{"id":23518,"date":"2018-07-09T15:33:40","date_gmt":"2018-07-09T14:33:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/digileaders.com\/?p=23518"},"modified":"2018-07-09T16:22:30","modified_gmt":"2018-07-09T15:22:30","slug":"third-sector-cyber-resilience-action-plan","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/digileaders.com\/third-sector-cyber-resilience-action-plan\/","title":{"rendered":"Third sector cyber resilience action plan"},"content":{"rendered":"

Cyber security.<\/p>\n

Maybe that term conjures up an image in your mind of a hacker in a hoodie attempting to break into government systems, just like we see in films.<\/p>\n

However, the reality is that cyber crime is big business, perpetrated by organised crime groups, nation states and individuals \u2013 for money and for mischief.<\/p>\n

Attacks can be incredibly sophisticated or comically obvious (\u201cYou\u2019ve just won $36m on the Australasian lottery \u2013 please send us your bank details!\u201d). They can be random, targeted or result in collateral damage.<\/p>\n

The third sector faces the same risks of operating in a digital world as everyone else. In a recent survey, the\u00a0National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) found<\/a>\u00a0that 62% of charities identified cyber security breaches or attacks in the past year. The average cost was \u00a31,460, but the stakes can be much higher.\u00a0Highland Hospice lost<\/a>\u00a0around \u00a3500k last year through a targeted attack.<\/p>\n

At SCVO, we recognise that we\u2019ve got an important role to play in supporting Scotland\u2019s third sector to understand cyber threats and take steps to protect themselves. We have therefore been working with the Scottish Government and other organisations to develop\u00a0a Third Sector Action Plan<\/a>\u00a0which sets out actions we will collectively take to help build digital confidence and cyber resilience.<\/p>\n

Over the next few months, alongside the Scottish Government and the NCSC, we\u2019ll be working with other \u2018catalyst\u2019 organisations from the sector to develop and implement practical solutions to key challenges.<\/p>\n

The Scottish Government will also be making small grants available to organisations to achieve Cyber Essentials accreditation, building on the\u00a0lessons from a similar scheme<\/a>\u00a0we managed last year.<\/p>\n

But what action should you take now to protect yourself?<\/p>\n

From a technical perspective, you should always:<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Keep your organisation\u2019s software patches up to date<\/li>\n
  2. Use proper antivirus software<\/li>\n
  3. Back up the data that matters to you<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    However, the NCSC also notes in a\u00a0charity threat assessment<\/a>\u00a0that the culture of trust in the sector makes people in third sector organisations particularly vulnerable to criminality. It\u2019s therefore worthwhile:<\/p>\n