With cybersecurity now firmly on the board agenda, a new software platform allows directors with no specialist IT skills to monitor the whole of their cybersecurity for the very first time.
ThreatAware is unique in allowing managers and directors to check the status of all their IT hardware and software, and check compliance with policies and procedures at the same time. The easy-to-use dashboard provides complete visibility, alerting them to threats, making it clear what actions need to be taken and by whom, and keeping records for compliance purposes.
ThreatAware has been launched by serial entrepreneurs Steve Thomson and Jon Abbott, co-founders of London-based IT services company Priority One. Steve is also the founder of data analytics specialist Ebiquity plc. The platform has been developed with backing from angel investors.
Jon Abbott, CEO of ThreatAware, said:
‘Cybersecurity is not solely the responsibility of the IT team but involves people throughout the business. As many breaches stem from human error or internal threats, training staff and having the right policies and procedures in place are critical.
‘ThreatAware helps to keep track of all these different aspects. It simplifies compliance with GDPR and other standards, saves time for IT staff and provides peace of mind for directors.’
The dashboard monitors all the company’s security tools, such as anti-virus, email and web software, which enables it to detect all devices connected to the network and identify the users. It creates alerts graded by the level of threat – for example, amber where a device requires its antivirus updating or red if the system is infected.
ThreatAware also comes complete with a framework to help companies to comply with the relevant standards – whether that is GDPR, Cyber Essentials or ISO/IEC 27001:2005 – and it can be tailored for FCA-regulated firms.
Alerts cannot be overridden, even by engineers, and remain visible until fixed. As changes are tracked over time, users can monitor trends and be alerted to developing problems.
ThreatAware is priced at £300 per month plus a small monthly fee per computer. The standard package includes Webroot Anti-Virus, while the enhanced package also bundles Cisco Umbrella web browsing security and Automox patching tool. ThreatAware is ideal for firms with 35 to 500 users.
The UK Information Commissioner, Elizabeth Denham CBE, warned last year that information security was a board-level issue and there had been too many breaches where companies simply ‘process data in a technical context’.
Jon Abbott adds:
‘Regulators accept that it may not be possible to prevent every breach, but they expect organisations to have monitoring and safeguards in place and they are willing to hold directors to account.
“ThreatAware allows directors to have total visibility of their business cybersecurity. Not only does the platform minimise the risk of a breach, but it also provides evidence that the board has taken all reasonable steps to prevent it.’
