Simon Steggles
Managing Director, Disklabs
Simon is an owner of 1st Computer Traders Ltd, the owning company of Disklabs. Simon originally set up the company in 1997 with his business partner Matthew Jones.
Simon has a military background, serving for 6 years from 1984 – 1990 in the Royal Navy, (working in communications, the law division and intelligence), serving on HMS Hecate, HMS Arrow and HMS Active, in South America, Central America, Africa, the Mediterranean, the Faeroes Gap, West Indies and Devonport.
1991, Simon first ventured into the world of IT, selling computer components, such as floppy diskettes and printer ribbons. Soon after this, Simon moved to a company that sold hardware. After 2 years in this field, Simon set up his first business, United Computer Services (UK) Ltd, which specifically sold hard drives. After 5 years in this business, annual turnover had reached £7 million. Simon took the opportunity to sell his 50% share of the business and subsequently set up 1st Computer Traders Ltd, which incorporates Disklabs Data Recovery, Disklabs Computer Forensics and Disklabs Data Destruction.
In 2002, Simon became a Co-Opted director of the Professional Computer Association, a year later becoming a fully voted in director. In 2005, Simon was promoted to the position of Vice Chairman of the Professional Computer Association, a not for profit organisation which represents in excess of £3 billion of revenue in the UK and Ireland. Due to business commitments, Simon resigned from his post as Vice Chairman in 2006.
In 2006, Disklabs invested significantly in their forensics operation, opening a brand new facility, ensuring that high levels of security measures were installed to ensure the absolute security of their client’s exhibits, and the data being examined. The new facility ensured that ACPO practise and procedures were even more strenuously adhered to whilst dealing with law enforcement agencies and corporate clients.
In 2007 Simon became a member of the British Computer Society, and later the same year, qualified as a Chartered I.T. Professional.
Simon has principally dealt with digital storage, in the roles of buying, selling, wiping, repairing, recovering data and investigating data forensically. Simon has completed various training courses in many disciplines, including courses in computer and mobile phone forensics, incident management and evidence handling procedures.
Simon’s main roles are to steer the company, develop new business lines and oversee the work completed by the forensic analysts and data recovery technicians.
Speaking at:
Risk, Recovery & Resilience (South Wales)
Wednesday 14 November
9.00am - 4.30pm
Village Hotel, Swansea
