INTERVIEW Michael J Thornton - KSM Telecom
“Our first aim is to put Cyber Security in context for businesses with
Michael J Thornton, Cyber Crime Steering Group Chairman at Shaping Portsmouth
Civic Duties
the next steps being to deliver services and offer advice”
Comms Business Magazine talks to Michael J
Thornton who is combining his role as Managing
Director of south coast based KSM Telecom with
being the Chairman of the Cyber Crime Steering Group
at Shaping Portsmouth
Channel veteran Michael
J ornton has been
heading up reseller KSM
Telecom for a number
of years now, but it was his
recent appointment to lead
the Portsmouth Cyber Crime
Group that piqued our interest.
is group is a part of the
Shaping Portsmouth initiative
which delivers both a strategic
and operational partnership
between Portsmouth City
Council, Portsmouth
businesses, and educational
institutions at all levels in the
City.
ornton says, “Our overall
aim is to run valuable and
relevant programmes that
support the needs of the City,
and the objectives of our
partners. ere are 12 such
programmes and the Cyber
Crime group was launched
earlier this year.
As Cyber Crime presents
an ever-increasing threat to
business, Shaping Portsmouth
decided to hold a seminar on
the topic where the police gave
a presentation to group of
businesses.
e reaction to what was
being revealed as potential
threats from the audience was
one of absolute horror. We
decided to develop a prevention
and defence strategy, formed
the Cyber Crime Group,
consisting of 15 members of our
business community which I
was asked to Chair.
Our rst aim is to put
Cyber Security in context for
businesses with the next steps
being to deliver services and
oer advice. is is no small
task as there are over 9,000
SMBs alone in our area so we
are launching Facebook, You
Tube and Webinar channels to
deliver weekly briengs which is
a great concept.
For larger organisations we
have organised conferences
and for Enterprise sized
business we will do boardroom
presentations.
We have a very large and
vibrant education sector in
Portsmouth with 64 individual
educational establishments
and for each of these we are
carrying out a road trip that
will see members of our group
individually visit each before
the end of the year. For schools
we’ll explaining the dangers in
appropriate age-related form.”
ornton says it’s a huge
honour to get involved in this
project and to lead the group
tackling Cyber Crime in the
Michael J
ornton of KSM
Telecom
Portsmouth area.
“I’ve been in business for
many a year and it’s great to
be giving something back to
the community based upon
the experience I’ve gained in
that time by helping all these
organisations review the threats
to business as well as to show
what we can do to help educate,
prevent, communicate and
improve the safety of our vital
business assets.”
As for the day job? Well KSM
is doing well; the company was
recently recognised by Daisy
Group as being one of their top
three fastest growing hosted
telephony channel partners
and rewarded with a sailing
experience day with Olympic
hero Sir Ben Ainsley.
“Much of our focus is
placed on hosted telephony,
ISDN replacement, Oce
365 and connectivity – we
have City Fibre now present in
Portsmouth.
At the same time, we
continue to do our own bit in
the community where a recent
project saw us provide the
connectivity and wiring for safe
spaces for vulnerable people
to work as part of the local St.
Luke’s Church charity.”
ED SAYS…
It’s easy for us hardened channel types to be cynical about any subject under the sun
but there is a genuine enthusiasm and sense of excitement that comes from Michael
J Thornton when he’s talking about the work he is doing for Shaping Portsmouth and
their Cyber Crime Group.
There’s a lot of thought, time and effort going into these projects and I’m hoping
to report back from one of the enterprise boardroom presentations by the end of the
year to see how businesses are reacting to the programme Thornton has put in place
for them.
As a post script, Michael’s work with Portsmouth Ambassadors and in being
the Chair of the Cyber Crime steering group has been rewarded with a Directorship
appointment onto the board of Shaping Portsmouth CIC.
Michael’s focus, drive and commitment to Shaping Portsmouth and in working
closely with Stef Nienaltowski, the Director of Shaping Portsmouth, is his way of
thanking the City for all it has given him and his business over the last two years.
36 | Comms Business Magazine | August 2019 www.commsbusiness.co.uk
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