UK SMEs lose £800m per year to cyber crime
The report, Cyber Security and Fraud: the impact on small businesses, published by the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB), is the result of a partnership between the FSB, the Home Office and the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) that examined the types of cyber crime affecting businesses in the UK and its impact on them and the wider economy. The report shows that of 2,667 FSB members, surveyed between September and October 2012 as part of the investigation, 41% had been victims of cyber crime in the past 12 months. Twenty per cent said their business had suffered as a result of virus infections in their software systems while 8% had been victims of hacking and 5% said they had been affected by security breaches. The report found that almost 20% of businesses had no protection against cyber crime, a worrying statistic when the amount of businesses using the internet to trade increases year-on-year. Of those affected 11% said they had lost between £1,000 and £4,999 as a result, 3% had lost between £5,000 and £9,999 while 1% had lost £50,000 or more. The average cost to a business was £3,926. Launching the report, FSB national policy chairman Mike Cherry said cyber crime was a growing threat and businesses could not afford to ignore it. He added: “Many businesses will be taking steps to protect themselves but the cost of crime can act as a barrier to growth. For example, many businesses will not embrace new technology as they fear the repercussions and do not believe they will get adequate protection from crime. “While we want to see clear action from the government and the wider public sector, there are clear actions that businesses can take to help themselves.” In response to the findings, the FSB has issued a list of top tips to help businesses safeguard themselves against potential attack by cyber criminals. Tips include implementing a combination of security protection applications, carrying out regular security updates on all software and devices, implementing a resilient password policy and securing wireless networks adequately. Cherry added: “I encourage small firms to look at the 10 top tips we have developed to make sure they are doing all they can. “We want to see the government look at how it can simplify and streamline its guidance targeted specifically at small firms and make sure there is the capacity for businesses to report when they have been a victim of fraud or online crime.”...
read moreUK SMEs lose £800m per year to cyber crime
The report, Cyber Security and Fraud: the impact on small businesses, published by the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB), is the result of a partnership between the FSB, the Home Office and the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) that examined the types of cyber crime affecting businesses in the UK and its impact on them and the wider economy. The report shows that of 2,667 FSB members, surveyed between September and October 2012 as part of the investigation, 41% had been victims of cyber crime in the past 12 months. Twenty per cent said their business had suffered as a result of virus infections in their software systems while 8% had been victims of hacking and 5% said they had been affected by security breaches. The report found that almost 20% of businesses had no protection against cyber crime, a worrying statistic when the amount of businesses using the internet to trade increases year-on-year. Of those affected 11% said they had lost between £1,000 and £4,999 as a result, 3% had lost between £5,000 and £9,999 while 1% had lost £50,000 or more. The average cost to a business was £3,926. Launching the report, FSB national policy chairman Mike Cherry said cyber crime was a growing threat and businesses could not afford to ignore it. He added: “Many businesses will be taking steps to protect themselves but the cost of crime can act as a barrier to growth. For example, many businesses will not embrace new technology as they fear the repercussions and do not believe they will get adequate protection from crime. “While we want to see clear action from the government and the wider public sector, there are clear actions that businesses can take to help themselves.” In response to the findings, the FSB has issued a list of top tips to help businesses safeguard themselves against potential attack by cyber criminals. Tips include implementing a combination of security protection applications, carrying out regular security updates on all software and devices, implementing a resilient password policy and securing wireless networks adequately. Cherry added: “I encourage small firms to look at the 10 top tips we have developed to make sure they are doing all they can. “We want to see the government look at how it can simplify and streamline its guidance targeted specifically at small firms and make sure there is the capacity for businesses to report when they have been a victim of fraud or online crime.”...
