The Cyber Scotland Partnership – a collaborative leadership group aimed at boosting resilience against cyberattacks in Scotland – has issued a free resource aimed at businesses.
The new cybercrime training guide aims to help employees understand their role in preventing cyberattacks, and help the business comply with ICO recommendations. The guide was developed by a group of ethical hackers and is free to download for any Scottish organisation and its staff here.
Ethical hackers at the Scottish Business Resilience Centre developed the guide for the CyberScotland Partnership following an announcement earlier this year from the Information Commissioners Office (ICO) – the UK’s independent authority set up to protect individuals and companies from attack – that anyone with access to data should receive cyber awareness training within 30 days of starting a new job and before being given access to any databases. The ICO also said training should be ongoing for all employees.
Jude McCorry, chair of the CyberScotland Partnership, said: “Our new guide is a must-have for any organisation serious about their cybersecurity. It’s an ideal add-on to staff induction packs, not only to help businesses comply with the ICO’s requirements but also make people more aware of what cyber threats exist and how to spot them.”
The latest Police Scotland figures show the number of victims hit by cybercrime in Scotland has reached a record high, nearly doubling in 2021-22 from 2019-20.
McCorry added: “Cybercrime is arguably one of the most pressing issues for businesses today, with the latest numbers showing instances in Scotland are reaching record levels. However, all the security in the world isn’t enough if your employees aren’t confident about how to keep information secure. This guide has been created with the cyber amateur in mind; it is easily digestible and uses only non-technical language.”
The guide is available now on the CyberScotland Partnership’s website here: https://www.cyberscotland.com/free-guide-an-introduction-to-cyber-security-for-staff/.
The CyberScotland Partnership was formed in February 2021 in response to the need for clarity around cybersecurity for individuals and businesses. Funded by the Scottish Government, it is a collaboration between 16 organisations including the Scottish Government, Police Scotland, and the Scottish Business Resilience Centre, with the UK National Cyber Security Centre serving as technical advisor.