Action plan includes emphasis on embedding cyber in education and lifelong learning system, along with developing the workforce in sector
The Scottish Government has laid out plans to make cyber resilience a feature of the country’s education and lifelong learning systems as part of a new national action plan on the issue.
It is one of four main measures, along with developing the cyber security workforce, raising public awareness, and increasing cyber resilience in the workplace.
Work on the Learning and Skills Action Plan for Cyber Resilience 2018-20 was accelerated in May of last year after the WannaCry ransomware attack caused widespread disruption. The National Cyber Resilience Leaders’ Board has developed the plan along with stakeholders including Education Scotland and Skills Development Scotland.
The measures around the education system are the main ones to affect public sector institutions, and include Education Scotland working with regional bodies to raise the profile of cyber resilience on an ongoing basis.
It will also make relevant material available to schools and work with the Scottish Government on embedding cyber resilience into education inspection frameworks.
Scottish Government role
Meanwhile, the Scottish Government is taking on responsibilities including a focus on the issue in teacher training, work with voluntary organisations, and with care providers to help their clients become cyber resilient.
Among the measures aimed at boosting the workforce in the field are the development of a cyber security career framework, an effort to provide more relevant under- and postgraduate courses, and to integrate cyber security into more apprenticeships.
At the launch of the action plan, Economy Secretary Keith Brown (pictured) said: “This plan is a blueprint for the Scottish Government and all its partners across the public and private sectors to work together to enhance our wider understanding of cyber security.
“We want to see people across Scotland, whether in early years, school, college or the workplace, get greater opportunities to develop the skills needed to be safe and resilient in their online lives.
“The plan also sets out how we can ensure we have a strong pool of professionals able to secure our businesses, charities and public services against current and future threats, and who can develop innovative goods and services for the rest of the world.
“Supporting the development of these specialist skills will be vital to the success of other activity on cyber resilience as well as our forthcoming plan to help us to take advantage of the economic opportunities presented by our work on cyber security.”
Image from the Scottish Government
