WATCH: ‘These threats are very real’: GTIA leaders emphasise readiness, compliance and collaboration in wake of UK attacks

At ChannelCon EMEA, GTIA leaders Wayne Selk and Paul Croker delivered a clear message to UK solution providers in the wake of several significant cyber attacks - threats are intensifying, regulations are evolving, and readiness must be a priority.

“These threats are very real,” said Wayne Selk, VP of Cybersecurity Programmes and Executive Director of GTIA ISAO. “It doesn’t really matter what size of organisation. Small micro-organisations are just as much under attack.” Referencing recent incidents like the Jaguar Land Rover breach, Selk warned that attackers often strike indiscriminately, and protection must be a priority in this difficult-to-navigate landscape.

Paul Croker, UK & Ireland Executive Committee Member at GTIA, addressed regulation and compliance challenges as contributing to that difficulty. “We know that Cyber Essentials is the basics, and organisations are struggling to maintain it,” he said. “We keep hearing about the Cyber Resilience Bill, but when’s that going to happen? What’s it going to look like?”

To help providers prepare, GTIA has relaunched its Cybersecurity Trustmark Readiness Programme. “It’s 177 safeguards made up and tailored to the IT service providers anywhere in the world,” explained Selk. These safeguards draw from global frameworks including GDPR, ISO 27000, and NIST 800-171, forming a foundational security programme that supports providers across sectors.

But the Trustmark is just one part of a broader push to help MSPs and IT service providers build internal resilience and communicate risk more effectively. “It’s going to help the technical company have a non-technical discussion throughout the business,” Croker noted, highlighting the importance of bridging the gap between IT and business leadership.

Selk also stressed the urgency of early adoption. “If other businesses are not paying attention and get started in the short term with something like the Trustmark, they’ll be caught off guard,” he said.

“With regulation likely to extend downstream, smaller providers must act now to avoid being left behind.”