Cyber security consultancy, Qonex, has signed an agreement with Crossword Cybersecurity, to use Rizikon in its baseline security assessment service across its small and medium-sized enterprise (SME) client base.
The official launch of the partnership takes place today at the National Space Centre in Leicester during the East Midlands Cyber Security Conference and Expo.
Rizikon is a cyber risk assessment tool based on research undertaken by Professor David Stupples and his team at the Centre for Cyber and Security Sciences at City University, London. It is Crossword’s first commercial product, building on four years of research and development at the University.
Among Rizikon’s benefits are its jargon-free summaries of a company’s existing security, broken down into the areas of greatest risk. It also recommends adjustments to existing protections, such as anti-virus and firewalls, to maximise their effectiveness.
The tool is now an integral part of Qonex’s baseline security assessment service, designed to analyse an SME’s security preparedness, giving boards actionable advice and guidance. The service also demonstrates the organisation’s readiness to undertake a Cyber Essentials certification.
Achieving the UK Government’s Cyber Essentials certification is mandatory for some government contracts. It is also useful for any supplier to show to its prospective customers that it has taken the necessary steps to protect itself from the harm of cyber-attacks.
Tom Ilube, founder of Crossword, said:
“Many SME bosses have neither the time nor the in-house expertise to stay on top of online threats, many of which can inflict substantial commercial and reputational damage to their businesses.
“We developed Rizikon as tool for the real world. it doesn’t demand technical expertise, hours of form filling and it works in tandem with existing online protections to maximise their effectiveness.”
Colin Robbins, Managing Consultant of Qonex, said:
“Many approaches to cyber security attempt to stimulate companies into action using fear, uncertainty and doubt. The use of Rizikon enables us to provide quantitative evidence, based on current threat intelligence, to support our actionable advice and guidance.
”For many of our clients, there are regulatory or customer requirements to demonstrate that effective cyber security protections are in place. We believe Rizikon will be a great help here, generating a focused report to either support a Cyber Essentials certification, or as part of continuing business improvement”
About Qonex
Qonex enables organisations to maximise the value from technology, by establishing business strategies to prevent cyber-attacks causing harm.
Its approach is to work with senior decision makers, to assess the impact a security failure could have on a business, and implement strategies and governance structures to manage the risks.
Qonex recognises good cyber security is a combination of processes, people and technology, and work with businesses to identify the appropriate combination of cyber security controls via a suite of services.
Further information, please contact:
Tom Ilube CEO, Crossword Cybersecurity Tel: +44 (0) 20 8973 2350 Email: info@crosswordcybersecurity.com
Kevin Spencer Marketing Communications Manager, Qonex – the consulting arm of Nexor Tel: +44 (0) 115 952 0573 Email: kevin.spencer@qonex.com
ISDX Corporate Advisor (Crossword) Nick Michaels and Jon Isaacs, Alfred Henry Corporate Finance Limited www.alfredhenry.com Tel: +44 (0)207 251 3762 ISDX Corporate Broker (Crossword) Claire Louise Noyce – CEO, Hybridan LLP Tel: +44 (0)203 764 2341 Email: claire.noyce@hybridan.com