A new IT security training workshop aims to give organisations the tools to protect themselves against the “reputational risk” associated with data leaks.

Launched today, the free-to-attend ‘Sensitive Data Leaks’ workshop is a new scenario facilitated by the Scottish Business Resilience Centre (SBRC) through the NCSC ‘Exercise in a Box’ programme.

As part of the programme, sessions will explore how organisations should handle a threat as a result of a data leak, securely offboarding an unhappy employee and the steps that should be taken when escalating a security incident internally.

Sessions will also include guidance on what – if any – legal action might be required in the wake of such an incident.

The launch of the workshops coincides with the release of a UK Government study which shows that 39% of businesses have reported falling victim to a cyber-attack.

The Cyber Security Breaches Survey highlighted the growing cyber threats businesses now face, and shed light on the rapidly-evolving security landscape.

Jude McCorry, CEO of the SBRC said the workshops will provide vital support for businesses during a challenging period.

She explained: “Data leaks can be a significant threat for organisations – particularly if they come from a disgruntled employee, who might have insider information on how to access sensitive files.

“As so many organisations operate online, nearly every company will hold personal or sensitive data that must be kept safe.”

McCorry added: “No business is immune to the threat of a cyber-attack; Exercise in a Box workshops are designed to give organisations the support needed to start their cyber journey in a safe environment.

“We have seen a huge demand for these free sessions and encourage all organisations to take every available step to prevent or limit the fallout of a cyber-attack.”

Supporting businesses

‘Sensitive Data Leaks’ is the fifth scenario that the SBRC has brought to Scotland as part of Exercise in a Box, alongside ‘Working from Home’, ‘Digital Supply Chain’, ‘Ransomware’ and ‘Micro Exercises’.

Since bringing the workshop series to Scotland in 2020, the SBRC has delivered over 100 sessions to over 550 businesses.

The 90-minute sessions provide organisations with real-world scenarios to find out how resilient they are to cyber-attacks and practice their response in a safe environment.

Sessions are free-to-attend, require no previous cybersecurity experience, and are available to public, health and social care, housing associations and other third sector organisations.

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Steve O, Head of Cyber Exercising and Exercise in a Box Service Owner at the NCSC, said: “Exercise in a Box provides crucial support to organisations across the globe, encompassing a number of challenging exercises for organisations to practice their response to a cyber incident in a safe and private environment.

“Using the Sensitive Data Leak scenario from the Exercise in a Box toolkit, SBRC’s team of Ethical Hackers will challenge your data protection policies and processes in a discussion-based exercise aimed at improving your organisation’s resilience to extortion and sensitive data leaks.

“The support provided by the Scottish Government to the Scottish Business Resilience Centre to successfully run Exercise in a Box workshops across Scotland is commendable and I strongly recommend all organisations to consider taking it up and strengthen their cyber defences.”

The first Sensitive Data Leaks session will be held online on 10th November, further details on this session are available on the SBRC website.

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