Aviva teams with CRCs to boost cyber resilience for SMEs

Aviva has announced a partnership with the Cyber Resilience Centre (CRC) network to enhance the cyber resilience of insurance brokers across the United Kingdom.

As part of Aviva's role as a National Ambassador for the National Cyber Resilience Centre Group (NCRCG), the campaign aims to bolster the cyber security of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) by encouraging over 3,000 brokers affiliated with Aviva to obtain free membership at their respective regional CRCs. These centres are led by police and designed to provide affordable and high-quality cyber resilience services necessary for SMEs.

Through direct communications, including bespoke webinars, Aviva is promoting the significance of cyber resilience and offering guidance on how businesses can secure advice and support. This initiative marks the first campaign under the NCRCG's National Ambassador Programme.

Stephen Ridley, Head of Cyber at Aviva, stated, "Cyber Resilience Centres provide access to high quality - and generally free - advice and guidance. This can offer brokers and their customers a valuable resource to help them improve their cyber resilience."

He further commented, "Cyber protection can be a complicated area. By taking advantage of our offer of free membership to their regional CRC, brokers can ensure they are accessing clear, concise messaging from a trusted source."

Ridley added, "It is only through collaboration across the public and private sectors that we will be able to solve the cyber challenge, and we are proud to be at the forefront of this initiative."

Paul Lopez, Director of the Eastern Cyber Resilience Centre, remarked on the collaboration, "It is excellent to have this kind of support from such a well-known and respected company. Aviva's trusted position in the marketplace as an insurer gives us a really important route into the businesses they partner with and serve - enabling us to spread our message of cyber resilience further than we ever could do working in isolation."

Lopez expressed enthusiasm for the partnership, stating, "In addition, Aviva has their roots in the east of England so, as the Eastern CRC, we are particularly excited to be working with them on this campaign."

Detective Superintendent Ian Kirby, CEO at NCRCG, praised the initiative, saying, "We are so pleased to have partnered with our National Ambassador Aviva to launch this first-of-its kind campaign. It is a perfect example of an invaluable yet straightforward way larger organisations can help to strengthen the cyber resilience of smaller ones - by pointing them in the right direction to find trusted cyber support and advice."

Detective Superintendent Kirby concluded with anticipation for future developments, "Over the coming months, we are looking forward to scaling up this particular campaign and transferring all that we have learnt to similar initiatives we have in the pipeline with our other National Ambassador partners."