May 5th 2021
Helping your business to operate more securely online
Social care providers have been at the centre of the country’s response to the pandemic, whilst also having to evolve at pace to a more digital world. The National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) has been working in collaboration with Digital Social Care throughout the pandemic to support the digital journey of social care providers.
Our ambition is to enhance the cyber resilience and maturity of SMEs. As we start to transition to a new normal, the NCSC is committed to continuing to support social care through our cyber security advice and guidance. Ensuring that you have access to knowledge and tools to help you prepare and protect your business against cyber threats.
Why should businesses care?
Maybe your organisation is one of the many already taking steps to do this. 31% of businesses already have a continuity plan including cyber security and 15% have conducted an audit on their cyber security vulnerabilities (Cyber Security Breaches Survey 2021).
SMEs are pivotal to the UK’s economy; they account for 99.9% of the UK’s private sector businesses. Over the past year, businesses in the UK have adjusted to new ways of working and are using the internet more than ever. Over 60% of firms report that they have adopted new technologies or management practices since the onset of the pandemic, while a third have invested in new digital capabilities (Centre for Economic Performance Covid-19 Analysis, September 2020). Whilst it is fantastic that SMEs are taking advantage of the opportunities and advantages that technology can bring, cyber criminals also see this as providing them with opportunities to disrupt and defraud businesses.
It is crucial that businesses are equipped to deal with the evolving cyber threats that come from working in a more digital world. The good news is that the NCSC has actionable and affordable advice and guidance that can greatly improve your organisation’s cyber security.
What do businesses need to do?
The National Cyber Security Centre is here to help you wherever you are on your cyber security journey. We have created a range of free products and guidance that are straightforward and affordable to implement. Below is a selection of just some of those on offer:
- Small Business Guide offers detailed advice for small businesses looking to improve their cyber security and our Small Business Guide: Actions List complements this.
- Response & Recovery Guide helps organisations prepare their response to and plan their recovery from a cyber incident.
- Exercise in a Box helps organisations find out how resilient they are to cyber attacks and practise their response in a safe environment. The tool includes micro exercises, which take 15 mins.
- Cyber Essentials is a simple, but effective, Government backed scheme that will help you to protect your organisation, whatever its size, against a whole range of the most common cyber attacks.
- Top Tips for Staff is an e-learning package that can be completed online or built into an organisation’s own training platform.
How to find out more?
You can find out more about the NCSC’s products and guidance by visiting our website.
If you want to access the latest trends and topics in cyber, you can sign up to the NCSC’s new monthly Small Organisations Newsletter.
If you have any questions, please get in touch with us at [email protected].
Use our resources page to find out more about Digital Social Care and your journey in adult care technology.
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