Cyber security at Copeland Borough Council has been hailed as a positive example for others to follow.
The Local Government Association chose the authority and eight others from 75 applications and will see it receive a grant of up to £20,000 to help it develop a tool to help other councils.
David Cowan, head of IT, said: “This is a great confirmation of the work undertaken by Copeland on our continual journey in improving our cyber security not just here at Copeland but also in helping the wider local government sector across the UK.
“Working closely with the LGA and the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) this project will see Copeland lead on developing a new supplier assessment tool to further improve local government cyber security around supply chain risks.’
The council experienced a significant cyber attack in 2017 and since then has worked hard to keep its IT systems safe. This new tool is designed to protect councils when working with external companies. It is designed so that it can be reused many times.
Councillor David Moore, portfolio holder for IT, said: “We have a well established and resourceful IT team. It is great to see their innovation and dedication to keeping councils safe from attack recognised in this way.
“The effects of a cyber attack on an organisation can’t be down played so we welcome the news that the LGA are putting money into developing new ways of working.”
The council will use the grant to develop the technology by working with other councils in other parts of the country.
