IT Security vs Cyber Security: the foundation vs the frontier

Securing IT infrastructure is crucial for modern business. But while IT security forms the foundation of protection, it alone is just one piece of the puzzle, with cyber security filling the critical gaps.

IT Security: the foundation

IT security is comprehensive, covering everything from hardware and software protection to managing access, ensuring data integrity, and disaster recovery. It acts as a brick-and-mortar defence—locking doors, securing networks, and safeguarding sensitive information. IT security focuses on protecting the infrastructure itself, ensuring only authorised access to vital resources and keeping systems operational against internal and external threats.

Typical IT security measures include:

• Endpoint Security: Safeguarding devices like computers and phones from malware.
• Data Security: Encrypting sensitive data to prevent unauthorised access.
• Disaster Recovery Plans: Ensuring rapid recovery from breaches, data loss, or outages.
• Access Control: Enforcing multi-factor authentication (MFA) for account protection.

These measures are essential for securing internal systems and sensitive data. However, they often lack the flexibility and focus needed to tackle modern cyber threats.

Why IT Security needs Cyber Security

IT security provides the foundation, but it doesn’t address the dynamic nature of cyber dangers. Threats like ransomware, phishing, and advanced persistent threats (APTs) evolve rapidly, requiring specialised, proactive defenses. That’s where cyber security comes in.

Cyber security focuses on protecting internet-connected systems from real-time threats such as hacking and malware, which can bypass traditional IT security. It brings an extra layer of defence, emphasising the detection and response to attacks as they happen. Key aspects of cyber security include:

• Threat Intelligence: Identifying emerging cyber threats before they can cause damage.
• Incident Response: Having a plan to mitigate the impact of an attack.
• Continuous Monitoring: Keeping a watchful eye on systems for signs of compromise.

Without cyber security, your organisation could remain vulnerable to threats that IT security is not designed to handle.

The future of security

As technology evolves, security strategies must adapt. AI, for example, offers huge benefits but also exposes organisations to new security risks. Both IT and cyber security are needed to manage these risks and ensure compliance. Cyber security helps organisations prepare for secure AI adoption, while IT security protects data and enforces security policies.

The necessity of both

In conclusion, IT security provides the essentials for protecting infrastructure, while cyber security actively defends against the evolving cyber threat landscape. A robust defence requires both, ensuring systems are not only secure but resilient against future cyber challenges.

At FluidOne, we provide comprehensive IT and cyber security solutions, empowering businesses to thrive in the AI era. For more information, you can reach us through https://www.fluidone.com/contact, call us at 01273 384100 or email us at brighton@fluidone.com.

Electric Storm Youth have been awarded a Sussex Community Foundation Grant for Young Carers!

Electric Storm Youth (ESY) is delighted to have been awarded a grant of £2804 from the Kim Addison Fund via Sussex Community Foundation, to support the vital work it undertakes with young carers.

Commenting on being awarded the grant, Karen Jefford, ESY’s CEO said “On behalf of the charity and our young carers, we are absolutely delighted to receive this significant grant which recognises the vital work we undertake in supporting young carers in Lancing and Sompting.“

Karen continues, “Young carers have complex needs and often feel socially isolated from their peers. This leads to stress, anxiety and in some cases specific mental health issues which need to be urgently addressed. The grant will enable us to continue to provide much needed support and counselling services to more than 45 individual young carers. This will take place at the Sir Robert Woodard Academy and as part of our general youth sessions.”

In the words of one young carer “The young carers session provides me with help and support when I've had a bad week or month and want to talk about it but may not even know how to start. It is a safe space for a chat in a confidential, non-judgemental way.”

Karen concludes, “Our work with young carers is just one of many projects we run to support young people in Lancing and Sompting. Our youth team takes a holistic and non-judgemental approach to working with young people and understands the complex factors that affect their lives. In addition to our young carers programme we also run mental health counselling, general youth sessions, LGBTQ+ sessions, street-based (detached) youth work, mentoring and work-experience.”

www.electricstormyouth.co.uk

Kalm Horizons is launching a new 8 week mindfulness course at Salt Water Studios in Worthing

Inner Peace is mindfulness course designed to introduce and explore mindfulness techniques including gratitude, letting go and acceptance. The sessions have been crafted to still the mind, ease anxiety and help participants sleep more naturally.

Thursdays at 8.15pm 

April 10, 17, 24

May 1, 8, 15, 22 and 29

LOCATION: Salt Water Studios
Stoke Abbott Rd
Worthing
BN11 1HE

Price: £95

Penfold Church Hall in Steyning undergoes vital repairs

Heritage experts Pilbeam Construction move in to complete urgent works

Penfold Hall in Steyning, owned by St Andrew & St Cuthman’s Church, is undergoing structural repairs and renovation by Sussex-based contractors Pilbeam Construction.

