• Many FTSE 350 boards still don’t understand the impact of a cyber attack on their business
• Incident plans are in place but are not tested thoroughly enough
• New measuring tool will help firms manage their cyber risk more effectively

Boards at some of the UK’s biggest companies still don’t fully understand the potential impact of a cyber attack according to a new report.

The Government’s Cyber Governance Health Check looks at the approach the UK’s FTSE 350 companies take for cyber security. The 2018 report published today shows that less than a fifth (16%) of boards have a comprehensive understanding of the impact of loss or disruption associated with cyber threats. That’s despite almost all (96%) having a cyber security strategy in place.

Additionally, although the majority of businesses (95%) do have a cyber security incident response plan, only around half (57%) actually test them on a regular basis.

Digital Minister Margot James said:

The UK is home to world leading businesses but the threat of cyber attacks is never far away. We know that companies are well aware of the risks, but more needs to be done by boards to make sure that they don’t fall victim to a cyber attack.

This report shows that we still have a long way to go but I am also encouraged to see that some improvements are being made. Cyber security should never be an add-on for businesses and I would urge all executives to work with the National Cyber Security Centre and take up the government’s advice and training that’s available.

Awareness of the threat of cyber attacks has increased. Almost three quarters (72%) of respondents acknowledge the risk of cyber threats is high, which is a big improvement of only just over half (54%) in 2017.

The implementation of the General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR) in 2018 has had a positive effect in increasing the attention that boards are giving cyber threats. Over three quarters (77%) of those responding to last years health check said that board discussion and management of cybersecurity had increased since GDPR. As a result over half of those businesses had also put in place increased security measures.

Ciaran Martin, CEO of the NCSC, said:

Every company must fully grasp their own cyber risk – which is why we have developed the NCSC’s Board Toolkit to help them. This survey highlights some urgent issues companies will be able to address by putting our Toolkit’s advice into practice.

Cyber security is a mainstream business risk, and board members need to understand it in the same way they understand financial or health and safety risks.

Meanwhile, more work is being done to improve the cyber resilience of business, and a new project has been announced that will help companies understand their level of resilience. The cyber resilience metrics will be based on a set of risk-based principles to allow firms to measure and benchmark the extent to which they are managing their cyber risk profile effectively.

Once developed these indicators will provide board members with information to understand where further action and investment is needed.

Government is recommending the Boards continue to make improvements to their cyber security. This includes using the guidance published by the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) to improve the management of risks.

Companies should also ensure that cyber risks are taken into account in their business strategy and appoint a Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) or other appropriately placed staff members who can clearly communicate information about cyber risks to the board.

Notes to editors:

1. Read the 2018 FTSE 350 Cyber Governance Health

2. DCMS’s Cyber Governance Health Check is part of the Government’s National Cyber Security Strategy: 2016-2021 to make the UK the safest place to live and do business online. It is backed by £1.9 billion investment over five years.

3. The 2018 FTSE 350 Cyber Governance Health Check was undertaken in partnership with Winning Moves and support from EY, KPMG, PwC and Deloitte who have worked with their FTSE 350 clients to participate in the survey.

Additional quotes

Richard Horne, cyber security partner at PwC said:

Boards need to recognise that they have a responsibility to drive changes to business and IT operating models to enable their organisations to be securable. Managing cyber risk is about far more than just building security controls, and requires board-driven business change.

At PwC, we work with a variety of organisations and there’s always a noticeable difference in those who have a strong understanding of cyber risk at board level.

Gavin Cartwright, Associate Partner, Cyber security at EY said:

With only 1 in 5 FTSE 350 companies undergoing a cyber simulation last year, the report highlights that cyber security is still not fully embedded in the culture of many of these companies. In addition to having cyber security strategies in place, organisations and their boards need to continually build and invest in their in-house capabilities, practice responses and train and evaluate cyber-first responders across their business and supply chain.

Kevin Williams of the KPMG UK cyber security practice said:

Cyber security is a business issue, not an IT issue. Some of the more successful companies ensure regular reporting on cyber risks directly to the board, creating clear line of sight between the business and the risk. They also ensure regular testing of their capabilities to respond to information security incidents.

The 2018 survey shows that we are moving in a positive direction, but there continues to be a need for a more comprehensive understanding of the impact of loss or disruption associated with cyber threats to an organisation. The investment needs to be not only financial but in education for all and ensuring the right resources are in place to innovate, take advantage of new technological advances, whilst assessing the risks and responding accordingly.

Public Health England (PHE) has today, Tuesday 5 March 2019, launched the major new national campaign ‘Cervical Screening Saves Lives’, to increase the number of women attending their cervical screening across England.

The campaign will encourage women to respond to their cervical screening invitation letter, and if they missed their last screening, to book an appointment at their GP practice.

Around 2,600 women are diagnosed with cervical cancer in England each year, and around 690 women die from the disease, which is 2 deaths every day. It is estimated that if everyone attended screening regularly, 83% of cervical cancer cases could be prevented.

