Hixon Group has developed an innovative and scalable approach to tackling one of the most significant challenges facing UK businesses – the vulnerability of small and medium-sized organisations to cyber threats.

Based at Keele Science Park, the IT and cybersecurity provider is behind the Staffordshire Cyber Resilience Programme, a free-to-access digital platform designed to help businesses understand, assess and improve their cybersecurity in a clear, practical and accessible way.

The programme was created through a partnership with Keele University and Staffordshire Chambers of Commerce, supported by Newcastle-under-Lyme Borough Council. This collaboration brings together academic research, real-world threat intelligence and direct access to the regional business community.

The innovation was driven by a clear and urgent problem. While cyber-attacks increasingly target SMEs, most lack the resources, knowledge or confidence to respond. Hixon Group identified that the issue was not just technical, but human.

Many business owners face what the programme defines as the ‘embarrassment barrier’ – a reluctance to engage with cybersecurity due to fear of not understanding it. This insight became central to the design of the solution.

Rather than developing another technical training product, Hixon Group helped create a system that translates cybersecurity into simple, relatable actions. This is delivered through the Digital Fortress framework, which reframes complex concepts into everyday language, helping non-technical users understand and take control of their risk.

The platform combines short, accessible learning modules with a Cyber Maturity Diagnostic tool. Users answer simple, plain-English questions and receive a clear, personalised risk profile, alongside practical steps they can immediately implement.

Since launch, the programme has engaged more than 5,000 users within six months. Data shows a significant increase in the adoption of key security measures, including multi-factor authentication, alongside improved user confidence and awareness.

Participating organisations have reported a reduction in cyber incidents of up to 60%, with economic modelling suggesting the programme has already prevented substantial financial losses for local businesses.

Hixon Group was founded in 2011 by Managing Director Jonathan Lawton. He now has a team of three staff which will grow to four people in September.

Jonathan Lawton has entered the Entrepreneur of the Year category of University of Staffordshire Business Awards and has entered Hixon Group into the Innovation Award category.