The hall in Church Street, built in 1840, used to be the National School but is now used as a community space for local residents and is a Grade II Listed building.

Horsham District Council approved a scheme for repairs, designed by Hockley and Dawson, Structural Engineers and managed by Simon Dyson of Hanslip Architects. Now work is underway.

It focuses on a gable wall (a triangular wall that supports the end of a sloping roof) which was in danger of collapse.

The wall required underpinning and repairs to cracks as well as new ties to be installed within the roof space. A cracked beam that supports the roof will be repaired and reinforced – and a new floor covering added when the hall is redecorated.

In addition, a new walkway is being installed in the roof to allow safe ingress, whilst specialist contractor, Crucial Environmental, has taken charge of removing asbestos.

Alan Corbett, managing director of Pilbeam Construction, which is based in Southwick, West Sussex, said: “It’s a challenging project because it’s so important to maintain the integrity and stability of the gable wall during the works – and to ensure the existing foundations are not disturbed during underpinning.

“It takes a specialist in heritage buildings to manage a project like this and we’re delighted to have been chosen for the task.

“These works will ensure Penfold Church Hall continues to be an asset to the local community for years to come.”

John Edwards at Penfold Church Hall said: “The hall has suffered for several years from problems caused by subsidence and the cracks in the back wall have gradually become more serious.

“Thanks to the generosity of the Wilson Trust and the legacy of the late Millicent Honeywood, the Church Council has been able to appoint Pilbeam Construction to carry out the underpinning, strengthening the wall and other repairs.

“Work started in January but careful management of the site means that it remains safe for other parts of the Penfold Hall to be used whilst the work is carried out. We're looking forward to the project being completed by early summer.”

For more information please visit: https://www.pilbeamconstruction.co.uk/

Hemiko give notice of works outside High Street Multi-Storey Car Park from 23-28 March

We will shortly be commencing works which will affect the High Street Multi-Storey Car Park in Worthing, resulting in a temporary traffic management system to allow vehicles to continue using the car park.

To receive regular updates on upcoming works in Worthing, please sign up to our mailing list by emailing worthing@hemiko.com, and a member of our team will add you to our distribution.

What works are taking place?

Over the coming weeks, Hemiko will be working to install the low carbon energy centre on High Street. From 23-28 March, we will install the steel framework of the energy centre using a crane. As a result, the existing entrance to High Street Multi-Storey Car Park will be inaccessible, and there will be a partial lane closure on High Street where we our staff will be at work.

We want to make sure that residents and businesses who need to use the car park over these dates are not impacted. As a result, we are introducing a temporary traffic management plan over 23-28 March to enable traffic to enter and exit the car park via the current exit onto Chatsworth Road.

The updated routes for northbound and southbound traffic on High Street, along with the routes to enter and exit the car park, are illustrated in the diagram above. Please note that Hemiko will need to put in place temporary traffic management measures for a second time later this spring. The dates for these works will be confirmed in due course.

What do these works mean for residents and businesses on the road, and those nearby?

Hemiko staff will operate stop-and-go traffic controls to facilitate the flow of traffic in and out of the High Street Multi-Storey Car Park, and along High Street. There will also be officers on hand inside the car park to direct vehicles and enable them to park safely.

Traffic wishing to enter High Street Multi-Storey Car Park will need to travel eastbound along Chatsworth Road. Due to the southbound closure of Chapel Road, vehicles are advised to follow a diversion route via Richmond Road, Salisbury Road, Shelley Road, Liverpool Gardens, and Liverpool Road. As part of this new route, the direction of travel on Liverpool Road has been switched, with traffic now travelling north to south. This diversion route will be clearly signposted.

By the time this temporary traffic management system takes effect, the Chatsworth Road junction closure and the temporary traffic light system on High Street will have both come to an end, ensuring that potential disruption to drivers is kept to a minimum. We are working closely with West Sussex County Council and Worthing Borough Council to coordinate our works.

Health, safety and accessibility

The health and safety of local residents and our staff is a top priority. We will be installing safety fencing around the site, to keep everyone safe. We have undertaken health and safety assessments of the works and will continue to do these throughout.

If you are a resident of the road with accessibility requirements or vulnerability, please let us know on 01903 337364 or by emailing us and we would be happy to meet with you to discuss your needs, and ensure safe access is always available to your property or place of work.

Thank you – and who to talk to if you’d like more information or to provide feedback

We know that no one likes disruption on their streets. We will be working very hard to minimise the disruption as much as possible. Thank you for your cooperation whilst we complete these essential works.

If you have any concerns and would like to speak to one of the local team, you can reach us on 01903 337364 or by emailing worthing@hemiko.com. Further details on how to contact us are accessible on our website, https://hemiko.com/contact-us.

You can also feel free to speak to staff when you see them on site.

