GDPR helps drive growth at ECSC

The decision by cyber security firm ECSC to bring back its former CEO last year has continued to pay dividends with the firm reporting strong full year results.

ECSC founder Ian Mann was re-appointed as CEO in September having stepped down from running the Bradford-based firm last April, but he always remained an employee and then moved back into the hot seat.

His second term of leadership has also coincided with a surge in demand from customers for help with GDPR , which has helped a 35% revenue growth to hit £5.4m.

The managed services division saw revenue climb by 56% to hit £1.7m, the consulting division improved by 27% to deliver £3.1m with 95 new clients gained over the course of last year.

The firm also launched a partner programme last year that gave it extended reach and expanded the routes to market.

David Mathewson, non-executive chairman at ECSC, said that the management team deserved recognition for the 2018 numbers.

"This improved performance is the result of a focused and motivated team delivering strong growth, whilst keeping tight control over costs and cash management," he said.

CEO Mann said that the increases had come "with continued emphasis on building our managed services recurring revenue supported by our consulting services".

"The team continues to acquire new clients, deliver quality services, develop our technologies and build a solid base for ongoing growth," he added.

In its investor presentation delivered with its H1 numbers last October ECSC highlighted that reacting to post-GDPR fines as one of the main areas it expected future growth to come from.

So far it has been a trickle rather than a flood on the fines front but the move by the French data regulator, the CNIL, to hit Google in January with a fine equivalent to £44m, for lack of transparency, inadequate information and lack of valid consent regarding the personalisation of advertisements will have shaken many customers.