The UK government this week launched a free online training course designed to improve the cyber security skills of legal and accountancy professionals.
The new course, which will be funded by the government’s £860 million National Cyber Security Programme, is aimed at helping these professionals better protect their organizations and their clients from attacks which could disrupt operations or lead to information theft.
The focus will be on safeguarding data and raising awareness on common cyber risks and threats – and in so doing tooling up legal and accountancy pros to better cope with such threats, the government said.
“The new course we are launching today makes cyber security part of the day job for lawyers and accountants,” said digital economy minister, Ed Vaizey, in a statement.
“It provides members of both professions with tailored and relevant guidance on how they can better protect themselves and their clients from cyber threats. It’s essential government and industry work together to protect UK companies from online attacks that can cause millions of pounds worth of damage.”
The course, as outlined by The Law Society, is just one hour long and includes four modules: Introduction to Cyber Security; Cyber Security – Your Responsibilities; Managing the Cyber Risk; and Scenarios.
On the threat side it will cover “phishing” and “hacking” and how to mitigate their impacts.
The move was welcomed by security experts.
“It’s a positive step to see the UK government offering this type of training to legal and accountancy firms,” said Anthony Hess, principal advisor in KPMG’s cyber security group.
“The fact is that lawyers and accountants handle some of the most sensitive and valuable client data. It is essential that they are up to speed with the latest threats, because if the clients are well defended and their advisers are not, attackers will simply move on to this easier target to achieve their aims.”