read morePostal union ballots members on DSA boycott
Around 112,000 CWU members will receive ballot papers asking them four questions (see below), one of which asks: “Do you support the boycott of competitors’ mail”. While the ballot is primarily targeted at strengthening CWU’s hand in negotiations with Royal Mail on pay, privatisation and working conditions – a strong yes vote on the question of boycotting DSA mail would give the union the mandate to introduce a boycott. “This ballot is about protecting the interests of our members and the future of the UK postal service. It is time to challenge Royal Mail and send a strong message to the government and regulator. The consultative ballot deals with the complex issues facing our members and the postal industry. We’re asking postal workers to support the union or allow Royal Mail a free hand to determine their future – there is no fence to sit on,” said CWU deputy general secretary Dave Ward. The ballot will run until 18 June, with the result expected the following day. The union stressed that the vote is not a ballot for industrial action. The union claims that Royal and regulator Ofcom have no policy to deal with DSA competition and it fears that when TNT rolls out its own delivery network nationally, profits from DSA will be “wiped out”. It also said that “Unfair competition has undermined the universal service obligation and the jobs of our members” and it hoped that a boycott will force the government and Ofcom intervene on the issue. According to a CWU spokeswoman, the union would rather not take strike action. However, she added that a “strong yes vote” on the boycott would give it enough of a mandate to introduce it and, as the boycott would not be legally classed as industrial action, there was no requirement to give the mandatory seven days notice to Royal Mail. “Anecdotally, at a lot of the conferences and forums we’ve had in the past four or five months there has been a lot of support for a boycott, but as there would be so many people involved in it, 112,000, we really would like to them to be able to have their say,” she said. “We won’t be holding a separate industrial action ballot, as this is something different.” However, the union is entering uncharted territory by deeming the boycott as exempt from industrial relations legislation because it’s unclear whether the boycott could mean that CWU members are in effect breaking their contracts of employment. “It’s never been done before, so it’s very much a bridge to be crossed, so we’re going to have to see how things pan out,” said the spokeswoman. “If we don’t have to take the action, then we won’t just take it bloody minded. The whole reason we’re staging the ballot is to flag up what we see as unfair competition. If we can get that resolved [with regulator Ofcom] without having to take this action, then of course we will do that. But we haven’t seen any movement on that in the past year,” said the spokeswoman. In March, Ofcom set out its measures to protect the universal postal service. However, the measure only applied to competitors providing an end-to-end service, not DSA operators. CWU ballot questions Do you support the CWU Pay...
read moreOpus wins EDF contract
The contract, thought to be agreed for less than five years, will involve Opus printing and mailing out annual bills for EDF’s business and private customers in the UK. The £12.5m-turnover, 150-staff firm will print the bills at its 7,900sqm Leicester-based facility on bespoke HP-badged IntelliJet 20 digital colour printers and insert the output into mail packs using its CMC9000 enclosing lines. Opus Trust chief executive Linda Scott said it was a great win for the company. “In a competitive tender where experience, innovation and quality were integral, EDF Energy’s decision to choose Opus Trust Marketing underlines the strength of our solution,” she added. An EDF representative said Opus had won the tender because of experience and innovation. He added: “Opus Trust Marketing’s wealth of experience is very impressive and showed early on as they demonstrated a clear understanding on the specific needs of our industry and the key issues we face. “It is evident they are committed to continual investment and intent on leading and innovating their industry; from the unique IntelliJet T20s and the quality, flexibility, speed to market they provide, to the quality assurance controls and extensive postage options.”...
read moreOpus wins EDF contract
The contract, thought to be agreed for less than five years, will involve Opus printing and mailing out annual bills for EDF’s business and private customers in the UK. The £12.5m-turnover, 150-staff firm will print the bills at its 7,900sqm Leicester-based facility on bespoke HP-badged IntelliJet 20 digital colour printers and insert the output into mail packs using its CMC9000 enclosing lines. Opus Trust chief executive Linda Scott said it was a great win for the company. “In a competitive tender where experience, innovation and quality were integral, EDF Energy’s decision to choose Opus Trust Marketing underlines the strength of our solution,” she added. An EDF representative said Opus had won the tender because of experience and innovation. He added: “Opus Trust Marketing’s wealth of experience is very impressive and showed early on as they demonstrated a clear understanding on the specific needs of our industry and the key issues we face. “It is evident they are committed to continual investment and intent on leading and innovating their industry; from the unique IntelliJet T20s and the quality, flexibility, speed to market they provide, to the quality assurance controls and extensive postage options.”...
read moreUK launch for Exaprint W2P service
Exaprint has just launched in the UK. The company has been established for fifteen years in France, where it typically processes some 2,500 orders a day. It also has operations in Spain and Italy. Its new UK operation has been set up by managing director Simon Cooper, whose background includes production and business development roles at Pureprint Group, Precision Printing and CGI Europe. “It’s a platform for print-related businesses to outsource products they don’t produce themselves. A ‘secret weapon’ to help you manufacture goods for your customers,” Cooper explained. “It gives a smaller business the ability to behave like a bigger business.” The service is focused on design and print professionals, and only registered users see pricing details for its range of products. Cooper anticipates that printers will use the service for non-standard products that can’t be produced in-house, and as an overflow option when their own capacity is full. The range spans typical printed products such as stationery, leaflets and brochures, but also includes unusual and high-value items including specialist substrates, laser-cutting, security products, 3D varnishing and promotional drink cans. Cooper added: “People would love to have access to a Scodix press, but aren’t necessarily going to spend £250,000 on one of their own. We can pool their requirements.” Exaprint does not manufacture itself, but works with a range of specialist suppliers. Cooper has already established a network of print partners in the UK, and expects that 90% of jobs ordered will be printed here. “Some peripheral products will not be produced here in the beginning, but if volumes become sufficient we will move the work here. And some UK products will be added to the range and shipped to Europe,” he said. “The intention is to manufacture everything in the UK eventually.” The sophisticated IT backbone includes pre-flighting and job tracking, along with templates for thousands of different product combinations. There is no fee to use the platform. Early users include London-based Rapidity and Healeys Print Group in Ipswich. Healeys sales and marketing director Kelly Harris praised the ease-of-use of the online interface, and said: “Exaprint means we never have to say ‘no’ to our customers. The range of options is superb, and the level of service from proofing through to unbranded, direct-to-client delivery is excellent. I can see us using it more and more”. Rapidity managing director Paul Manning described the service as “well-timed”. “It’s online, it’s easy-to-use, you can get a price quickly and we have confidence they’re going to do the job properly. It’s really good,” he said. Exaprint has set up an office in London, employing four customer service staff. “We understand it’s going to take time, but we want to become part of the fabric of the printing industry in this country. My message is ‘come and try it’,” Cooper added. The firm is offering a £35 discount to new users as an incentive to try the service. More details at www.exaprint.co.uk....
