Cybersecurity Specialists Encouraged to Participate in Cyber Advisory Initiative by NCSC
The Cyber Advisor program, launched by the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) two years ago, has reached a significant milestone with 100 Advisors on board after 16 months. However, the growth of the program, aimed at providing expert cybersecurity advice locally to all of the UK's 5.5 million Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs), is not fast enough, according to program lead Emma W.
In a blog post yesterday, Emma W emphasized the business benefits of becoming a Cyber Advisor, including skills in Cyber Essentials, designing security solutions for SMEs, and communicating cybersecurity in plain English. The Cyber Essentials scheme, which the Cyber Advisor program is linked to, is intended to improve the cybersecurity of UK organizations by providing a baseline standard for security.
Despite this, fewer than one in 100 businesses in the UK have signed up for the Cyber Essentials scheme, and the program is facing a lack of interest and low take-up from British companies, similar to the Cyber Advisor program. This slow growth, Emma W attributes to a lack of awareness about the scheme and/or questions about its value.
The assessment process for Cyber Advisors is working effectively, with 95% of clients rating their advisor's knowledge as 'excellent' and 99% stating that recommended solutions fit their business requirements. The initial focus of Cyber Advisor was on helping clients implement the five Cyber Essentials Technical Controls, such as using a firewall, keeping software and devices updated, and controlling access to data.
The Cyber Essentials scheme focuses on best practices like using a firewall, keeping software and devices up to date, choosing secure settings, and controlling access to data. The program director of the Cyber-Advisor scheme at the UK's National Cyber Security Centre is Andy Williams.
The Cyber Advisor program focuses on providing cybersecurity advice in a way that SMEs can understand. The scheme aims to provide a way for businesses to demonstrate their commitment to cybersecurity. As of now, there are not enough advisors for the scheme.
The Cyber Essentials scheme recently surpassed the 10,000 milestone for accreditations for the first time, indicating a growing interest in cybersecurity among UK organizations. However, the slow growth of the Cyber Advisor program suggests that more needs to be done to raise awareness and demonstrate the value of the program to British businesses.
Read also:
- Mural at blast site in CDMX commemorates Alicia Matías, sacrificing life for granddaughter's safety
- Microsoft's Patch Tuesday essential fixes: 12 critical vulnerabilities alongside a Remote Code Execution flaw in SharePoint
- British intelligence agency MI6 establishes a covert dark web platform named 'Silent Courier' in Istanbul for the purpose of identifying and enlisting secret agents.
- Russia intends to manufacture approximately 79,000 Shahed drones by the year 2025, according to Ukraine's intelligence.
