The first national scheme of its kind in the UK, which will
protect Welsh local authorities and all fire and rescue services
in Wales from cyber-attacks, has launched today (Friday, May 10).
Led by the Welsh Government, in collaboration with Merthyr Tydfil
County Borough Council, CymruSOC (Security Operations Centre)
will help ensure key organisations can continue offering critical
services without disruption due to cyber-attacks.
The SOC service, which will be managed by Cardiff-based firm,
Socura, will safeguard the data of the majority of the Welsh
population, as well as 60,000 employees across the public sector.
First Minister, said:
The challenges people across Wales have faced in recent years due
to the pandemic have shown the importance of digital in our
lives. It has become central to the way we learn, work, access
public services and do business. However, our reliance on
digital, has also led to a stark increase in the risk of
cyber-attacks which are becoming ever more common and
sophisticated.
CymruSOC is a first of its kind solution with social partnership
at its heart – ensuring we take a ‘defend as one' approach. It's
a vital part of our Cyber Action Plan for Wales, which – one year
since its launch – is making good progress to protect public
services and strengthen cyber resilience and preparedness.
The Socura SOC team will monitor for potential threats such as
phishing and ransomware from its 24/7 remote SOC.
In conjunction with the National Cyber Security Centre, CymruSOC
will also share threat intelligence information to ensure they
are aware of emerging risks.
CEO of Socura, Andy Kays said:
The CymruSOC is a fantastic initiative, and we feel honoured to
play a role in keeping Wales secure.
By sharing a SOC, and threat intel, across all Welsh local
authorities, even the smallest Welsh town will now have the
expertise and defences of a large modern enterprise organisation.
People rely on their local council at every stage of their life.
It's where they register a birth, apply for schools, housing, and
marriage licences, which makes them a prized target for
financially motivated cybercriminal groups as well as nation
state actors seeking to cause disruption to critical
infrastructure.
It is our job to ensure that these critical services remain
unaffected by cybercriminals' attempts to steal data and cause
disruption.
Leader of Merthyr Tydfil County Borough Council,
Councillor Geraint Thomas said:
The close collaboration between our Council and Welsh Government
has been a key factor in the success of this project.
Merthyr Tydfil's approach to cyber security has always been
innovative so I'm really pleased that as the contracting
authority, we continue to lead this work on behalf of the
CymruSOC member bodies, and other Welsh Public Sector bodies that
wish to utilise the CymruSOC going forward.
It provides some reassurance to the population of Wales that if
they use their Local Authority for any kind of service, then
CymruSOC will provide additional support and protection to
enhance existing cyber security controls.
ENDS
Notes to editors
The CymruSOC program is scheduled to run for 3 years, and Socura
is onboarding the first member bodies now.
18 of Wales' 22 local authorities are currently signed up to use
CymruSOC. The remaining four are currently utilising their own
SOC service.
Cyber action plan for Wales |
GOV.WALES
About Socura
Socura offers a 24/7 Threat Detection and Response managed
service via its nationally distributed, UK-based SOC team. The
service acts as a trusted extension of clients' in-house
capabilities, delivering swift detection and containment of cyber
threats.
Socura helps make the digital world a safer place for its clients
and changes the way organisations think about cyber security. It
blends technical expertise and industry experience with a
people-centric approach to security. Socura has innovation in its
DNA, and is pushing the boundaries to deliver high-value cyber
security services for clients.
