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Aberdeen firm Alto cashing on growing threat of cyber attacks

Alto CEO Bruce Skinner, second from the right, talking IT with Matthew Forsyth, Jacqueline Robertson and Alex Araujo. Image Granite PR
Alto CEO Bruce Skinner, second from the right, talking IT with Matthew Forsyth, Jacqueline Robertson and Alex Araujo. Image Granite PR

Information technology firm Alto, of Aberdeen, hopes to cash in as a growing number of businesses recognise cybersecurity is a “must have” and not just an optional add-on.

Alto brought 2022 to a close by announcing turnover increased by £100,000, or more than 14%, to £800,000 last year.

The company’s current 12-strong team is expected to swell to about 17 during 2023.

In the next three to five years, I predict we will deal with cybersecurity more than any other IT challenge.”

Bruce Skinner, chief executive, Alto.

New project technical staff, including trainees, will be recruited to join the ranks and meet growing demand for services.

They will be tasked with helping to deliver an increased focus on cybersecurity support, which now accounts for nearly one-third of Alto’s business.

Majority of firms falling victim to cyberattacks

Chief executive Bruce Skinner said: “Recent figures suggest more than 80% of UK organisations experienced a ‘successful’ cyberattack in 2021-22.

“Once a business becomes vulnerable, it can take an average of 181 days to identify a data breach.

Alto team members Tina Espinoza, David McGhie, Dawid Szymaniuk and Pamela Harris. Image: Granite PR

“In the next three to five years, I predict we will deal with cybersecurity more than any other IT challenge – so evolving our business and expertise in line with customer needs is crucial.

“This will ensure we can continue to step up as cybersecurity moves away from being seen as an add-on service and becomes an increasingly integral part of business planning.”

Alto, based at East Tullos Industrial Estate, was founded in 2009 and is solely owned by Mr Skinner.

It serves clients across the manufacturing, food, energy services and healthcare sectors.

Customers use its managed IT and security products and services for operations spanning the UK and overseas locations including Spain, France, Denmark, Canada, the US and Philippines.

Alarming research findings

According to the UK Government’s last Cyber Security Breaches Survey, updated last July, nearly two in five (39%) of British businesses had identified a cyber attack during the past year.

The survey report added: “We also find enhanced cyber security leads to higher identification of attacks, suggesting that less cyber mature organisations in this space may be underreporting.”

Meanwhile, the CyberEdge 2022 Cyberthreat Defence Report, offering insights into cyber security in countries all over the world, found that in the UK 81.4% of organisations had experienced at least one cyber attack in the year prior to the study.

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