Cyber-attack concern at Reading Council as training among officers ‘worryingly low’

Cyber security is currently considered the most concerning risk in the council’s Strategic Risk Register, a list of key vulnerabilities at the local authority that need to be closely monitored.

Yet just a third of council officers have completed cyber security training, while just over half of councillors have taken the training.

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The council says the risks of a cyber-attack are: service disruption, data loss or damage, financial loss and/or reputational damage.

This is the only risk on the register that is currently rated ‘red’, with all other risks – such as failure to recover from Covid-19 and ineffective adult safeguarding – rated amber or green.

RBC says the anticipated impact of a cyber-attack has increased following learning from incidents experienced by Haringey and Redcar & Cleveland ransomware attacks.

Redcar & Cleveland Council suffered a ransomware attack in 2020

The risk register report states: “While all technical measures that can sensibly be taken prior to transition to the ICT Future Operating Model have been taken, training takeup amongst staff and members remains worryingly low despite ongoing communications.

“A phishing test undertaken in March indicated that training and communications had had some impact but that we still fell short of the target standard.”

The latest figures on take up of cyber security training were presented at the council’s Audit and Governance (A&G) committee and  show 24 councillors (52 per cent) and 699 officers (33 per cent) have completed the training.

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Back in January, an A&G committee report revealed just six councillors (13 per cent) of councillors had completed the training, leading to a drive among group leaders.

At that time, 606 officers (29 per cent) had completed the training, showing the effort from councillors has ramped up while council officers’ take up has stagnated.

Conservative councillor David Stevens, who is chairman of the A&G committee, said: “We all should do it. I have pressed our group that we should.”

Labour councillor and lead member for Corporate and Consumer Services Ellie Emberson added: “We have done the same”.

The council says “actions are in hand to improve the take-up of the training by staff”.

This includes better monitoring of training take-up through the Council’s HR system to give managers increased visibility of who has completed the required training.