the West Midlands, Warwickshire, Worcestershire and Staffordshire area, to help them identify their risks and vulnerabilities.
Working in conjunction with local universities and the region 's local police forces, the WMCRC is able to provide a range of affordable cyber resilience services with the very current knowledge and technical expertise from the UK's top university cyber talent. These services help SMEs and therefore their supply chain to prepare and improve cyber resilience.