Preparing for Advanced Artificial Intelligence in Manufacturing

Manufacturers need to embrace artificial intelligence (AI) or risk missing out on transformational business benefits, members of South East-based METALL (The Manufacturing Engineering and Technology Alliance) heard at their latest meeting.

AI expert Vincent Murphy, founder of Brainstorm, demonstrated how readily available AI tools can transform business processes, including product design, materials science, supply chain efficiency, productivity and workflow optimisation.

He demonstrated how to use a general chat model to tackle in real time member queries such as reducing sales lead times, while encouraging those living in ‘exponential angst’ to ‘talk to AI.’ “You don’t know what it can do, until you try it,” he said.

Vincent referenced a recent IoT-Analytics report, which highlighted that manufacturers employing AI-driven predictive maintenance can achieve accuracy near 50% in anticipating equipment issues, translating to a potential 50% reduction in downtime. This approach also yields a 25–35% saving on maintenance costs. Yet despite this growing evidence of AI’s benefit to industry, 1 in 10 manufacturers still do not engage, whilst the majority skirt around the edges.

“An increasing number of publicly available AI advanced reasoning models can often achieve in less than twenty minutes what it previously took a PhD researcher to accomplish in 2-3 weeks,” he said. “This is not just another technology, we are increasingly within an ever-shortening window, potentially just 2–3 years away, of witnessing the advent of Average General Intelligence, with a subsequent societal impact easily on par with the printing press.”

METALL is supported by accountants Carpenter Box, lawyers DMH Stallard and NatWest Bank. Their events provide opportunities for manufacturing, engineering and technology businesses to share best practice, network with each other and benefit from growth opportunities. The alliance covers a geographical area from South Surrey to the South Coast, including Gatwick Diamond.

Photo (l-r) shows: Andrew Kettle, Relationship Director, NatWest; Tony Summers, Partner & Head of Manufacturing at Carpenter Box; Vincent Murphy, founder of Brainstorm; and Debbie Venn, Partner, DMH Stallard.

Post-16 Transport Policy Statement 2025 to 2026 & the proposed introduction of a Post-19 transport policy.

Each year local authorities are required to consult young people of sixth form age and their parents as well as other stakeholders on the Post-16 Transport Policy Statement before it is finalised.

The Post-16 Transport Policy Statement outlines the help that might be available through the Council, schools, colleges and transport operators to help young people of sixth form age and young adult learners aged 19+ who have an Education Health and Care Plan to get to school and college.

In addition, the consultation into the proposed introduction of a travel assistance policy for Post-19-year-olds with an Education, Health and Care plan aims to recognise SEND Post-19 learners as adults in education and identify necessary transport needs in line with Department for Education Guidance.

The aim of this consultation is to:

• Check that the Draft Post-16 Transport Policy Statement and Draft Travel assistance policy for post-19-year-olds with an Education, Health and Care plan related information is complete, clear and accurate.

• Seek the views of young adults, parents and other interested parties on the proposed Travel assistance policy for post-19-year-olds with an Education, Health and Care plan.

Will revised UK company size thresholds affect your business?

With the UK government revising company size thresholds from 6 April 2025, businesses should assess how these changes could impact their financial reporting and regulatory obligations.

While the revised rules will create a less onerous reporting environment for some businesses and reduce the number of businesses requiring statutory audits, there will likely be a greater onus placed on directors and managements when it comes to financial transparency, according to Sussex and South East accountancy firm, Carpenter Box.

The incoming definitions of company size will see the turnover threshold for micro companies with an average of 10 employees increase to £1m from £632k (gross assets increased to £500k from £316k); small companies will be defined as employing an average of 50 people or less, with a turnover of up to £15m, up from £10.2m (gross assets up to £7.5m from £5.1m); and medium companies will be newly defined as employing an average of 250 people or less, with a turnover threshold of up to £54m, from £36m (gross assets of £27m from £18m).

Carpenter Box Partner, Kristina Perry, commented: “The upcoming changes to UK company size thresholds will mark a significant shift in the regulatory landscape. For affected businesses, depending on their size, this will mean less onerous reporting, audit exemptions and simpler annual accounts. However, for some companies, this will place additional responsibilities on directors and management for financial transparency and accountability, which may require additional internal resource or specialist external support.”

To prepare for these changes, Carpenter Box recommends that businesses should initially assess whether the revised thresholds will change their size classification. They should also inform stakeholders of the changes and the steps being taken to maintain transparency and accountability. Finally, a consultation with their accountants or auditors will help smooth the path to the new regime.

If you need any assistance, please contact Carpenter Box on 01903 234094 or visit www.carpenterbox.com.

