High profile data breach is stark reminder for businesses to shore up their card payment security

LEADING company Ultracomms, which specialises in card payment solutions, is warning businesses to strengthen security in the wake of 1 of the UK's biggest data breaches.  

Derwyn Jones, Chief Executive of UK based Ultracomms, says organisations which process card payment details should act now in order to minimise the risk of financial and reputational damage from a data breach. It comes amid reports that Dixons Carphone could face a fine of up to ₤400m after a computer hack exposed the payment card information of 6 million customers.  Derwyn said:- "The Dixons Carphone data breach will go down as 1 of the biggest data breaches at a single firm in UK history; and is a stark reminder to all businesses that we live in a new era of cybersecurity.  It is a time where the hacking threat is unprecedented and no company is seemingly immune. Running parallel to this increasing threat are the most rigorous data protection laws Europe has ever seen. The result spells trouble for any business that does not invest now in robust systems that protect consumer data."

Research shows that 66% of businesses are still using outdated technology to take payments; where card details are read out over the phone; and putting themselves at risk. Derwyn said that damage to reputation was potentially more harmful in the long run to any business that suffers a serious data breach.

Derwyn added:- "Any company's reputation is built on a relationship of trust with their customer base. Once this has been tarnished in such a high-profile way, can it ever be restored? Only time will tell. Lessons will need to be learned across the business world from this latest data breach; and particularly those who deal with large volumes of customer card payment information. The goalposts have changed; and now it is time for businesses to respond to ensure their systems keep pace with both the law and the increasingly covert tactics of the hackers. The good news is that the technology is there for businesses to protect themselves and I would urge all customer facing organisations to review their processes and invest for the future. Ultimately it will protect their customers – and themselves."

Ultracomms recently produced a free downloadable guide for businesses that gives step by step advice on card fraud protection. Visit:- UltraComms.Com to download the guide.

Liverpool born Midwife receives national Midwifery honour

A Midwife originally from Formby, Merseyside and 1 of the very 1st Consultant Midwives in the UK has received a national award from the Royal College of Midwives (RCM) for her contribution to Midwifery.

Professor Grace Edwards has received a prestigious RCM Fellowship. This is an honour given to just a handful of midwives each year. Grace who is a Professor of Midwifery Education and Practice at the Aga Khan University's School of Nursing and Midwifery in East Africa, has been a Midwife for 41 years. She initially started her nurse training in 1974 and then trained as a Midwife.

Grace has worked across the range of Midwifery settings including in the Hospital and community, education and research, and global Midwifery.

The Fellowship recognises Grace's contributions in many areas including that fact that she was 1 of the 1st Consultant Midwives in the UK. Working in Liverpool she specialised in public health with a focus on supporting women in areas of deprivation, and tackling inequalities that affect pregnant women and their families.

Another honour was her appointment, in 1993 to 2002, as the National Midwifery Assessor for the Confidential Enquiry into Maternal Deaths, an important national role. Grace became a Professor of Midwifery, in 2016.

Her global work has taken her around the world. She established Midwifery education in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and the model of care she developed for midwives there was endorsed by the country's Government.

Grace is currently working at the Aga Khan University as the Foundation Professor for Midwifery Education and Practice, based in Uganda, but working across East Africa. She has always maintained her clinical practice and practices at Kawempe Mulago Hospital in Kampala, in Uganda.

Among her many other achievements Grace is also an editorial board member and reviewer for MIDIRS, the Practising Midwife and the International Journal of Childbirth, all respected Midwifery publications. She is also a reviewer for the RCM's Midwifery magazine and Evidence Based Midwifery journal.

Grace received the Fellowship last week at the Royal College of Midwives Education Conference in London.

The RCM Honorary Fellowship is for people who make an outstanding contribution, or give outstanding service, to Midwifery, maternity services, services for women and their families or to the RCM. Grace said:- "Evidence based Midwifery, safe motherhood and respectful care have always underpinned my career. Working in Africa has been 1 of the most rewarding experiences of my life and my students will be so proud to see this award. I am honoured to become a fellow of the Royal College of Midwives."

Kathryn Gutteridge, President of the Royal College of Midwives, said:- "The Royal College of Midwives is delighted to award this Fellowship to Grace. Her achievements are literally too many to mention. She has had a long career and has not wasted a second of it. Her commitment to women, babies and their families is an example to us all, be it here in the UK or in other countries around the world. She is an inspiration to me and I am sure an inspiration to all other midwives."

For more information on the RCM Fellowship see:- RCM.Org.UK.