Charities urged to be vigilant following rise in cyber-crime attacks
A total of 68 per cent of voluntary sector organisations in Scotland are concerned about cyber security while 70 per cent of Charity CEOs have taken action to strengthen its cyber security1.
This ongoing threat to the sector is one of the many reasons why third sector cyber security is at the forefront of CyberScotland Week (22-28 February).
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Hide AdREGISTER: The Scotsman's State of the Cyber Nation Annual DebateAs part of CyberScotland Week, a number of workshops are being run for the third sector to provide insight, support and practical advice about various aspects of cyber security.
Alison Stone, Cyber Resilience Co-ordinator at SCVO, said: “With the majority of charities moving operations online, we have come to rely on technology more than ever before. While using this technology every day has its benefits, it’s important to look at how we can protect organisations and the sensitive information many may deal with.”
Ciara Mitchell, Head of Cyber at ScotlandIS, added: “The statistics show that as the world becomes even more digitally savvy and reliant on technology, charities and other third sector organisations are becoming more vulnerable to cyber-attacks, threats and fraud. CyberScotland Week aims to help these organisations better protect themselves and mitigate against potential breaches with a line-up of fantastic, experienced speakers.”
A number of other CyberScotland Week events focus on the third sector with presentations hosted by Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations (SCVO) including 'Your digital footprint – what does the internet know about you?' co-hosted by online harms expert Jess McBeath and ethical hacker Abdullah Khan, and 'Avoiding scammers and schemers', where Ian Murphy from CyberOff will provide a fun and informative delve into scams. Other CyberScotland Week events aimed at third sector organisations include:
Wednesday 24th Feb – Crisis recovery: lessons learned for charitiesWednesday 24th Feb – Cyber security basics for charitiesFriday 26th Feb – Cyber 101- Resilience advice for small charities in association with Police ScotlandCyber Scotland Week will run from 22 – 28 February 2021. Further information can be found here: cyberscotlandweek.com .