Notice of night works affecting Chapel Road and Richmond Road – trial hole excavations   

Hemiko will shortly be commencing nighttime excavation works which will affect Chapel Road and Richmond Road in Worthing between 10-14 March 2025 and 17–21 March 2025. We wanted to explain to you what the works will involve, why they are taking place, how you might be affected, and who you can speak to if you would like more information or want to provide feedback.

Who are Hemiko?

Hemiko are a heat networks investor, developer, and operator. We have been selected by Worthing Borough Council to develop the Worthing Heat Network, which is central to the council’s Climate Neutral Strategy. As part of developing the heat network, we will bring jobs, work experience, opportunities for local business, curriculum support, and economic growth to Worthing.

What works are taking place?

Hemiko will be digging trial holes on a small section of Chapel Road from 10 March to 14 March and on Richmond Road from 17 March to 21 March.

Digging trial holes involves removing and assessing small sections of road to ensure no unexpected utilities cables and pipework will be affected by future construction works. These holes will then be reinstated to their usual condition by the mornings of 14 March and 21 March respectively.

Works will be taking place at night, from 7pm – 5am, to minimise disruption. The areas of works will impact Chapel Road and Richmond Road.

What do these works mean for residents and businesses on the road, and those nearby?

To minimise disruption to the night-time economy, the works on each trial hole will be staggered. This will result in some changes to traffic management in these areas. There will be a three-way traffic system in place during the night works to allow safe passage of vehicles. The temporary lights will enable traffic to travel northbound and southbound on Chapel Road via a single lane.

The bus stop directly outside Worthing Library on Richmond Road will remain in operation throughout the duration of the excavation works. During the daytime, trench links will be installed over the trial holes, which will act as road plates and allow Hemiko to reopen the roads for all traffic.

Hemiko will be working hard to keep disruption to an absolute minimum – we are working closely with West Sussex County Council and Worthing Borough Council to coordinate our works.

Health, safety and accessibility

The health and safety of local residents and our staff is a top priority. We will be installing safety fencing around the site, to keep everyone safe. We have undertaken health and safety assessments of the works and will continue to do these throughout.

If you are a resident of the road with accessibility requirements or vulnerability, please let us know on 01903 337364 or by emailing us and we would be happy to meet with you to discuss your needs, and ensure safe access is always available to your property or place of work.

Thank you – and who to talk to if you’d like more information or to provide feedback

We know that no one likes disruption on their streets. We will be working very hard to minimise the disruption as much as possible. Thank you for your cooperation whilst we complete these essential works.

If you have any concerns and would like to speak to one of the local team, you can reach us on 01903 337364 or by emailing worthing@hemiko.com. Further details on how to contact us are accessible on our website, https://hemiko.com/contact-us, or by scanning this QR code.

You can also feel free to speak to staff when you see them on site.

Notice of works affecting Worthing Promenade – 3-day trial hole excavation

As part of developing a heat network, it is sometimes necessary to dig trial holes to ensure no unexpected utilities cables and pipework will be affected by future works. In this instance, Hemiko will be carrying out limited works on Worthing Promenade from 10-12 March 2025.

What works are taking place on Worthing Promenade?

Excavation works will be taking place on two small sections of Worthing Promenade between Monday 10 March and Wednesday 12 March 2025. The works will take place between 8am and 7pm, and will involve digging two trial holes, which are small sections of road that must be removed and assessed by our staff. These holes will then be reinstated to their usual condition by the morning of 13 March 2025. One set of works will take place directly adjacent to K66 Surf Shop, whilst the other will take place near Tree House Timber on Worthing Promenade.

A small area of the Promenade will be cordoned off during the excavation works, which will leave slightly less space for pedestrians and cyclists on the path. Whilst access to the Promenade will be unaffected, we encourage cyclists to dismount when passing the works areas and for pedestrians to remain mindful of one another. There will be no change to the operation or opening hours of the K66 Surf shop or any other businesses on Beach Parade during the works.

Hemiko will be working hard to keep disruption to an absolute minimum – we are working closely with West Sussex County Council and Worthing Borough Council to coordinate our works.

Health, safety and accessibility

The health and safety of local residents and our staff is a top priority. We will be installing safety fencing around the site, to keep everyone safe. We have undertaken health and safety assessments of the works and will continue to do these throughout.

If you are a resident of the road with accessibility requirements or vulnerability, please let us know on 01903 337364 or by emailing us and we would be happy to meet with you to discuss your needs, and ensure safe access is always available to your property or place of work.

Thank you – and who to talk to if you’d like more information or to provide feedback

We know that no one likes disruption on their streets. We will be working very hard to minimise the disruption as much as possible. Thank you for your cooperation whilst we complete these essential works.

If you have any concerns and would like to speak to one of the local team, you can reach us on 01903 337364 or by emailing worthing@hemiko.com. Further details on how to contact us are accessible on our website, https://hemiko.com/contact-us, 

You can also feel free to speak to staff when you see them on site.