The Scottish Government this week announced half a million pounds of funding to help Scotland’s businesses and charities put in place better protections against cyber attacks.
The private and third sector action plans on cyber resilience aim to increase awareness of cyber threats and to promote good practice to defend against them, with a strong focus on practical steps to support smaller organisations. The Scottish Government is working with leading third and private sector organisations to help make Scotland a world leading nation in cyber resilience.
Half a million pounds will also be available from the autumn to help organisations achieve the National Cyber Security Centre’s Cyber Essentials certification, which helps protect against the most common forms of internet-borne cyber attacks.
Deputy First Minister John Swinney said: “Cyber threats are growing and it is vital, as part of our ambitions as a modern, digital nation, that our businesses and charities understand this. They must also be supported to take steps to protect themselves.
“No organisation, however large or small, is immune. Attacks are as real a risk to the small bakery or charity that relies on a database to operate effectively as they are to the multinational banking organisations in our financial districts.
“These plans set out how we will work in partnership with some of Scotland’s leading businesses and charities to help tackle this threat and are an important steps towards our ambition to be a world-leading nation in cyber resilience.”
Dave McClure, Head of GBFM Security Contract Delivery, BT, who is also the lead private sector representative on the National Cyber Resilience Leaders’ Board, said: “Cyber crime increasingly crosses international borders and only by working together across multiple sectors can we combat the threats posed to our increasingly digital society. This new action plan, developed by our cyber security community, will provide support to organisations of all sizes. BT is delighted be a part of this cyber security community.”
Find out more about the private section action plan on cyber resilience today.