IT security help for growing businesses

The UK’s Department of Trade and Industry periodically undertakes its own survey on IT security threats. The latest one, conducted for the DTI by PriceWaterhouseCoopers, has revealed that amid the general improvement in the level of preparedness by companies, small and medium-sized businesses are less likely to be adequately prepared and are suffering as a consequence.

In response to this, we have decided to launch a series of low-cost IT security courses to give growing firms the knowledge and skills to protect themselves.

‘ISO 27001: Introduction and Overview’ is a one-day course designed for business owners and executives, IT managers and project managers who are at the initial stages of investigating information security management systems. It helps delegates to understand the key concepts and benefits of ISO 27001 as the best practice solution to countering IT threats. It also gives an overview of how ISO 27001 implementations can be managed in-house without calling in expensive consultants. I am leading this course and basing it upon my books, ‘The Case for ISO 27001’ and ‘Nine Steps to Success: an ISO 27001 Implementation Overview’. The first course will be held in London on 29th June, with further courses to be held in July and September. Delegate fees are £395.00 and bookings may be made here.

For ISO 27001-project leaders and their teams, the ‘ISO 27001 MasterClass’ provides three days of intensive tuition on the entire implementation process, including project scoping, risk assessments, documentation, management review and preparation for a successful certification audit. I am leading the course jointly with Steve Watkins and we are basing the sessions upon our definitive guide to information security management, ‘IT Governance: a Manager’s Guide to Data Security and BS7799/ISO17799’, which is the core text of the Open University’s postgraduate course in Information Security. The first MasterClass will be held in London on 6 – 8 June, with further sessions planned for July and September. Delegate fees are £1,495.00 and bookings may be made here.