Thursday, 3 October 2024
From the birthplace of the Beatles to the idyllic landscapes of Inishowen, Liverpool native Phillip Graham has proven that there is nothing you can do that can’t be done right here in Donegal.
Having previously spent four to five years living and working in Dublin, Phil and his wife made the decision to return to her home of Donegal “It was time to come home. We moved up in 2018 and bought a house in Inishowen where we are raising our family.”
An experienced cyber security expert, Phil started his own cyber security consultancy in that same year, 2018 called Secora Consulting, which has gone from strength to strength.
Starting with only two on the team in 2018, the business has successfully grown and expanded significantly since then. “We are currently in the process of hiring more employees and we have expanded our services to maintain the service streams and level of demand.”
The dynamic and capricious nature of the cyber security industry means that it is imperative for businesses such as Secora Consulting to stay ahead of the curve and be able to deal with developing threats and challenges. “In our industry there is a continuous learning requirement to enable us to be more effective. The way that attackers operate is changing, and over the last few years there has been massive changes in the way criminals are orchestrating attacks”.
It is for these reasons that it is becoming more and more important for businesses across every sector to implement cybersecurity controls into their processes, in order to avoid irrevocable losses. Some words of wisdom from Phil for all Donegal businesses “The increased dependency on technology has transformed how businesses operate and there is a significant reliance on technology in every sector. Fundamentally, what all organisations should be aiming for is ensuring the confidentiality, integrity and availability of their systems and data.”
As innovations become more and more prevalent globally, one of the challenges facing businesses is understanding that the risk factors have evolved and how to protect themselves as Phil explains “The threat landscape is changing and maintaining customer trust is essential. Data breaches affect customer trust, financial losses and bring harm to the overall brand reputation”.
Though Phil and his family are based in Inishowen, there are no limits for Secora Consulting as they operate entirely remotely, which has been hugely beneficial to the growth and capacity of the business. “There is a global shortage of qualified people in the cybersecurity sector but that’s one of the good things about us being fully remote. We have highly trained and experienced staff which we wouldn’t have access to if we were limited to one specific location.”
The culture of a business or organisation when it is fully remote is important to establish and navigate as it's easy for remote workers to feel isolated and like they carry the world upon their shoulders. Phil gives an insight into how they ensure that this is avoided in Secora Consulting “The way we operate as an organisation, it doesn’t isolate anybody. It’s an open-door policy, without any doors. Though you may not be physically next to someone, you’ll never have to work alone”.
The transition to fully remote in Donegal has brought a quality of life to Phil, his family and his business that is truly unique and helps alleviate the stresses of work “From an employee and employer perspective, we can go for walks on the beach and we’re no longer sitting in traffic or suffering through long commutes. Donegal has some of the greatest beaches and waterfalls, and with the rise of remote working, it could be a huge draw for people and organisations to not only come to the region, but to also stay in the region”.
The strong collaborations present across the county between the business community, education and training providers, and government support, there is ample assistance to get by for businesses in the region as Phil discusses “Historically, students used to leave the region and go to different places such as Dublin, the UK, or even further afield. Now, people can stay in the county which is a real attraction”.
There are several supports and facilities available throughout Donegal to dreamers and entrepreneurs like Phil with ambitions and goals of making their mark on the world. “When we first started up, we availed of a number of grants from Donegal LEO such as Priming Grants and Business Expansion grants which enabled us to build our team and bring in our first hires. It took some of the financial burden from us, particularly as a small startup at the early stages of business”.
As a founding member of the Donegal Tech Advocates initiative, Secora Consulting sees the value in collaborating to ensure that attracting and retaining skilled workers to the region is imperative for future-proofing the tech sector in Donegal. “I would absolutely recommend the Donegal Tech Advocates to other entrepreneurs in the region as there is a lot of knowledge and experience there. People who have been through the journey and there’s a wealth of information to be gleaned from those who have been there and done that. All the support available in the county is readily accessible through the Tech Advocates.”
From his own experience in establishing and growing Secora Consulting over the years, and from being a core member of the Donegal Tech Advocates, Phil offers this sage advice to prospective entrepreneurs “Reach out to people, have conversations and network. What I’ve found is that people are more than happy to give you the time and speak to you”.
Going forward, the future is expanding for Secora Consulting “The digital landscape is constantly changing and new technologies and threats are evolving. We plan to keep growing and scaling . We haven’t yet achieved what we set out to and we’re still working towards that. We will keep promoting cybersecurity and Donegal in the hopes to continually make it better.”
To learn more on what Secora Consulting can do for your business or organisation, please follow the link to their website and make contact: https://secoraconsulting.com/
