Seriun recently hosted a dedicated cyber security round‑table event at Crow Wood Hotel & Spa, bringing together key decision‑makers from across Lancashire to discuss the growing cyber risks facing small and medium (SMEs) businesses today and how best to defend against them.
The event welcomed a mix of existing Seriun customers alongside other invited local businesses, creating an open and collaborative environment for senior leaders to share experiences, ask questions and gain practical insight into cyber security. Attendees represented a range of sectors, including professional services, education, hospitality, manufacturing and the charity sector.
Those in attendance included senior figures and IT managers from a wide range of local businesses such as Advocacy Focus, Brunning and Price, Burnley College, Fothergills, Mayes Accountants, Resolute HR, Terry Lifts, Turnkey Corporate, Vars Tech, and Vision CK, among others.
The purpose of the event was clear: to educate local businesses on the reality of modern cyber attacks and the serious financial, operational and reputational damage they can cause. During the event, Seriun outlined several recent cyber incidents they have supported customers through, highlighting just how quickly attacks can escalate when threats go undetected.
Speaking on the importance of open, practical conversations around cyber security, Mark Edwards, Operations Director at Seriun, said:
“We continue to see businesses caught out by attacks they didn’t think would happen to them. This event was about cutting through the noise, sharing real experiences, and helping organisations understand where their cyber security investment will actually make a difference.”
A key theme throughout the discussion was the importance of spending cyber security budgets wisely. Based on what Seriun regularly sees across Lancashire, the session highlighted Managed Detection and Response (MDR) — (View Seriun’s Cyber Security Services) as one of the most effective ways for organisations to protect themselves, providing continuous monitoring and expert response when it matters most.
The event featured expert presentations from Mark Edwards, Wayne Fulton, Head of Cyber at Seriun, and Sasha Roshan, Senior Sales Engineer at Huntress. Wayne delivered a view of the current threat landscape, reinforcing the need for awareness, proactive control and rapid response.
Wayne Fulton commented:
“Attackers don’t give businesses time to react. If you don’t have monitoring in place, you’re already behind. We see first‑hand the damage that delays cause, and that’s exactly why detection and response has to be a priority, not an afterthought.”
Sasha Roshan followed with a technical deep‑dive into how cyber attacks unfold in real time, explaining what happens minute by minute once a breach occurs. His session demonstrated how Huntress — (View Seriun’s Cyber Security Services) typically achieves an average response time of just eight minutes, giving attendees a clear understanding of how rapid detection and decisive action can significantly reduce impact and the severity of an attack.
Midway through the event, attendees enjoyed an excellent three‑course meal at Crow Wood, providing a relaxed setting for networking and further discussion before the sessions continued.
Overall, the Crow Wood Cyber Event was a highly positive and engaging session, giving Lancashire business leaders greater clarity around cyber risk and practical guidance on how to strengthen their security posture. The strong turnout and level of discussion highlighted a growing appetite for honest, experience‑led conversations around cyber security and resilience.
Seriun plans to continue hosting similar educational events to support local businesses in navigating an increasingly challenging cyber landscape.
If you’d like to learn more about cyber security, or are looking to implement stronger protections across your business but aren’t sure where to start, Seriun’s expert cyber team can help. From staff training and awareness to implementing practical security measures across your organisation, such as Huntress or Cyber Essentials+ (CE+). Support and guidance is available at every stage. To find out more or continue the conversation, get in touch with Bryn Speed at bryn.speed@seriun.co.uk.