The Scottish Business Resilience Centre (SBRC) is helping to combat the proliferation of cyber-attacks on UK businesses by offering a Micro Exercise scenario of the National Cyber Security Centre’s ‘Exercise in a Box’ programme. This recreates real-world scenarios for businesses to test their cyber resilience, “with no risk to their operations”, it is stated.

Currently, SBRC’s Exercise in a Box sessions offer three scenarios, ‘Working from Home’. ‘Digital Supply Chain’ and ‘Ransomware’. The Micro Exercise session combines aspects of each of these, with additional, broader cyber security learnings within a free 90-minute session to ensure all organisations, regardless of their sector or level of cyber knowledge, can benefit.

Specific topics covered include:

• Ensuring password security
• Identifying and reporting phishing emails
• Connecting securely during remote work
• Responding to a ransomware attack.

The sessions take the form of collaborative discussions, giving participants the time and opportunity to further their knowledge of a particular cyber security subject and identify areas of improvement. An SBRC ethical hacker will facilitate the conversation.

Jude McCorry, CEO of SBRC, comments: “These new micro exercises are aimed at all organisations in the public, private and third sector, enabling collaborative discussions to help identify areas that may need additional training.

“Businesses cannot afford to be complacent when it comes to cyber security these days. Last month, the head of GCHQ announced the number of ransomware attacks on British companies has doubled in the past year; it’s safe to assume other types of cyber-attacks have also increased. It is therefore essential for all organisations, irrespective of sector, to be clear on both the range of cyber threats and how to handle any attacks.”