Keele expert teams up with campus-based business to launch free cybersecurity training

An expert from Keele University has teamed up with a company based on campus to launch a new free cybersecurity training course to help employees and businesses protect themselves from the threat of cybercrime. 

Hixon Group, whose headquarters are based on Keele University’s Science and Innovation Park, have collaborated with Dr Colin Rigby in Keele Business School, and Staffordshire Chambers of Commerce, to launch the free new online cybersecurity training platform. 

The platform has been launched to help businesses in Staffordshire and beyond become more resilient to cybercrime, which is one of the biggest threats facing businesses in the UK and around the world. 

Recent high-profile cyber-attacks have caused major disruption to companies such as Jaguar Land Rover, the Co-Op, and Marks & Spencer. With over 38,000 businesses in Staffordshire and nearly half reporting a cyber-related incident in the past year, the scale of the challenge is significant. Smaller businesses are particularly vulnerable, often lacking the knowledge, resources, or confidence to act. 

The new digital platform removes the two biggest barriers that have historically prevented businesses from engaging with cybersecurity training: cost and accessibility. Available at no charge and accessible on any device, the certificated training equips employees at all levels with practical skills to recognise, report, and prevent cyber threats. 

Dr Colin Rigby, Director of Business Engagement at Keele Business School, said: “This initiative is a powerful example of what can be achieved when academia, industry and the local business community come together. Cybercrime affects everyone, from sole traders to large employers, and tackling it requires collective action. By making training freely available and accessible, we are not just protecting individual businesses, we are strengthening the digital resilience of Staffordshire as a whole.” 

Jonathan Lawton, Director of Hixon Group, added: “Cybercrime is not just a technical problem; it’s an economic one. Every attack has a ripple effect across our local economy. Our mission is to reduce that impact by empowering people, because employees are the first line of defence. By making training free, simple, and accessible, we are giving Staffordshire businesses the tools they need to build real resilience. This is about shaping a safer digital future for the whole region.” 

Since launching in August 2025, more than 560 employees have already completed the training, with a target of 5,000 completions by the end of the year. Early feedback shows employees reporting increased confidence in identifying and avoiding threats, helping to protect both business assets and personal data. 

The platform is also feeding into wider research and measurement through Keele Business School and the Staffordshire Chambers of Commerce, supporting the establishment of a Cyber Security Impact and Measurement Working Group. This group will track the economic cost of cybercrime in Staffordshire, identify vulnerabilities, and design simple interventions that businesses can adopt at scale.