A senior detective from North Yorkshire Police will address the threat of cyber crime during a talk in Harrogate on Friday.
Detective Chief Inspector Matt Walker is the guest speaker at the York and North Yorkshire Chamber of Commerce business lunch at Hotel du Vin.
He will discuss how business can protect themselves from cyber crime by changing their attitudes to password management, educating staff, recognising potential scams and dangerous internet links and adopting effective firewall and anti-virus protection.
The government are driving a partnership approach to helping businesses tackle cyber crime and law enforcement agencies are committed to helping them.
North Yorkshire Police is currently setting up a specialist cyber crime unit as part of their Operational Policing Model review.
DCI Walker said: "North Yorkshire Police have recognised the need for effective tackling of cyber crime and are keen for businesses, academia and individual volunteers to get involved with a multi-agency, partnership approach.
"Cyber crime cannot be tackled by organisations working on their own, however strength in numbers will make your businesses, our county and the UK a hostile environment for cyber criminals to operate in."