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Delivering
for Scotland

Cyber security

The UK Government is making the UK one of the safest places to be online.  Find out about the UK’s National Cyber Security Centre, and use some simple tips and tools to stay secure online.

Advice on how to stay secure online

We’re spending more time online than ever and so are cyber criminals.  Cyber security is as important as physical security and anyone can be a target of cyber criminals.

Cyber Aware also promotes six practical steps.  Together, they help protect you from the majority of online crime.  They help keep you secure by protecting your passwords, your accounts and your devices, and you don’t have to be an IT expert to action them.

By following this advice, it will be harder for criminals to access your information:

  1. Use a strong and separate password for your email – your inbox contains lots of sensitive information. It’s the gateway to all your online accounts so keep it safe with a strong password that is different to all your others.
  2. Create a strong password using three random words – the longer your password, the harder it is to hack. Long passwords can be difficult to remember. But using three random words will help you create passwords that are both long and strong. Start with your most important accounts, like email.
  3. Save your passwords in your browser or password manager – remembering lots of passwords can be difficult, but if you save them in your browser you don’t have to and it’s safer than re-using the same password for all your accounts.
  4. Turn on two-step authentication – this free security feature adds an extra layer of protection online and stops cyber criminals getting into your accounts, even if they have your password.
  5. Install the latest software and app updates – using the latest software, apps and operating system can fix bugs and immediately improve your security.
  6. Backup your data – backing up means you always have a copy of your important data in the event it’s lost or stolen. Make sure these backups are recent and can be restored

Protect your organisation from cyber criminals with free online training

Cyber Action Plan

The Cyber Action Plan is a tool from the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) that will help business owners access cyber security guidance that’s relevant to them.

After responding to questions on your current IT practices, you will receive tailored advice on how to improve your cyber security, based on the responses given.

Use the Cyber Action Plan tool - external link

Check your cyber security

Check your cyber security is a free government service for UK organisations that performs a range of simple online checks to identify common vulnerabilities in your public-facing IT.

All checks are remote, without the need to install software and uses the same kind of publicly available information as cyber criminals use to find easy targets.

Check your cyber security - external link

The National Cyber Security Centre

The UK Government’s National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) supports the most critical organisations in the UK, the wider public sector, industry, SMEs as well as the general public. 

More specifically, the NCSC:

  • distils knowledge into practical guidance
  • responds to incidents to reduce the harm they cause to organisations and the wider UK
  • uses industry and academic expertise to nurture the UK’s capability
  • reduces risks to the UK by securing public and private sector networks

They offer tailored information and advice for:

More Information

Education and skills for 11-19 year olds (CyberFirst).

Higher education and professional skills & training.

Find out more about defence and security in Scotland.