The recent Government Cyber Security Strategy set out the road map to ensure all public bodies across the UK are “resilient to known vulnerabilities and attack methods” by 2030.
While the public sector has made some notable progress in cyber resilience, there are still significant gaps and with the rising risk of the war in Ukraine and with 40% of attacks managed by the National Cyber Security Centre aimed at the public sector, the threat against citizen data and public services is significant.
In October 2020, Hackney Council saw a devastating cyber-attack, destroying fundamental council systems some of which held vulnerable young citizens data. Two years on since that attack, some services are yet to return to normal.
Gloucester City Council recently had their systems breached and it is understood the malware to have gotten in via an email sent to a council officer which was later linked to hackers operating out of Russia. Six months on from the attack, the council is still working to getting all its services back to normal.
The new strategy is set to roll out strategic pillars and transformational proposals to build a strong foundation of organisation cyber security resilience, however, the strategy is heavily criticised as being extremely ambitious for the public sector, with over 300 local authorities and 450 central government departments and agencies to “defend as one.”
With funding of over £37 million for councils to tackle the cyber security challenges, many councils are left unsure where to start with budgeting, skills and how to mitigate risk.
On 14 July, PSE365 brings together public sector leaders and innovators for the annual Public Sector Cyber Security Event where we tackle some of the biggest challenges facing the sector. Gain insights into what the Cyber Security Strategy means for local authorities, discuss the targets and how to implement meaningful change.
Secure your place and register here.
