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A ROUND-UP OF THE LATEST NEWS IN THE DIGITAL WORLD

CYBER ATTACK WARNINGS

LEADERS at some of the UK’s biggest companies have been told to be more aware of cyber attacks to avoid falling victim.

Despite almost all of the country’s top firms having a cyber security strategy in place, many board directors admitted that they don’t have a full understanding of the impact of loss or disruption associated with cyber threats, according to the Government’s annual Cyber Governance Health Check report published on Tuesday.

It also found that just under half (43%) fail to regularly test their cyber security response plans on a regular basis

“Every company must fully grasp their own cyber risk – which is why we have developed the NCSC’s Board Toolkit to help them,” said Ciaran Martin, chief executive of the NCSC (National Cyber Security Centre).

“The UK is home to world leading businesses but the threat of cyber attacks is never far away,” said Margot James, Digital Minister, pictured right.

“This report shows that we still have a long way to go but I am also encouraged to see that some improvements are being made. Cyber security should never be an add-on for businesses and I would urge all executives to work with the National Cyber Security Centre and take up the Government’s advice and training that’s available.”

GOVERNMENT ID SCHEME TO COST £40M

A GOVERNMENT identity programme will cost the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) around £40 million over the next 10 years, a report has found.

The National Audit Office said the problems with Verify were similar to “the failings in major programmes that we often see” and concluded that successive decisions to continue with it were not justified.

The Government Digital Service (GDS), part of the Cabinet Office, developed Verify in 2016 to be an easier way for people to prove their identities so they can access online government services securely.

But the report said Verify has fallen well short of its target of 25 million users by 2020, with an estimate of 5.4 million.

It said this has meant only 38% of Universal Credit claimants can successfully verify their identity online, which means the DWP may need to spend £40 million on manual verification.

The programme has cost at least £154 million so far.