22 November 2022
As part of the UK Conflict Stability and Security Fund (CSSF) Border Security Programme, the UK Home Office conducted a visit to St Helena in the latter part of 2021. This was to assess the current condition of cyber security and resilience across the Critical National Infrastructure (CNI) and Critical Information Infrastructure (CII).
Following the visit, the Home Office provided St Helena Government (SHG) with a number of recommendations. Some of these were aimed at improving SHG’s own cyber security provisions, as well as looking ahead to the fibre optic cable going live and making sure both SHG and the community were ready for this.
In light of the recommendations put forward, SHG’s Corporate IT section is now launching a Cyber Security Awareness and Training campaign led by newly appointed Cyber Security Awareness and Training Officer, Gareth Drabble.
With fibre optic internet connectivity coming soon to St Helena, providing Islanders with many new benefits and opportunities, this improved connectivity will also see the number of cyber security threats to the Island increase significantly.
The goal of this campaign is to raise awareness with all those who work within the CNI and CII, as well the general public, about the various cyber security threats they could encounter. The project will also provide the training and knowledge needed in order to safeguard themselves against these threats.
In the coming months the Cyber Security Awareness and Training campaign will focus on specific cyber security threats and aim to educate and train SHG staff and the public about them. It will also be looking at the methods used to safeguard against them.
It is planned to do this through workshops, educational videos, posters, and leaflets as well the creation of how-to guides. Campaign staff will also be engaging with local media outlets to help promote this work.
SHG are grateful to the Home Office for their ongoing support which has been invaluable in driving this campaign forward.
Project leader Gareth Drabble said that:
“Cyber Security can be summarised as the different methods used by individuals and organisations to protect themselves from, or to reduce the risk of, cyber-attacks. These attacks could lead to a number of problems, ranging from disruption that prevents computer/information systems from functioning as normal, confidential information being disclosed or even the theft of money.”
“With the exciting opportunities offered by the fibre optic cable also come new risks. Cyber-crime has been a global threat for many years, made worse by the recent COVID-19 pandemic and the war in Ukraine. Therefore, it is paramount now more than ever, to educate SHG staff and the public about these cyber security threats, ensuring they have the knowledge to identify these threats when they arise and know the safest ways to deal with them. In doing so they will keep themselves and their organisations safe, and avoid falling victim to cyber criminals.”
“The project will be looking at both SHG staff and the general public. We’ll be developing a number of materials and methods to help engage people in this campaign, and hope that members of the public will be able to attend some of the workshops we have planned for the New Year.”
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SHG
22 November 2022