Starting out way back in about 2018 as techdebunked.com as a general hints & tips site for those curious about their – and their family’s – online safety, we decided we needed to do more than be just a passive resource for sensible online help and advice.

So, in 2019, we started researching what everyday users of the internet, and of the devices connected to it, were genuinely worried about, or would like help with resolving.

In 2020, the online world changed completely.

Over the course of 3-4 months, from the Spring to the Summer of that year, COVID-19 forced millions of people around the world to do things – everyday things – online that they had never done before. Online banking, online shopping, paying utility bills, ordering medication, making doctor’s appointments – the list is endless – and, of course, for many, the biggest thing – working from home online.

Needless to say the criminals were there, ready and waiting. In the UK alone, cybercrime spiked by over 26% in just one year with so many people unaccustomed to doing so much online being forced to do so for the first time.

We spent our time looking at the data and trends, still trying to work out what people actually wanted in terms of information, help and advice – both practical and technical.

So, in 2023, we put together a suite of services designed specifically to help people become better-informed about the real-world risks out there online so that they could potentially avoid becoming a victim.

However, just as importantly, we also designed the UK’s first consumer-focused family cyber emergency helpline services, available 24/7 and staffed by ISO-certified and National Cyber Security Centre accredited staff – all based in the UK.

Even more importantly than that, we knew that whoever answered the calls into the helpline needed both to be able to understand immediately what had happened to the customer, but also then to relate to that customer by using language that we could all understand – not baffling jargon or tech-speak.

The Personal Cyber Service was born and, today, we stand ready to serve hundreds of thousands of customers in the UK with cyber emergency help, legal assistance and our vitally important cyber counselling helpline services.

Welcome to our home, and although I sincerely hope you never need us, we would be delighted to help whenever you do!

Neil

The Personal Cyber Service Founder