Councils urged to invest in cybercrime

Local authorities are being urged to consider the importance of cyber investment after research showed many councils spend more on health and safety training than the do training in data protection and cyber security.

Responses to Freedom of Information requests from 109 councils show authorities spend, on average, eight times more money on health and safety training than cyber protection, spending £27,818 on health and safety training compared to £3,378 for IT and security training.

Councils have spent nearly £1.2 million on health and safety training this fiscal year, compared to £104,711 on IT security and data protection courses.

“A broad scope of training is vital in today’s work environment. We commend local authorities for arming their employees with these additional skills, as well as seeking to improve their work / life balance through issuing smart devices and committing to a well-rounded programme of training courses,” said Jon Cook, of Citrix, which did the research.

“However, cyber threats continue to be more prolific and advanced today than ever before. And with the responsibility for managing citizen data, coupled with the risk of penalties of up-to £500,000 for data-breaches, it is crucial that employees know how to keep information secure from external threats.”

“With the stakes so high, councils must ensure that staff understand the importance of data protection in the growing threat landscape.”

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