Funding announced for cyber security in Scotland

The Scottish Government has announced £500,000 of funding for communities to tackle the growing risks posed by online crime.

Organisations such as Scottish Union Learning and Community Enterprise, will be able to use the money to provide workshops aimed at tackling scams and internet safety, deliver training to upskill under-represented groups into careers within cyber security and provide digital advice in different languages.

The projects will be targeted at specific groups, including disabled people and those with specific learning needs, minority ethnic groups, people living in areas of social deprivation or in rural or remote communities and those for whom English is not their first language.

The funding is part of £1.16 million invested by the Scottish Government in 2023-24 to improve preparedness to withstand, defend against, manage, and recover quickly from cyber incidents.

There were an estimated 14,890 cyber-crimes recorded by Police Scotland in 2022-23, which is almost twice the level in 2019-20 (7,710).

Justice and home affairs secretary Angela Constance said: “Cybercrime such as fraud and data theft can have a devastating impact on people, communities and businesses.

“The Scottish Government is committed to building cyber resilience within all our communities and this funding will enable many more people across the country keep themselves safe and secure when going online by supporting them to gain practical knowledge and skills to recognise and avoid cyber-attacks.

“We will also continue to work closely with Police Scotland and the National Cyber Security Centre to ensure Scotland’s public sector is resilient to cyber threats.“

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