A practical manual on how to handle a cyber-related incident has been created for Scottish businesses.
The ‘Incident Response Guide’, produced by the CyberScotland Partnership, features checklists and guidance on emergency contacts that organisations may need in the face of a security breach.
The launch follows data from the department for digital, culture, media and sport which found that only 38 per cent of businesses and 42 per cent of charities have a formal policy in place covering cybersecurity risks.
The CyberScotland Partnership is a collaborative leadership approach chaired by the Scottish Business Resilience Centre (SBRC) to focus efforts on improving cyber security across the country. It is comprised of 10 strategic organisations in Scotland including the Scottish Government and Police Scotland.
The new guide is “best suited” for small businesses or charities that don’t have in-house incident response teams, and includes longer length advisory pieces on reputation management and legal considerations.
The pack also provides companies that have never developed an incident response plan with tools to ready their business for a cyber related incident.
The checklists included in the guide will ensure those businesses that do have an incident response plan have considered the full spectrum of possibilities – from noting energy supplier contact details to clarity around the business’s most valuable assets.
Jude McCorry, chairwoman of the CyberScotland Partnership and chief executive of SBRC, said: “Since we launched the CyberScotland Partnership six months ago, we have focused on providing Scottish businesses with practical advice on how to become more cyber resilient. The Incident Response Guide is an extension of this; we designed it so that business owners and leaders can pick it up and use it straight away.
“It’s no longer an option to create an incident response plan and then leave it to gather dust; with the threat of a cyber attack higher than ever, businesses must be proactive when it comes to protecting themselves. This new guide will ensure they not only understand the benefit of being proactive when it comes to IT security but also ensure that their teams are aware of the role they play too – particularly when welcoming new team members.
The pack also features contributions from international law firm CMS, and Scotland’s first tech PR boutique, Clark.tech.
The SBRC is a non-profit organisation which exists to support and help protect Scottish businesses.
Businesses can download the pack on the CyberScotland Portal here.
Related posts
Interviews
Comment
Please mind the gap… or healthcare may fall
Imagine sharing a lengthy train journey with others. From beginning to end, imagine how often you might hear ‘mind the gap’ messages about embarking and disembarking safely. Picture how navigating…
Women Lead: My journey from Dragons’ Den to Silicon Valley
Following her appearance on Dragons’ Den, Sheila Hogan, serial entrepreneur, founder and chief executive of digital legacy vault, Biscuit Tin, shares her experience of her time in the Den and…
Look anywhere – the future is ‘aged tech’. But Scotland needs to be more adventurous
Scottish Care, as the representative body of independent social care providers of care home, care at home and housing support services, has been working over several years with colleagues in…
Women Lead: Engineer turned entrepreneur
We are always fascinated by other people’s stories. It’s how we connect, grow and learn from each other. Until very recently I always felt like I didn’t have a story to tell. Who…
‘Women – together we will change the dynamic in tech’
I was inspired to start a career in technology when personal computers were in their infancy and the internet decades away. My childhood dream of becoming a scientist was shaped by…
It’s time to change the future of tech apprenticeships – and we need your help
In his latest exclusive column for Futurescot, Ross Tuffee, chair of the Skills Development Scotland (SDS) Digital Economy Skills Group, calls on tech employers to get involved in shaping the…
What AI difference a year makes
Amazingly, it’s been one year since the publication of Scotland’s AI Strategy. And what a year it has been. Demanding but rewarding, with good progress made and great foundations laid…
International Women’s Day: It’s time to harness power of women in technology
As we celebrate International Women’s Day, I hope to be part of a future where barriers that prevent women from competing on a level playing field in the work environment…