Online: Cyber crime attacks on Scottish public bodies increase

Cyber crime attacks on Scottish public bodies and their bosses have been soaring since staff began working from home, it has emerged.

The head of Audit Scotland said senior figures within the spending watchdog had been targeted in recent weeks, as she warned of a heightened “risk”.

Caroline Gardner, the auditor general for Scotland, raised fears that the switch to remote working for tens of thousands of workers during the coronavirus lockdown had left many organisations, such as councils and NHS boards, under threat.

Giving evidence to MSPs on the Scottish Commission for Public Audit, she said it was being monitored closely.

“We certainly are seeing, both ourselves as an organisation and as the auditors of 200plus organisations around Scotland, increased risks around cyber security with the overnight move to remote-working that we’ve all had to undertake since the middle of March.”