Vanessa Eyles is a Detective Superintendent and Managing Director of the West Midlands Cyber Resilience Centre. Her business is Police led, Home Office funded and not for profit.
It helps businesses become cyber safer. It provides free help and affordable, relevant services to make businesses safer on line.
- Tell us a little bit about your business…
The West Midlands Cyber Resilience Centre is one of a National network of centres covering every region across England and Wales. It is part of the Home Office strategy to help businesses become cyber safer so they reduce their chances of suffering cyber attacks.
The centre is a partnership of Policing, Academia and Businesses. Academia is through the Cyber PATH provision, whereby cyber university students gain real world experience in businesses by providing supervised and quality assured services, and businesses receive relevant and affordable services which help them keep their businesses safer on line.
We also work with some amazing businesses. These include Technical experts who advise us and help our members with Cyber Essentials accreditation. We also have other businesses who support us in our growth as well as Board members who support the strategic oversight of our aims and delivery. And we have businesses who are affiliated with us because they are committed and fully supportive of what we do and what we are trying to achieve. It’s a superb partnership of the best out there!
We reach out to businesses through various channels, including Police referrals, social media, in person meetings and events, and much more. We want to help as many businesses across the region as possible.
- How did you get into the industry?
So this is a good question, and one with an answer which is somewhat unusual. In November of 2021 I was promoted to Detective Superintendent in West Midlands Police. The Chief Constable makes the decisions at such ranks and posted me to take over the business. When I received the news my first thought was, “Wait, what?!”. Obviously, thereafter my thoughts have been about what a fantastic opportunity this posting has been.
It’s a highly unusual position for a Police Officer to be in. I’m basically running a crime prevention business trying to help businesses become cyber safer. It’s really exciting because it’s the first time British Policing has done something like this. The innovative approach is brilliant.
- What are the biggest opportunities and challenges in your industry?
The biggest opportunities are explaining to businesses the risks they are vulnerable to and then helping them, often for free, to take quick and easy steps to being cyber safer. The help is the satisfying side of the business – knowing that those businesses can carry on trading and often can become suppliers of choice. Their directors have one less thing to lie awake at night thinking about.
The challenge is that many businesses, charities and third sector organisations don’t know the risks around them. We find that many businesses think, “I don’t have much money so I will never be attacked”. This is a huge misunderstanding. Businesses face higher risks from cyber attacks these days in comparison with crimes such as burglaries or criminal damage. The reason cyber attackers will target all businesses is because businesses have information and data. Some data will be really sensitive, such as client contact records, financial details, plans, photo’s, sensitive information about members. Cyber attackers will take this and sell it on the dark web to other cyber attackers or hold you ransom for payment. Then, after some people pay through BitCoin, they still don’t get their data or systems back. Imagine the impact on your business if your website, Facebook, email or similar systems went down. Imagine then your customers were hacked as a result. Your business wouldn’t be able to function and your reputation would be severely damaged. Many small businesses collapse in their first 12 months because of cyber attacks.
This is why we love the opportunities to help businesses take quick, easy and free steps to make their businesses safer from cyber attacks and keep on serving their clients.
- How would you describe your leadership style?
Having been a Police Office for 28 years already I find that my leadership style has to change in accordance with the situation I have been in. For example, when working in Public Order situations such as violent crowd situations I have to be authoritarian and in control, very succinct and in command in style to ensure officer and public safety. Then, as the Senior Investigating Officer in charge of attempt murder cases, complex child abuse enquiries or firearm discharge incidents, I have to have a very questioning approach. This is needed when reviewing swathes of inputs, perspectives, evidence, intelligence and expertise with caution and an open mind.
As a Managing Director of the WMCRC my leadership style is again varied. I listen very carefully to those concerned in the decision making. I can’t know everything, so I have to learn as quickly as possible, who to trust. My promotion to this role was due to my flexibility, hugely varied experience and ability to deliver in whatever role I am in. In a recent Insights review of styles my strongest colour profile was red. However, after 2 decades of being a leader I was aware of this already and I had already learned effectively to harness the other colour profiles to ensure I am as rounded a leader as I can be.
- How do you get the most out of the people who work for you?
It’s important to make people feel valued, listened to and part of the way forward. I take an interest in who people are, what their passions and concerns are. As part of this approach I have been passionate about inclusion for over 20 years now, having been the Chair of a staff association and leading on diversity work in many different departments and geographies in Policing. In addition, for the last decade I have been a trained and experienced Coach and Mentor. I am passionate about putting the ladder down to help people up to where they want to get to.
I believe visibility is essential, as well as making decisions when needed. People dislike those in leadership roles who aren’t present or who don’t make decisions. When I make decisions I ensure I explain the reasons behind them. I also retain a healthy amount of humility and explain that I don’t know everything and I admit if I make mistakes.
- What are the most crucial elements to your business running smoothly and being successful?
The most important elements to the smooth running of the business is the continued awareness raising to get the word out to all businesses – small, medium, large and micro businesses about what we can do to help them.
Additionally, ensuring I have regular networking with my peer Managing Directors across England and Wales. This ensures I learn, share issues and best practice and I don’t feel isolated as a Director.
- How has the past 12 months been for you?
The last 12 months have been an absolutely amazing ride! I have learnt so much, stretched my skills and, at times, not had a clue which way to turn. I never imagined I would get to run my own business and it has been a blast so far!
- What will the next 12 months look like for your business?
I am hoping that the next 12 months will bring steady growth for the business – the same hope every other Director wants for their business I guess.
- What are the highlights of your career so far?
The highlights of my Director career to date have been seeing growth start in the centre, gaining amazing and humbling feedback from members who have used some of our services and then delivering the keynote speech in front of 350 people at the Midlands Women In Tech awards night. Great stuff!
- What’s the biggest business mistake that you’ve learnt from?
There have been two business mistakes I have watched in others and I have quickly learned from them. Firstly, I will not be “hamming up” performance or finance forecasts. It only leads to questions about your integrity and your actual ability. And secondly, along the same lines, avoid “smoke and mirrors” about technical or business matters. Again, when the truth shines people can end up with egg on their faces. I think these two points are simply engrained in me as a 28 year service Police Officer, but I’m happy to retain these qualities.
- What’s the best piece of business advice you’ve been given?
I think it’s possibly a bit of a basic, but it’s been invaluable to me over the last 12 months. For me the advice was that “in business, especially in the early years, there will be good days and bad days, but just keep going. Don’t stop”. It’s not very high brow, but when you come against those hurdles, what ever they are, just keep going. Work around then, over then, change direction, but don’t give up.
