From AI Buzz to Cyber Shields: Tech Trends, Resilience, and Giving Back This November

This month, the tech landscape is buzzing with innovation and challenges, from groundbreaking initiatives to pressing cybersecurity concerns. Microsoft, Nvidia, and GitHub have teamed up to launch the "GenAI Accelerator" for UK startups, providing AI-driven businesses with technical guidance, marketing advice, and investor access.

Meanwhile, the UK government’s new AI safety legislation aims to balance innovation with responsibility. We’re also covering ISO 27001 tips for small businesses, NHS cyber resilience strategies, safeguarding public services under budget pressures, and our team’s well-being initiatives.

1. Driving Innovation and Resilience: Trustco’s Latest Projects in Cybersecurity, Data Modernisation, and Cloud Insights

2. ISO 27001 for Small Businesses: How to Meet Cyber Security Requirements

3. Strengthening NHS Cyber Resilience: Why Fixed-Price Incident Response Matters

4. Cyber Security Under Pressure: Safeguarding Public Services Amid Tight Budgets

5. Giving Back: Team Well Being in Action

Driving Innovation and Resilience: Trustco’s Latest Projects in Cybersecurity, Data Modernisation, and Cloud Insights

At Trustco, we are proud to play a leading role in delivering solutions that enhance resilience and drive innovation across the NHS and beyond. This month, we have been hard at work addressing the evolving needs of the NHS and public sector, balancing cutting-edge technology with cost-effectiveness and robust security.

🔐 Cyber Security

We’ve successfully implemented a centralised security interface for a large NHS organisation, allowing seamless management of email, web, and cloud applications. This initiative strengthens cyber defences while streamlining operations to improve efficiency.

📂 Data Storage Modernisation

On 23rd October 2024, the Data Use and Access Bill was introduced in Parliament, aiming to revolutionise data sharing within the NHS. Expected benefits include:

• Boosting the UK economy by £10 billion annually.
• Saving 1.5 million police hours and 140,000 NHS staff hours each year.

In alignment with these goals, Trustco is proud to announce a new project to modernise and consolidate NHS storage systems, ensuring secure and efficient data sharing to enhance patient care.

☁️ Cloud Repatriation

New statistics from Gartner, released this November, challenge earlier predictions of widespread moves away from the public cloud. Instead, global spending on public cloud services is expected to grow from $595.7 billion in 2024 to $723.4 billion in 2025, an increase of over 20%.

While public cloud adoption continues to rise, Trustco has been helping organisations move specific workloads back to private data centres. This approach helps manage costs while maintaining the performance required for critical services.

ISO 27001: Cybersecurity for Small Businesses

Cyber threats are rising, and small businesses are at risk. ISO 27001 certification offers a structured approach to safeguarding your data, meeting regulatory requirements, and winning trust with clients. Learn how risk assessments, access controls, and security policies can strengthen your business. Not ready for full certification? Alternatives like Cyber Essentials or IASME can still boost your cyber resilience.

👉 Explore our blog to get started.

Strengthening NHS Cyber Resilience: Why Fixed-Price Incident Response Matters

In an era where NHS services face relentless operational and financial pressures, the risk of cyber incidents like ransomware has never been greater. Protecting sensitive patient data while ensuring continuity of care is crucial, yet traditional incident response plans often strain already tight budgets. Could a fixed-price retainer be the answer? By offering predictable costs, compliance with NIST standards, and proactive measures, this approach enables NHS Trusts to safeguard critical services without compromising financial sustainability. As lessons from past attacks like WannaCry remind us, the cost of inaction is far greater.

Click here to explore this vital solution.

Cyber Security Under Pressure: Safeguarding Public Services Amid Tight Budgets

The recent cyber attack on Portsmouth City Council underscores the growing risks faced by local authorities managing essential services on shrinking budgets. Pro-Russian hacking group NoName057(16) targeted the council with a Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attack, briefly disrupting its website. While no residents' data was compromised, the incident highlights the increasing vulnerability of public sector organisations.

Balancing robust cybersecurity with stretched resources is an ongoing challenge for councils. Cyber incidents not only disrupt services but also erode public trust, demanding investment in security at a time when funds are scarce.

With threats escalating, how can local authorities strengthen resilience while ensuring uninterrupted service delivery? It’s a pressing issue for the entire public sector.

Read more on this news here.

Giving Back: Team Well Being in Action

As part of our Self-Care Bingo initiative, we’ve proudly donated to three incredible charities this month: The Dog’s Trust, Daisy Chain, and the British Heart Foundation. Supporting causes close to our hearts is just one way we’re prioritising wellbeing within our team.

Our commitment to giving back didn’t stop there! Several of our team members recently joined community clean-up efforts:

🌊 Brighton & Hove Beach Clean – Led by Michelle Cope, our Sales Director at Trustco, the group rolled up their sleeves to help keep the coastline pristine. From team leaders to the wider crew, it was a fantastic effort to support our local environment.

🌊 Surfers Against Sewage – Raven Lee, our Operations Manager, along with our Finance Manager and Accounts Administrator, also stepped up to take part in another beach clean, showing that every small action contributes to a greater impact.

We’re so proud of the team’s efforts to care for our communities and environment—great work, everyone!