read moreUK launch for Exaprint W2P service
Exaprint has just launched in the UK. The company has been established for fifteen years in France, where it typically processes some 2,500 orders a day. It also has operations in Spain and Italy. Its new UK operation has been set up by managing director Simon Cooper, whose background includes production and business development roles at Pureprint Group, Precision Printing and CGI Europe. “It’s a platform for print-related businesses to outsource products they don’t produce themselves. A ‘secret weapon’ to help you manufacture goods for your customers,” Cooper explained. “It gives a smaller business the ability to behave like a bigger business.” The service is focused on design and print professionals, and only registered users see pricing details for its range of products. Cooper anticipates that printers will use the service for non-standard products that can’t be produced in-house, and as an overflow option when their own capacity is full. The range spans typical printed products such as stationery, leaflets and brochures, but also includes unusual and high-value items including specialist substrates, laser-cutting, security products, 3D varnishing and promotional drink cans. Cooper added: “People would love to have access to a Scodix press, but aren’t necessarily going to spend £250,000 on one of their own. We can pool their requirements.” Exaprint does not manufacture itself, but works with a range of specialist suppliers. Cooper has already established a network of print partners in the UK, and expects that 90% of jobs ordered will be printed here. “Some peripheral products will not be produced here in the beginning, but if volumes become sufficient we will move the work here. And some UK products will be added to the range and shipped to Europe,” he said. “The intention is to manufacture everything in the UK eventually.” The sophisticated IT backbone includes pre-flighting and job tracking, along with templates for thousands of different product combinations. There is no fee to use the platform. Early users include London-based Rapidity and Healeys Print Group in Ipswich. Healeys sales and marketing director Kelly Harris praised the ease-of-use of the online interface, and said: “Exaprint means we never have to say ‘no’ to our customers. The range of options is superb, and the level of service from proofing through to unbranded, direct-to-client delivery is excellent. I can see us using it more and more”. Rapidity managing director Paul Manning described the service as “well-timed”. “It’s online, it’s easy-to-use, you can get a price quickly and we have confidence they’re going to do the job properly. It’s really good,” he said. Exaprint has set up an office in London, employing four customer service staff. “We understand it’s going to take time, but we want to become part of the fabric of the printing industry in this country. My message is ‘come and try it’,” Cooper added. The firm is offering a £35 discount to new users as an incentive to try the service. More details at www.exaprint.co.uk....
