At DIGIT’s Scot-Secure conference last month in Edinburgh, the increased use of AI for successful attacks by cybercriminals was raised in several of the panel discussions.
New Cyber Governance Code of practice (for boards and directors)
Now the UK’s government’s Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) has finalised and published its Cyber Governance Code of Practice, tailored for senior management of medium and large private organisations, as well as public-sector organisations, highlighting cyber security responsibilities for directors and boards.
While not specifically created for small organisations, DSIT recommends that they nevertheless aim to implement the Code’s principles and refer to the NCSC website for further appropriate guidance.
This new Code is another part of the UK government’s free resources, offered in conjunction with Cyber Governance Training, and the Cyber Security Toolkit for Boards, and the Cyber Essentials scheme, setting out minimum standards that the government recommends organisations should put in place to manage cyber risk and improve security.
Police CyberAlarm for businesses in Scotland
Businesses in Scotland have also been invited to sign up to a free digital tool, Police CyberAlarm, which helps understand and monitor malicious cyber activity.
Members of the scheme benefit from regular reports highlighting suspicious and potentially malicious attack activity on their firewall and internet gateway. Reports detail how the business is being attacked and from where, so that they can improve their cyber resilience. Using the service helps Police Scotland officers to identify current threats and take enforcement action against cybercriminals.
This new scheme, funded by the Home Office, was made available to all forces and regions by the National Police Chief’s Council (NPCC) Cybercrime Programme in 2020. Since its launch, it has identified over a billion potential suspicious events, enabling members to take action and prevent successful cyber-attack. The tool benefits any organisation with a computer network, including SMEs, charities, educational establishments, as well as public sector organisations/local government.
A short explanatory video on Police CyberAlarm is available here, and businesses can sign up free of charge to become a member of the scheme here.