Highlands and Islands Enterprise helps businesses get ‘cyber strong’ 

Highlands and Islands Enterprise is offering its clients across the region support to protect themselves from cyber attacks, by launching the Cyber Strong business project.

Co-inciding with Digital Leaders Cyber Resilience Week (11-15 September), the agency is launching a programme to help local businesses and social enterprises achieve national Cyber Essentials accreditation.

The industry and government recognised certification scheme helps businesses minimise the risk of a cyber attack, and demonstrates that they are taking the measures needed to protect themselves and their client data.

The HIE project will provide clients with a one day intensive workshop, 1-2-1 support from a digital adviser to develop a cyber resilience plan and the agency will re-imburse successful businesses achieving the accreditation.

The workshops are kicking off on Monday (11 September) in Orkney, then in Shetland and Inverness the same week. They will continue across Highland, Moray, the Western Isles and in Argyll on various dates until mid November. (See list below)

Stuart Robertson, Head of Digital at HIE said: “All businesses are a potential target for an attack, particularly if they don’t take basic precautionary measures to protect themselves.

“Cyber criminals constantly scan websites, systems and devices to look for vulnerabilities, and any business that relies on computerised systems for payroll, marketing via social media or a website, or who have booking systems with databases of customer details can have information valuable to a criminal.

“Our businesses and organisations recognise the risks in the digital world. Cyber Strong is here to help people manage these risks and to ensure the region provides online services which their customers can have confidence in.”

Cyber Strong is one of a cohort of projects for 2017 based in Scotland which are part-funded by the UK’s National Cyber Security Strategy Programme.

Hugh Aitken, chief executive of CBI Scotland and chair of the National Cyber Resilience Leaders Board, said: “It is wonderful to see such a broad range of cyber resilience projects taking place across Scotland.

“I believe they will genuinely help people, businesses and charities to be safer and more resilient online, and this in turn will enable them to take advantage of the opportunities for innovation, careers and economic growth that the digital world presents.

“These diverse and ambitious projects will bring Scotland closer to becoming a leading cyber resilient nation.”

Businesses and social enterprises working with HIE who are interested in being involved should get in touch with their HIE account managers, or local area office.

Events are taking place in the following areas:

• Monday 11th September – Orkney
• Tuesday 12th September – Shetland
• Friday 15th September – Inverness
• Tuesday 19th September – Moray
• Thursday 21st September – Skye
• Tuesday 10th October – Fort William
• Wednesday 11th October – Dunoon
• Tuesday 24th October – Poolewe
• Thursday 26th October – Stornoway
• Tuesday 7th November – Thurso
• Tuesday 14th November – Golspie