London Digital Security Centre and Oxford University to Develop White Paper

LONDON - July 6, 2017 - PRLog -- Oxford University, in association with the London Digital Security Centre, will be looking at the challenges faced by SMEs (small to medium sized enterprises) and their importance to the economy as a supply chain link to larger companies and government, to produce an academic White Paper: Developing Security Education and Awareness Programmes for SMEs, for publication November 2017.

The paper, which will be released mid-November 2017, will provide an overall review of the Centre's approach and effectiveness on security education for SMEs. This work will provide recommendations for assessing the effectiveness of such programmes in future and the Centre's specifically.

Providing education and training for this sector is crucial in order to ensure that cybersecurity capacity measures, such as '10 Steps to Cyber Security – Cyber Essentials', are actually implemented. This paper will explore current offerings on cybersecurity education and training for SMEs and identify the existing gaps.

Drafted by Dr Maria Bada and Dr Jason R C Nurse, the authors have already published similar work on the effectiveness of cybersecurity awareness raising (https://www.sbs.ox.ac.uk/cybersecurity-capacity/system/fi...). This paper will build on previous knowledge and expertise using interviews and focus groups to collect information.

Said Dr Maria Bada, "Our aim is to review London Digital Security Centre's approach to security education for SMEs and the motivation for this initiative. We will critically reflect on the effectiveness of the Centre's approach thus far. Our methodology is based on qualitative (interviews of experts) and quantitative data (data collected by the Centre)."

The London Digital Security Centre has already recognised the challenges that SMEs face when it comes to cybersecurity and is helping businesses, primarily small to medium business, to embrace digital innovations and operate in a secure online environment protecting themselves against cyber criminals.

John Unsworth, Chief Executive for the London Digital Security Centre commented, "Our role at the Centre is to help improve the security posture of SME's operating in London. Its vital we understand their motivation and issues they face to ensure the training and advice we give is implemented - especially with over 1000 SME's in London reporting a digital crime to ActionFraud every month."

For further information on the London Digital Security Centre please visit www.londondsc.co.uk or contact John Unsworth by email at: john.unsworth@londondsc.co.uk.