Cleaver Fulton Rankin has become the first solicitor firm in Belfast to set up a specialist cyber risk unit aimed at tackling online crime.

Patrick Fleming, director of IT and finance at the firm, said it was ahead of its competitors on cyber security.

The ten-person team will work with clients to manage cyber risks and cyber crises.

Mr Fleming told Love Belfast: “We appreciate that cyber-attacks are very costly to a business and can do irreparable reputational damage.

“We don’t want any client to become yet another statistic, so with our combined legal expertise and experience of working with accountants and insurers, we can take a multi-disciplinary approach to ensure that clients receive the most comprehensive sound commercial advice on cyber issues, be that training and awareness of cyber risk; ensuring that technical security in contracts is sound; right through to loss and damage claims in the event of a cyber-attack.”

Cleaver Fulton Rankin has also become the first Northern Ireland law firm to be awarded a UK-wide cyber security accreditation.

Mr Fleming said: “It is very likely that the IASME Standard will be a future prerequisite when tendering for government work, so we are delighted to be a ‘first’ for Northern Ireland, and ahead of our competitors in this regard.”