ECONOMY Secretary Derek Mackay has urged businesses across Scotland to become involved with a new national campaign aimed at helping them become more resilient in every area – from cybersecurity to fire safety.
He has pledged his support for Safer Business, Stronger Scotland – a pioneering campaign that will urge firms to commit to improving all their practices and policies.
The Scottish Business Resilience Centre (SBRC) has launched the campaign, with support from Police Scotland, Scottish Fire and Rescue Service and the Scottish Government. It is aimed at creating a strong economic base by helping entrepreneurs and organisations to be more resilient to the diverse threats to them and their employees.
Mackay said: The more resilient our businesses are, the more resilient Scotland’s economy is as a whole.
“It is initiatives like this that help to demonstrate that Scotland’s business community is an active participant in maintaining Scotland’s position as one of the safest places to do business in Europe.
“As well as SBRC’s national campaign, the Scottish Government is helping businesses to become more cyber resilient by funding the Cyber Essentials voucher scheme delivered by Scottish Enterprise.
“There are other simple ways in which businesses can safeguard themselves against cyber threat, which SBRC will be highlighting throughout the campaign.”
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Throughout October, focus will be placed on cyber awareness to help businesses identify the weaknesses in their online systems and put measures in place to reduce the risk of cyber-attacks. A free #PadlockPledge is a key part of the campaign, which could be anything from committing to make online passwords more complex to keeping staff safe through lone worker training.
Eamonn Keane, head of cyber security and innovation at SBRC, said: “Only by being aware of the possible risks, can businesses be prepared and bounce back should the worst happen ... Having the incredible support of our Economy Secretary highlights just how integral the safety and resilience of our workplaces is to our health and prosperity as a nation. We can all do our bit.
“Our businesses are often our communities too – and this campaign aims to bring benefit to everyone across Scotland.”
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