Top UK companies offered free cyber health check

The UK's 350 largest businesses are being urged by the government to take part in a free Cyber Health Check to help them understand and improve their level of cyber security.

Companies taking part will receive a confidential, tailored report enabling them to understand boardroom trends, compare themselves to their peers and address any weaknesses identified. The health check also generates aggregated data showing how well the FTSE 350 companies are performing.

Speaking at the launch of the scheme at the Intel Security Summit in London today, Digital Economy Minister Ed Vaizey says, "With more and more of our daily transactions done online, keeping our personal data safe is a top priority for this government. Our Cyber Health Check will help the UK's biggest firms strengthen their cyber security and ensure they continue to thrive in our growing digital economy".

After last month's cyber attack on TalkTalk, Vaizey promised to write to the FTSE 350 firms reminding them of the steps that government expects them to take and the robust procedures businesses need to have in place. Alongside the cyber health check, businesses are being urged to use the government's cyber security guidance and adopt the Cyber Essentials scheme, which protects organisations -- both large and small -- against common threats on the internet.

The health check is part of the government's five-year £860m National Cyber Security Programme to protect the UK and make it one of the safest places in the world to do business online. Results from the 2014 health check show that 88 per cent of FTSE 350 firms include cyber security in their risk register -- up from 58 per cent in 2013. Also 58 per cent of firms now assess themselves against the government's 10 Steps to Cyber Security guidance -- up from 40 percent in 2013.

Full results from the 2014 health check can be found on the government’s site, along with official guidelines for business cyber security.

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