The Local Government Association has called on councils to take part in its ‘stocktake’ of cyber security arrangements, which has kicked off this week.
It has set up a confidential online questionnaire with research organisation RAND Europe and sent it to all of England’s local authorities.
The move is among those covered by an allocation of £1.5 million the LGA received from the Cabinet Office earlier in the year to work on improving cyber security in councils.
It said the aim is to capture the state of play, identify good practice and the councils that deliver it, and identify the risks and the councils that appear vulnerable.
The work will feed into where and how the LGA targets its support in field, including funding to individual authorities.
From the autumn they will be able to bid for grants to take on an agreed activity or piece of work to improve their security, based on findings from the stocktake.
The questionnaire will be open for responses until 31 August.
The LGA’s ongoing contribution to cyber security involves two main efforts: to promote good practice, guidance and tools; and to raise issues and concerns from councils.
It also runs a number of boards on which relevant issues can be raised, including stakeholder and technical advisory groups for cyber security.
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