Richard Baker, Managing Director of Sequence has been appointed a member of the e-Crime Wales steering group. Supported by the Welsh Assembly Government (WAG), the Steering Group is working to deliver and implement the government’s manifesto and action plan which have been designed to create a pan-Wales approach to raise awareness and understanding of the impact of e-Crime on Welsh businesses.

E-Crime is estimated to cost Welsh businesses around £160 million every year, either through direct financial or intellectual property theft or damage to business-critical data. Recently, the Steering Group has been concentrating on extending it various levels of partner expertise. The recruiting of web specialists has led to the appointment of Richard Baker, allowing the group to benefit from his unrivalled experience of web and e-business.

Speaking about his appointment, Richard said: "I’m honoured that I have been selected to contribute to this Steering Group. Working in the Welsh web industry for many years now, I have seen the devastating effects that electronic crime can cause and worryingly many businesses still seem to be somewhat blasé about the potential risks."

Chair of the Steering Group, Detective Superintendent for North Wales Police, Christopher Corcoran, commented further: "We are delighted to welcome Richard to the Group. Forging strong relationships with industry people like Richard is a key objective for us. I have no doubt that his contribution will be hugely effective as we tackle the challenges of protecting Welsh businesses against online crime."

The e-Crime Wales Steering Group will continue to lead the way in terms of providing business expertise and support for e-Crime prevention and detection by hosting the annual e-Crime Wales Summit. Taking place on the 11th June at the Celtic Manor Resort, Newport, the Summit will deliver an exciting programme of informative and insightful keynote speakers and workshops looking at a wide range of threats and solutions to ICT security. Key topics will cover subjects such as Why do Hackers Hack? and The Importance of IT policies.