'SafeCX’ initiative launches to help organisations protect customer trust during cyber incidents
A new has launched to help organisations understand and reduce the customer, reputational, and commercial impact of cyber incidents through a dual‑lens maturity assessment.
Created by Shaun Cremins CCXP of Capstone Strategic Integration in partnership with regional cybersecurity specialists CentriVault, SafeCX addresses a growing priority for UK business leaders.
With cyber incidents continuing to rise across the UK, organisations are increasingly recognising that disruption and reputational fallout often stem not only from the breach itself, but from how customers experience the organisation’s response.
At the heart of the initiative is the SafeCX Checker, a rapid, five-minute self-audit that evaluates organisational maturity across two critical areas - cybersecurity resilience (SAFE) and customer experience readiness (CX)
The structured diagnostic assesses leadership accountability, employee awareness, risk and data management, incident preparedness, technology integration, and customer‑centred culture.
Organisations are then benchmarked across four clear ‘maturity zones’ - Critical, Vulnerable, Managed, Optimised - giving leaders an immediate view of potential exposure to customer loss, reputational harm, and revenue disruption.
On completion, participants receive a score and summary, along with the opportunity for a free 30-minute follow up consultation with a Safe CX expert.
“Cyber incidents are defining customer experience moments,” said Shaun Cremins, founder of Capstone Strategic Integration and vice-president of the Royal Sutton Coldfield Chamber of Commerce.
“When something goes wrong, customers don’t judge the firewall, they judge how the organisation responds. SafeCX helps organisations see cyber risk through the lens that matters most: customer trust.”
The broader SafeCX framework guides organisations through three stages - Discover, Improve, and Assure - enabling them to stress‑test customer journeys, identify critical trust gaps, and demonstrate progress via a structured Trust Assurance Rating.
This rating is a simple way of showing how well any organisation is prepared to protect customer confidence before, during, and after a cyber incident.
The rating reflects progress across governance, response readiness, communication, and customer impact management, giving leaders a clear indicator they can use to demonstrate improvement and build stakeholder confidence.
SafeCX aims to support SMEs and growth‑oriented organisations across Greater Birmingham, the West Midlands, and the wider UK, helping leaders embed trust and resilience as core elements of governance.
Stuart Plant of CentriVault added: “Businesses across the Midlands are investing in cybersecurity, but technical controls alone aren’t enough.
“SafeCX adds an essential layer by preparing organisations for the customer impact of an incident, ensuring continuity, communication, and trust are protected alongside systems.”
More information is available here.
Pictured: Shaun Cremins and Stuart Plant
