Cyber security training scheme to focus on protecting charities from threats

The Scottish Government is looking to prioritise charities and public sector organisations through its latest round of funding for cyber security training.

Ministers in Scotland have announced they have renewed the Scottish Business Resilience Centre (SBRC)’s £500,000 contract to improve cyber resilience through the National Cyber Security Centre’s Exercise in a Box programme.

This is the third year it has funded the programme. The Scottish government says its focus this year will be on boosting cyber security training in the voluntary and public sectors in Scotland.

The Exercise in a Box online tool helps organisations to test and practise their response to a cyber attack in a safe environment.

“There is no denying that the ongoing pressure facing everyone from a cyber perspective has been relentless in recent years,” said SBRC chief executive Jude McCorry.

“Just as we see one organisation recover from the grips of a cyber incident, another is targeted.”

She added: “We don’t want to see more Scottish organisations fall victim to these attacks and that is why upskilling and awareness programmes like ‘Exercise in a Box’ continue to be so vital.

“I implore anyone who believes they could benefit from becoming more cyber resilient to attend an event or our online taster session to hear more.

“We are grateful to the Scottish Government to allow the SBRC to prepare more Scottish organisations for a cyber secure future.”

Scottish government’s justice secretary Keith Brown added: “We have all seen the devastating impact of an organisation falling victim to a cyber-related incident, so extending training to make more people aware of the risks is absolutely crucial.

“The Scottish Government is committed to ensuring Scotland leads the way in cyber resilience and security.

“This extended training will help many more organisations to stave off the threat of an attack and protect against disruptive and costly data breaches.

“The workshops provide practical guidance to mitigate or respond to hostile cyber-attacks. I would urge eligible organisations to take up this opportunity to ensure they are protected.”

The SBRC is running a taster session on using Exercise in a Box on 25 August.