A NEW police squad has been set up after a Worcester security organisation revealed half of companies it questioned had suffered information breaches in the past two years.

The region's Cyber-Crime division has been launched to deal with the problem following the British Security Industry Association's revelation that one in five of the 1,000 companies it quizzed had suffered a serious breach.

"One of the greatest challenges for businesses today is tackling cyber crime - from industrial espionage to abuse of computer and internet systems," said DI David Davis from the West Midlands Cyber-Crime squad.

"This is a crime-fighting area where police have found their resources and expertise stretched to the limit in recent years.

"But with the introduction of the new police Cyber-Crime squad, and armed with all the latest software, we are now really getting to grips with the problem.

"Cyber criminals beware."

DI Davis will be speaking at a conference in Birmingham on Tuesday, July 3, organised by Barbourne-based BSIA and BT.

Business and commerce managers, security experts, facilities managers, IT consultants, risk managers, loss prevention officers and community safety officers can book places at a cost of £150 on 01905 727711.

"Delegates will take away knowledge of current threats and solutions, the ability to operate risk assessment and management systems, a basic understanding of industry standards and skills to plan for future security challenges," said Kay Burgess, spokeswoman for BSIA.