Cover Feature

Cybercrime sounds like something out of a sci-fi movie, so many companies think it will never happen to them. In fact, the threat is very real – and growing – particularly for law firms committed to legal excellence, or other key sectors like finance and healthcare with access to sensitive client data. The UK’s legal sector alone is worth around £60bn per year, making it a very attractive target for cybercriminals. The most common security breaches involve phishing, hacking into business emails and systems, and ransomware. Some attacks target the firms, others directly target the clients during transactions. But simple steps can make all the difference, as Matthew, from award-winning IT services and solutions provider Surf Tech IT, points out. “It’s best practice for firms handling personal information or delivering certain IT products and services to have their information and security policy in-line with Cyber Essentials. In fact, we have this accreditation ourselves! It’s a government-led scheme using five key technical controls (Boundary Firewalls, Secure Configuration, Access Control, Malware Protection and Patch Management) to reduce 80% of common cyber threats. “An online questionnaire helps pinpoint any weaknesses in your policies; for instance, you might need to use more complex passwords, choose different passwords for different processes, or update your IT systems. It’s bread and butter stuff really, but there is still a lot of complacency around.” All Lexcel accredited law firms are expected to achieve Cyber Essentials. Firms with the next level up, Cyber Essentials Plus (which is verified by an external body), are also recognised by the SRA as more likely to have good policies in place, and to have taken effective steps to protect themselves – and their clients – from costly breaches. Matthew added: “Surf Tech IT is definitely not in the business of scaremongering, or pushing the hard sell, but businesses should be aware that cybercrime is on the rise, particularly now during the pandemic. In fact, businesses faced a 20% rise in cyber security threats in 2020 when compared to 2019. Even if your operating systems are only down for a day, it could still cost thousands of pounds in revenue and reputation. “Just imagine getting a message saying your data is encrypted and demanding a Bitcoin ransom. Even if you pay up, there’s no guarantee you will get the decryption key. Or internal staff could be sent an email spoof pretending to be the MD or finance director, pushing for immediate payment of an invoice.

“We see our role as educating business owners about the risks, and advising them on the best solutions for their needs. For example, any firm would fail Cyber Essentials instantly if they are still running Windows 7, or have old phone handsets which are no longer supported by the provider. We also set up tests to help staff spot fake communications.” Surf Tech IT, based in Stourport, has grown exponentially since launch in 2014, and recently won Micro Business of the Year at the Chamber Business Awards. However, Matthew has never lost sight of his original values. “Our ultimate goal is to support clients through their own unique challenges. We aim to inform and educate in a way that’s wholly transparent. This award recognises how we always put our customers first, and nothing means more to us than that.”

Surf Tech IT won Micro Business of the Year at the Chamber Business Awards.

Academia’s loss was industry’s gain when Rob Stevens abandoned his PhD studies back in 1994. And he shows exceptional modesty by saying he “struck lucky” from then on. “I always had an affinity with water and rivers, but after doing my undergrad degree, I realised that job prospects in a recession didn’t look good, even with a PhD. So I went straight into industry,” Rob explained. Today, the RS Hydro group has a £5m turnover, a world-first under its belt, and several exciting new products in the pipeline. The world-first is of course the Proteus – the first (and only) water quality instrument on the market to accurately measure organic and microbial (bacterial) pollution in real time. And just as the Greek God Proteus protected waters in ancient times, his modern namesake is keeping track of water safety standards around the world today. Rob continued: “Usually water samples have to be taken for lab tests to see if they’re suitable for drinking, bathing and other environmental purposes, and this can take days. The Proteus measures data on the spot. “There isn’t a country in the world where this technology doesn’t apply, and the feedback has been truly amazing. Plus, overall costs, energy usage and general maintenance are much lower than analyser-based systems, and Proteus can be installed in almost any aquatic environment. The story began in 2013, with a two-year knowledge transfer partnership between RS Hydro and the University of Birmingham. Proteus Instruments Ltd was formed in 2018 and production started the same year. Rob pointed out: “We’re a small company with limited resources and time for marketing, so it took a while to build awareness. We knew there would be scepticism in the industry at first, and trials with water companies can be lengthy and repetitive. So we undertook several scientific papers to speed up the acceptance process which proves that Proteus can successfully classify 90% of samples into the correct bathing category in real-time. The papers include more evidence and science than we could have possibly achieved through trials.” Now Proteus has a global network of distributors from New Zealand to India, with worldwide patents filed. Extensive trials have also been carried out with water companies around the world; in particular the company has worked closely with Severn Trent Water who now use the technology – a partnership that Rob is particularly proud of. But there’s no time to rest on the proverbial laurels. As recent winners of the Institute of Water 2021 National Innovation award, RS Hydro is focused on expansion, bringing more manufacturing in-house, and developing new technology with local agency funding. Rob concluded: “We’re currently doing a lot of research into sensors which can unlock ever finer levels of detection and accuracy … this in turn will open up totally different markets.

“If you think about drinking water from your own tap, where you can measure a single Coliform (bacterial) count. Imagine taking that technology anywhere in the world to protect water wells in developed and developing economies. It could be truly ground-breaking.” The RS Hydro Group provides solutions for a host of industries, including water and waste water, environmental, and processes. They are award-winning specialists in flow meters, water quality monitoring instruments, water sampling equipment and much more. Full details at

Rob Stevens, managing director of the RS Hydro Group, pictured with his National Innovation Award from the Institute of Water.