New chief information security officer to work with councils in facing up to risk of cyber attacks
Andy Grayland has been appointed as chief information security officer (CISO) to the Scottish Digital Office for Local Government to support local authorities against the risk of cyber attacks.
His role will involve providing leadership to help local authorities deliver against the goals of the Cyber Resilience Strategy for Scotland, the National Cyber Security Strategy and the recently announced Scottish Government Action Plan on Cyber Resilience.
He will also work with chief executive officers and council management teams to ensure cyber security threats and vulnerabilities are proactively managed at the highest levels of the organisations. This will involve helping IT managers, information security officers and data protection officers to review cyber security controls and develop collaborative actions plans for harmonising and continuously improving how security threats are managed across the sector.
Lorraine McMillian, chief executive of East Renfrewshire Council and chair of the Scottish Local Government Digital Transformation Board, said: “Cyber attacks are becoming increasingly sophisticated and it is crucial that local authorities do all they can to guard against these attacks. By working collaboratively, we can ensure that councils can minimise the chance of a successful attack.”
Solid foundations
Grayland, who is a former information systems security professional in the Ministry of Defence, said: “The Scottish Government's mission to create a ‘Safe, Secure and Prosperous’ digital nation must be laid upon the solid foundations of cyber security. Scottish local authorities have already begun to lead by example, demonstrating a wealth of talent and experience across the board.
“Together, we will show that we are stronger standing shoulder to shoulder against a common threat than as individuals tackling the same issues.”
The Scottish Digital Office is funded by 30 local authorities to drive digital transformation by establishing partnership working, to improve how services function and how councils serve their residents.
