Maria swaps custody cells for classrooms and crime scenes for community centres

Former detective sergeant Maria Bartley retired in 2022, but she returned to Northumbria Police to take up the staff role of Cyber Protect and Prepare Officer.

Swapping custody cells for classrooms and crime scenes for community centres, she visits schools, businesses and a variety of groups from all walks of life to help educate the public about their cyber security and the importance of staying safe online.

From highlighting the dangers of oversharing information on social media to schoolchildren, to working with small businesses to avoid ransomware attacks, Maria’s role is varied and no two days are the same.

One of her key motivations is working with the elderly to protect them from becoming a victim of cybercrime through the various phishing scams that are in circulation seeking to prey on their vulnerability.

Maria said: “I feel really strongly about making sure that elderly people and those who may be isolated are protected from phishing scams.

“Even though anyone could fall victim, it’s the elderly who really struggle to recover when their trust in others is shattered.

“I’m determined to use my platform to reach out to those harder to reach communities and those groups who find themselves isolated or not quite confident to navigate the online world without support – and to equip them with the tools they need to not only spot a scam, but to challenge it and report it.

“By educating people about scams, ransomware and good cyber hygiene, we can tackle the majority of cybercrime. Prevention is absolutely our best tool.”