The fast moving pace of technology means that companies today can theoretically do everything quicker, more efficiently and without the need for masses of paper documents
But with every benefit there’s often a downside – and this often manifests itself as simply not taking the right kind of security precautions to protect their data. This is an international problem and according to IBM the average cost of a data breach in 2020 was a staggering £2.9m – an amount which could have a serious impact on any business. But luckily help is at hand, thanks to a County Durham company which is providing its services worldwide. Hicomply may be relatively new but it comes with impeccable credentials. Its founders – Ed Bartlett, Nick and Marius Van Aswegen – have worked extensively in the industry and previously founded and successful created Kykloud, a surveying software application. These skills have been utilised in the creation of Hicomply, a unique software solution which helps companies manage their information security. This SaaS (software as a service) platform is being positively received by businesses across a whole range of sectors – and a range of countries. For CEO Ed Bartlett the interest in Hicomply’s solution confirms for him the need for companies to “fully understand the importance of managing their cyber security risk.” What has also made the platform so appealing is that Hicomply can also help clients achieve the all-important certification, ISO 27001, which is the international standard for managing information security. “Being able to achieve ISO27001 is becoming an increasingly common client requirement for technology vendors,” said Ed. “And we are able to help our clients prepare for this in half the time, which is really strong selling point.” This is not only vital to make customers feel confident and secure but it is often a pre-requisite for anyone wanting to go after lucrative tenders, where it usually a necessary qualification. In fact there’s a long list of benefits that using the platform brings – including formalising and improving information security programs, increasing operational efficiency and managing data breaches. A security breach may not be something that businesses give much thought to or may believe that “it couldn’t happen” to them. The truth of the matter however is there is an ever-increasing risk to companies operating in all sectors and of all sizes. For every well publicised breach – think graphic tool company, Canva, where four million of their users’ details were hacked to Ebay back in 2014 where 145 million users were compromised – there are hundreds of others which barely hit the headlines. And it’s not just about the actual damage – it’s the loss of trust and reputation which may never be repaired. “Our information security software enables businesses to secure their data more efficiently and win more business, while reducing the risk of costly data breaches and ICO fines.”