Make 2023 the year you... stay cyber secure

You may have seen recently a series of emails for Cyber Scotland Week - from Thomas Aldred, the Council’s Service Manager for ICT (Information and Communication Technology).

The series covered ‘five P’s’ of cyber security, and the range of ways the Council works to keep the data it holds safe from malicious attacks.

First and foremost, our first line of defence is you, our staff who daily handle information, whether it’s personal contacts or banking details of our customers, or confidential documents.

So, here is a quick look back at some of the five P’s – there’s some tips for personal cyber security too:

Phishing

An unexpected email which may look and sound genuine, and may appear to come from a trusted address, but contains links which enable criminals to harvest key personal information. Read more about what it is and how to avoid it. 

Patches

These software updates allow new features and performance improvements to be installed as well as fixes for known flaws which may give hackers a way in. Normally, patches are pushed out to Council computers overnight - but important security upgrades might be instigated by our IT team during the working day (in which case your machine may automatically restart). It’s important to allow patches to complete. Find out more here – including how important it is to back up your home computer too.

Passwords

Never share them with anyone! Not even IT staff! And make them impossible for chancers to guess. Avoid birthdays, pets names, etc. In your personal life, don’t share passwords across systems, for example your internet banking password should be totally unique. Read more about password security here.

Perimeter

Lots of work goes into creating a strong virtual perimeter around Council information systems through measures such as firewalls, and authentication for laptops and phone. We liaise with other Councils and the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) about risks, and scan specialist platforms for new threats. Find out more about the importance of virtual perimeters here.

People

The most important one! You are our first line of defence against security breaches. We rely on your professional standards, prompt reporting of suspicious incidents and accidental breaches, and general care and attention to handling the information we hold on behalf of the public. Along with the hard work of our IT and information governance and cybersecurity teams, we really couldn't do it without you. Find out more about how we work to protect our information, here: https://www.orkney.gov.uk/staff-news/cyber-scotland-week-people/7254

Our Trading Standards team also plays a huge role in raising awareness of scams and cyber security in the community, including through their involvement with Orkney Scam Action Group (you might want to give the group a follow on Facebook).

We hope you have found this a useful recap.

Remember this and other all-staff emails are now available on the new Staff Hub – you can look back at staff news any time at www.orkney.gov.uk/staff