Cybercrime Is Growing – But Businesses Aren’t Alone

You may have seen the article in The Sunday Times claiming that “police can’t stop cybercrime” and that businesses need to accept this reality and protect themselves.

On one hand, the article makes a fair point: we’re living in a time where criminals can target your business from anywhere in the world. They don’t need to break into your shop or office – they just need to send the right message at the right time, and hope someone clicks. That means the old ways of policing – where someone commits a crime, and officers investigate and make an arrest – don’t always fit the scale or nature of what’s happening online.

But where the article falls short is in assuming that “police can’t help” – and that businesses are largely on their own. That’s not the full picture.

In fact, this is exactly why centres like the South West Cyber Resilience Centre exist. We’re police-led, but we don’t wait until after something’s gone wrong. Our role is to help businesses like yours prevent cybercrime in the first place – by building resilience, raising awareness, and helping you put simple, effective defences in place.

We’re here because we know that the traditional policing model isn’t enough on its own. But it’s not a case of either/or – we need a better blend of prevention, policing, partnerships and innovation. That’s where real progress happens.

What Does That Mean for You?

The truth is, most online attacks on small and medium businesses aren’t carried out by master hackers. They’re carried out by criminals using common tools and tactics – emails designed to trick, dodgy websites that look just real enough, or fake invoices sent to catch you out.

That’s why our focus is on behaviour change. We want to help you and your team spot the signs, build safer habits, and take away the easy wins for criminals. And we do it without jargon, without blame, and without overloading you.

Yes, large-scale attacks on national infrastructure are a different matter. And yes, some of the responsibility lies with big tech companies, telecoms, banks and government. But let’s not miss the point: everyday businesses have power too. You don’t have to be helpless.

If you run a shop, a café, an accountancy firm or a garage – the way you handle emails, protect passwords, and update systems matters. A lot.

Let’s Focus on What Can Be Done

We’re not here to police our way out of cybercrime. But we are here to support businesses to stay one step ahead – and to make sure you don’t have to figure it all out alone.

So if that article made you feel worried, overwhelmed, or like the odds are stacked against you – take a breath. Then take one small step to make your business safer. Whether that’s talking to your staff about suspicious emails, enabling two-step verification, or checking out our free training – it all counts.

The threat might be global. But the support is local – and it’s here when you need it.