Cyber specialist marks milestone with award

A North East cyber security specialist is celebrating a decade in business after receiving an industry award recognising its growth and technical expertise.

Net-Defence has been honoured by the Tyne and Wear Business Awards UK, marking ten years since the business was established under its current name.

Part of the third-generation family-owned Ogilvie Group, the company has evolved over the past decade from a telecommunications provider into a cyber security and managed IT specialist, supporting organisations across a range of sectors.

Bosses say the award recognises the company’s continued investment in technical expertise, automation and customer service, alongside its commitment to developing internal talent, with a recent OSPA shortlist further underlining its growing reputation within the UK cyber security sector.

Debra Cairns, managing director of Net-Defence, said: “Receiving this recognition is an incredible achievement and reflects the dedication, expertise and commitment of every member of our team.

“Over the past decade we’ve deliberately built a business centred on trust, technical excellence and long-term customer relationships. 

“We’ve invested in our people, embraced innovation and remained focused on helping organisations strengthen their cyber resilience while delivering outstanding managed IT and security services.

“This achievement belongs to our entire team, every day they go above and beyond to protect our customers, deliver exceptional service and build the trusted partnerships that have made recognition like this possible.”

The recognition follows a year in which Net-Defence has continued to highlight the growing cyber risks facing SMEs, with increasing regulatory requirements, AI-enabled cyber crime and high-profile attacks driving demand for stronger cyber resilience.

The company has seen increased demand from organisations operating in sectors including legal, financial services, manufacturing and engineering, where growing compliance obligations and increasingly connected supply chains have heightened security requirements.

Debra added: “Cyber resilience has become fundamental to business success, attackers continue to evolve their methods, with artificial intelligence enabling more sophisticated phishing campaigns, faster exploitation of vulnerabilities and highly personalised attacks.

“The organisations that invest in resilience today will be the ones best positioned to protect their operations tomorrow. 

“As an SME ourselves, we understand the challenges businesses face, which is why collaboration, education and practical support remain central to everything we do.

“As we enter the next chapter of our journey, we’ll continue investing in our people, supporting businesses across the region and helping organisations build the resilience they need to thrive in an increasingly digital world.”

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