Businesses and community groups across Scotland are invited to sign up to events during CyberScotland Week 2025, running from 24 February to 2 March. In doing this, they will play a vital role in building a safer digital nation and learn more about cyber security.
There will be events running all week for all audiences to find out about cyber security on a number of different levels.
The theme for the week, “Can’t hack it?!?”, focuses on simple, everyday actions that can enhance cyber resilience for individuals and organisations alike.
Now in its seventh year, CyberScotland Week is organised by the CyberScotland Partnership, a coalition of key stakeholders brought together by the Scottish Government’s Cyber Resilience Unit. The initiative aims to raise awareness of cyber security and equip people and organisations across Scotland with the tools they need to defend against ever-growing cyber threats.
The National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) 2024 annual review highlights how increased use of digital technologies are making our lives more convenient, benefiting our society as well as driving economic growth, innovation and productivity.
However, we all face continuing threats from cyber criminals looking to exploit our dependency on the technology that underpins all aspects of modern life in our homes, workplaces and the services we use.
In the UK Government’s Cyber Security Breaches Survey 2024, it was found that half of businesses (50%) and around a third of charities (32%) had experienced some form of cyber security breach or attack in the last 12 months.
That is why we all need to build our awareness of the risks and become more cyber resilient.
Everyday actions to stay safe online
CyberScotland Week encourages everyone to adopt simple practices recommended by the UK’s National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC).
For individuals, these include:
- Using strong, unique passwords for each site.
- Turning on two-factor authentication.
- Backing up data regularly and enabling automatic backups.
- Reporting phishing scams at work.
- Installing updates as soon as they are available.
For businesses and organisations, best practices include:
- Installing antivirus software.
- Preventing staff from downloading unapproved apps.
- Keeping IT equipment up to date through regular patching.
- Controlling the use of USB drives.
- Activating firewalls.
Host an event, make a difference
Community groups, businesses, and individuals are encouraged to host events of any size during CyberScotland Week. Whether it’s a workshop, webinar, or a casual conversation, every effort contributes to building a more cyber-resilient Scotland.
Learn more and register your event here: https://www.cyberscotland.com/cyberscotlandweek/event-registration/
Additional Resources / For Further Reading:
The following websites include additional advice and links to other trusted resources where you can find out more:
National Cyber Security Centre – advice for individuals,businesses and organisations on how to stay safe online
https://www.ncsc.gov.uk/section/information-for/you-your-family
https://www.ncsc.gov.uk/section/information-for/self-employed-sole-traders
https://www.ncsc.gov.uk/section/information-for/small-medium-sized-organisations
https://www.ncsc.gov.uk/section/information-for/large-organisations
National Cyber Security Centre – advice on how to create secure password
https://www.ncsc.gov.uk/collection/top-tips-for-staying-secure-online
Police Scotland – advice on how to protect yourself from cybercrime
https://www.scotland.police.uk/advice-and-information/internet-safety/cybercrime/
The Cyber and Fraud Centre Scotland – Cyber MOT service
A Cyber MOT is a rapid, 25-question assessment designed to evaluate your organisation’s current cybersecurity posture.
https://cyberfraudcentre.com/prevent/cyber-services/cyber-mot
Young Scot – Tips to create a strong password
https://young.scot/get-informed/how-to-make-a-safe-password/
CyberScotland Partnership – Social Channels
Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61564704380983
Bsky:
https://bsky.app/profile/cyberscotland.com
Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/cyber.scotland
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