enewsletter

Welcome to the Sapphire Electronic Newsletter.

New Website Launch
David Lacey Jointly Presents a Series of One-Day Master Classes
Expanding Forensics Lab
Another Successful NISC!
Sapphire Founder Members of the IISP
New Strategic Partnership with Softcat

New Website Launch
Sapphire is delighted to launch its new website!

Over the last decade Sapphire has evolved into one of the most well known independent Information Assurance advisors in the UK. As the organisation has grown and matured its website has also changed and 2006 sees the launch its best ever yet!

The design team at Sapphire has spent the last few months working continuously on the new site. The layout will be more user friendly and it is hoped that new visitors will be encouraged to increase their existing Information Assurance awareness by downloading the various case studies and white papers available and visiting the ‘Useful Links’ provided on the site.

To find out more about the services Sapphire offer and view the site please visit www.sapphire.net. We welcome suggestions about the Sapphire website. Please email tina.deighton@sapphire.net with any comments you may have.

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David Lacey Jointly Presents a Series of One-Day Master Classes
David Lacey, formally of Royal Mail and founder of the Jericho Forum, will be joining forces with Sapphire to present a series of one-day master classes themed around ‘Achieving World Class Information Management’.

The Master Classes will run throughout Q3 and Q4 at various locations throughout the UK and will cover many topics including:

· The changing business, technology and security landscapes.
· Governance, organisation and management systems
· The human factor – security education and awareness
· Business continuity planning and crisis management
· Understanding and addressing the future

David Lacey is renowned within the industry and recently presented at the National Information Security Conference (NISC) in May at St. Andrews.

For more information on the master classes and how to register please email tina.deighton@sapphire.net.

Expanding Forensics Lab
In May this year, the security team at Sapphire announced plans to expand the computer forensics lab.

Following an extremely successful Q1 Sapphire has decided to engage in a massive overhaul of the forensics department. The expansion will include additional staff to ensure the swift turn around of forensic investigations and some minor construction work to the building itself to double the workspace in the lab. In addition to this there will be numerous new forensic tools implemented to allow the team to work on more detailed investigations with portable media devices, an area that seems to be a distinctive growing trend.

The total investment in the forensics lab will take it to double its current size with a larger forensics team to cope with the increase in demand. The end result ensures that Sapphire has one of the largest, independent and fully ISO27001 certified forensic laboratories in the UK.

For more information about any of the forensic services offer please click here or alternatively email forensics@sapphire.net

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Another Successful NISC!
Sapphire hosted the 7th Annual Security Conference, NISC 7(National Information Security Conference), in May this year at the St Andrews Bay Golf Resort, Fife, Scotland.

NISC 7 proved to be the most successful event yet with over 200 attendees and the best line up of speakers ever seen. Sapphire was also delighted to co-host day one of NISC 7 alongside the Government Information Assurance user group CIPCOG (Civil Information Assurance Products and Services Co-ordination Group).

Speakers at the event included:

· David Lacey, Jericho Forum (Formally of Royal Mail)
· Ed Gibson, Chief Security Advisor, Microsoft.
· Mick Humphrey, Police National Network & Information Assurance Liaison, PITO
· Simon Perry, VP Security Strategist, CA
· View More…

Delegates commented on the organisation and the success of the event, many saying that NISC 7 was the most informative and enjoyable security event of the year.

For more information on NISC 8 please email your contact details to tina.deighton@nisc.org.uk

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Sapphire Founder Members of the IISP
Sapphire has always kept itself at the forefront of Information Assurance and strived to keep up to date with new and up-coming issues relating to best practice in the Information Assurance arena. However, one thing that has always been missing from the industry is guidance for new Information Security professionals and professional standards for the industry to adhere to.

The IISP (Institute of Information Security Professionals) is an independent, non-profit body governed by its members. One of its main roles will be ensuring standards of professionalism for individuals, courses, qualifications and operating practices.

Sapphire understands the need for an independent body to offer direction and guidance to individuals and joins organisations such as Barclays Bank, BT, DTI, Ernst & Young, KPMG, NISCC and Royal Bank of Scotland as founder members of the institute.

Once the IISP is fully established it will provide a universal standard of best practice for information assurance professionals to adhere to and more importantly give UK plc assurance that the security professionals they employ are true professionals.

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New Strategic Partnership with Softcat
Sapphire is very pleased to announce that it has formed an alliance with IT solution providers Softcat. Softcat has been in the industry now for 12 years, supplying enterprise class systems, service and support aimed specifically at the SME market.

Softcat’s main area of expertise is licensing and support services with over 4500 regular customers in the UK. Softcat understands the importance of information security in today’s marketplace but they wanted to offer their customers a comprehensive service dealing with everything from their basic licensing requirements right through to a thorough business assurance model. Softcat turned to independent security experts Sapphire, to give them a dedicated partner resource providing information assurance consultancy, in particular, Penetration Testing, ISO27001, Security Network Architecture and Computer Forensics.

Sapphire brings to the relationship a wealth of experience within the Information Security arena. Sapphire’s team of security experts excel in each of their chosen fields and Sapphire and Softcat embark in this relationship with one sole mission, to continue to provide the best independent security advice for their customers.