read morePrintIT! Award winners revealed
PrintIT! is designed to build links between the industry and the workforce of tomorrow and amongst the 14 category winners (see below), Natasha Bates of Wycombe High School in Buckinghamshire was crowned the overall winner. Print IT! programme director for Proskills, Richard Moore said: “The entries this year were of a really high standard and all of the finalists were worthy of the overall prize so the judges thought long and hard before reaching their decision.” The PrintIT! Awards, which can form part of the curriculums for GCSEs and A Levels in Media Studies and Graphic Products/Product Design, were launched in 2005. Since then, more than 2,000 schools and 140,000 students have taken part in the scheme. Outgoing PrintIT! chairman Tony Lock, who is group commercial director at Duplo International, added: “The entire print and paper industry should be very proud that it has the largest schools into industry programme in the UK. Encouraging talent, youth and energy into our industry is critical to the continued success of print and paper in this digital world.” “Education is an investment in the future-our future. Let’s all get behind the fantastic initiative and continue the great work that has already started. I have been proud to be a small part of the programme.” A key element of the scheme is the twinning programme, where a school is twinned with a local printer to help the students develop a better understanding of the career opportunities in print. This year’s ‘Best Twinner’ winner was Learn to Dream (LtD) in East London, which was twinned with Newstead Wood School in Orpington, Kent. “We weren’t sure what to expect, but from [LtD director] Seymour Reeves’ point of view, he was really keen to give something back to the industry. And in the end it went really well as they got involved with every step of the process of producing their work,” said LtD office manager Jane Edwards. As part of their involvement, around 30 schoolchildren visited large-format specialist LtD and saw their PrintIT! projects being produced. Two of the students have subsequently undertaken work placements at the 20-staff company, with another two set to follow suit in June. “It gives us a chance to show them all of the career options in print, and it’s a great for us too because it’s a fun thing to do,” added Edwards. 2012/13 PrintIT! Category Winners Royal Opera House – Best Postcard Winner – Alex Pace from St Ives School in Cornwall Royal Opera House – Best Flyer Winner – Jake Turner from Bungay High School in Suffolk Royal Opera House – Best Poster Winner – Joseph Dann from St Ives School in Cornwall Royal Opera House – Best Design Concept – Hester Baird from Arthur Mellows Village College in Cambridgeshire PrintIT! Scotland – Best Graph – Kathryn Spain, Kinross High School in Kinross PrintIT! Scotland – Best Table Talker – Georgie Beavan, Kinross High School in Kinross Best Poster – Natasha Bates, Wycombe High School in Buckinghamshire Best Free Design – Mahima Patel, The Beauchamp College in Leicestershire Best Packaging – Sophie Sanford, The Tiffin Girls’ School in Surrey Best Floor Graphic – Tom Burnett, Chris Gardner, Andrew Francis, The Duchess’s High School in Northumberland Best Use of Brand – Lucy Stokes, Wycombe High School in Buckinghamshire...
read morePrintIT! Award winners revealed
PrintIT! is designed to build links between the industry and the workforce of tomorrow and amongst the 14 category winners (see below), Natasha Bates of Wycombe High School in Buckinghamshire was crowned the overall winner. Print IT! programme director for Proskills, Richard Moore said: “The entries this year were of a really high standard and all of the finalists were worthy of the overall prize so the judges thought long and hard before reaching their decision.” The PrintIT! Awards, which can form part of the curriculums for GCSEs and A Levels in Media Studies and Graphic Products/Product Design, were launched in 2005. Since then, more than 2,000 schools and 140,000 students have taken part in the scheme. Outgoing PrintIT! chairman Tony Lock, who is group commercial director at Duplo International, added: “The entire print and paper industry should be very proud that it has the largest schools into industry programme in the UK. Encouraging talent, youth and energy into our industry is critical to the continued success of print and paper in this digital world.” “Education is an investment in the future-our future. Let’s all get behind the fantastic initiative and continue the great work that has already started. I have been proud to be a small part of the programme.” A key element of the scheme is the twinning programme, where a school is twinned with a local printer to help the students develop a better understanding of the career opportunities in print. This year’s ‘Best Twinner’ winner was Learn to Dream (LtD) in East London, which was twinned with Newstead Wood School in Orpington, Kent. “We weren’t sure what to expect, but from [LtD director] Seymour Reeves’ point of view, he was really keen to give something back to the industry. And in the end it went really well as they got involved with every step of the process of producing their work,” said LtD office manager Jane Edwards. As part of their involvement, around 30 schoolchildren visited large-format specialist LtD and saw their PrintIT! projects being produced. Two of the students have subsequently undertaken work placements at the 20-staff company, with another two set to follow suit in June. “It gives us a chance to show them all of the career options in print, and it’s a great for us too because it’s a fun thing to do,” added Edwards. 2012/13 PrintIT! Category Winners Royal Opera House – Best Postcard Winner – Alex Pace from St Ives School in Cornwall Royal Opera House – Best Flyer Winner – Jake Turner from Bungay High School in Suffolk Royal Opera House – Best Poster Winner – Joseph Dann from St Ives School in Cornwall Royal Opera House – Best Design Concept – Hester Baird from Arthur Mellows Village College in Cambridgeshire PrintIT! Scotland – Best Graph – Kathryn Spain, Kinross High School in Kinross PrintIT! Scotland – Best Table Talker – Georgie Beavan, Kinross High School in Kinross Best Poster – Natasha Bates, Wycombe High School in Buckinghamshire Best Free Design – Mahima Patel, The Beauchamp College in Leicestershire Best Packaging – Sophie Sanford, The Tiffin Girls’ School in Surrey Best Floor Graphic – Tom Burnett, Chris Gardner, Andrew Francis, The Duchess’s High School in Northumberland Best Use of Brand – Lucy Stokes, Wycombe High School in Buckinghamshire...
read moreFinishing’s Future?
By Don Piontek I get to talk to a lot of finishing systems vendors as part of my job. It's no secret that the U.S. print and finishing sector has been quite a challenge for these folks over the past five years, or so. Economic conditions and the continuing…
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