Media Centre
Independent, expert and data informed opinion, commentary and insight
The Cyber Helpline is an award-winning charity that provides free, expert help for victims of cybercrime and online harm in the UK and USA. As an organisation helping victims on the frontline we have a unique view of what crimes individuals are facing, how cyber crimes are being carried out, the impact on victims and what needs to be done to support victims. We also have insight and opinion on the state of victim support and cybercrime readiness in the UK. Some of our service users are happy to speak to the press - sometimes anonymously - and share their stories.
Our experts
Rory Innes, our Founder & CEO, and Charlotte Hooper, our Helpline Manager do the vast majority of our press work and public speaking. Across The Cyber Helpline we also have a range of experts who can talk experty on all types of cybercrime and online harm. All of our insight, commentary and opinion is completely independant and comes from our experience of supporting victims and operating in this space.
Rory Innes, Founder & CEO
Rory has spent his whole career in cyber security and has worked for leading global cyber security companies in a range of senior management positions. Rory spotted the huge gap in support for victims of cybercrime & online harm and created The Cyber Helpline to mobilise the cyber security community to step in and fill the gap. As CEO, Rory is responsible for the strategic direction, performance and operational effectiveness of The Cyber Helpline. Rory often provides comment & opinion for the press and has appeared on live TV or documentaries providing expert opinion on cybercrime. He also sits on the Mayor of London’s Victim Reference Group.
His areas of expertise include the cybercrime & online harm challenges in the UK, the threat landscape and trends in the UK, the gap in support for victims & how this could be tackled, key threat areas like cyberstalking & online harassment and the role of The Cyber Helpline.
Charlotte Hooper, Operations Director
Charlotte has a first-class honours degree in Policing & Criminal Justice with a focus on legislation and cybercrime investigations. On top of her role at The Cyber Helpline, she is currently completing a Masters in Cybercrime Investigation. Charlotte has run a number of cybercrime-related training sessions in the UK and abroad for police forces, stalking & harassment charities and private organisations. Day to day, Charlotte runs our Helpline operation and is a key part of the leadership team.
Her areas of expertise include: Cybercrime investigations, cybercrime law enforcement & regulation, cyberstalking & online harassment, the cybercrime & online harm threat landscape and the impact of cybercrime on victims.
Real stories
Many of our victims want to share their stories to raise awareness of the issue they faced and to ensure others can avoid becoming a victim in the same way. Some are happy to be identified - others wish to remain anonymous. We also have data that shows the impact of individual crime types and impact statements from our users.
Given enough time we may be able to provide you with access to victims for case studies. If you would like a victim to help tell your story please get in touch as early as possible to give us time to find the right person and ensure they are available.
Data & Trends
Over 50,000 victims have used our service and we are currently supporting around 2,000 a month. Over 600,000 individuals have used our online self-help content. This means we have good, independent insight into:
Volumes of different types of cybercrime & scams
Trends on the types of cybercrimes & scams facing individuals in the UK and USA
Insight into new types of cybercrimes and scams
Specific data around police reporting, financial loss etc.
Up to date advice on what individuals need to do to protect themselves from current attack types
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About The Cyber Helpline: Our vision, mission, approach and key information
The Cyber Helpline wants a world where the cybercriminals don't win. Our mission is to ensure every individual has free access to expert cybersecurity help when they need it.
The Cyber Helpline is a movement by the cyber security community to step in and fill the gap in support for victims of cybercrime and online harms. Our unique model allows us to harness the skills and expertise of the cybersecurity community and change lives by helping thousands of victims a month.
We provide a free, confidential helpline for individuals and sole traders. We help victims understand, contain, recover and learn from cyber attacks by linking them with cyber security technology & experts who provide relevant advice and guidance.
Key Stats & information
Launched November 2018
Case growing at over 100% year over year
Over 140 volunteers run the helpline
> 50,000 cases since launch - circa 2,500 per month
Cyber Charity of the Year at The National Cyber Awards 2021, 2022 & 2023