New research from PHE shows that nearly all women eligible for screening (90%) would be likely to take a test that could help prevent cancer – and of those who have attended screening, 9 in 10 (94%) would encourage others who are worried to attend their cervical screening. Despite this, screening is at a 20-year low, with 1 in 4 eligible women (those aged 25 to 64) in the UK not attending their test.

The new PHE campaign provides practical information about how to make the test more comfortable, and gives reassurance to women, who may be fearful of finding out they have cancer, that screening is not a test for cancer.

Regular screening, which only takes a few minutes, can help stop cervical cancer before it starts, as the test identifies potentially harmful cells before they become cancerous, and ensures women get the right treatment as soon as possible.

The PHE research shows that once they have been screened, the vast majority of women feel positive about the experience, with 8 in 10 (87%) stating they are ‘glad they went’ and that they were ‘put at ease by the nurse or doctor doing the test’ (84%).

Professor Anne Mackie, Director of Screening Programmes at PHE said:

The decline in numbers getting screened for cervical cancer is a major concern as it means millions of women are missing out on a potentially life-saving test. Two women die every day in England from cervical cancer, yet it is one of the most preventable cancers if caught early.

We want to see a future generation free of cervical cancer but we will only achieve our vision if women take up their screening invitations. This is a simple test which takes just five minutes and could save your life. It’s just not worth ignoring.

Steve Brine, Public Health Minister said:

It is a tragedy that women are needlessly dying of cancer when a simple test can identify any risks early on. We hope this new campaign – the first of its kind in this country – will save lives and I am delighted to see it launch today.

Improving cancer detection and diagnosis is a core part of our Long Term Plan for the NHS, and from April, any patients with suspected cancer will begin to receive a diagnosis or the all clear within 28 days, and £200 million is being invested to fund new ways to rapidly detect and treat cancer.

Dr Dawn Harper said:

Cervical screening is one of the most important things women can do to protect themselves from the risk of cervical cancer. Screening can stop cancer before it starts and saves thousands of lives every year.

Some women are nervous or embarrassed about the test and put off having it done. While it’s not the most enjoyable experience most women say it wasn’t as bad as expected and were glad they did it.

The tests are usually done at your GP surgery by female nurses who are trained to make women feel more comfortable and talk them through the process. I cannot stress how important it is not to ignore your screening letter – it’s a five-minute test that could be lifesaving.

Christine Lampard, television presenter, said:

I can’t say I’m thrilled when my cervical screening invite is posted through my door, but I know how important it is that I get tested. It’s an awkward five minutes that could save your life!

As a mother, I will never ignore my screening invitation and when my daughter, Patsy, is old enough, I‘ll encourage her to attend her screenings too. As women we should talk positively about our bodies and the importance of cervical screening – it’s an important way to protect our health.

The campaign is also being supported by charities, including Jo’s Cervical Cancer Trust. Activity includes new advertising on TV and other channels, together with the cascade of information through GP surgeries and pharmacies.

For further information about cervical screening, please search ‘NHS Cervical Screening’ or view the NHS Cervical Screening resources.

Background

• This campaign is run with the support of NHS England and charity partners, such as Jo’s Cervical Cancer Trust, Eve Appeal and Lady Garden
• Campaign assets including the new TV advert, can be downloaded from Dropbox
• Cancer is one of the leading causes of premature death in England, accounting for over 40% of premature deaths, with an annual cost to the NHS of £5 billion. Early diagnosis of cancer and screening programmes are important parts of the NHS Long Term Plan

The government’s response to its Call for Evidence on the impact of social media on criminal trials (PDF, 114KB, 16 pages) has revealed that social media doesn’t currently pose a serious threat.

The Call asked for examples of trials being affected by social media commentary, and evidence of anonymity orders or reporting restrictions being breached via social media.

Individuals from across the criminal justice system, as well as members of the public, media organisations and academics were consulted and agreed that, although the risk has increased in recent years, social media does not yet pose a serious threat to the criminal justice system.

Commenting on the Call for Evidence, the Solicitor General, Robert Buckland QC MP said:

Every defendant in this country is entitled to a fair trial where a verdict is delivered based on the evidence heard in court.

We launched this Call for Evidence with the goal of discovering whether the legal process was at risk due to social media, and whether people working in the criminal justice system have the tools they need to manage that risk. I am pleased to say that our respondents reported that this risk is relatively minor, and that they are already confident that they can mitigate the risk where it does arise. We need to guard against any future proliferation of the threat, however.

Social media users must think before they post – the rules are the same as those for traditional media, and being found in contempt of court could result in a fine or up to two years in prison.

One area of concern was that some social media users are unaware of reporting restrictions and of what would constitute a breach of an anonymity order or contempt of court. Therefore, social media posts which are in contempt of court or which identify someone subject to an anonymity order are not uncommon. This has the potential to put trials at risk, as it could prejudice parties involved in the case, such as jurors, although cases where this has occurred have so far been rare.

To address these concerns, a new ‘Contempt of Court’ webpage on GOV.UK has been launched to promote the safe use of social media by clearly and accessibly explaining the risks and implications of using social media to undermine the administration of justice.

To further mitigate the risk of juries becoming prejudiced, the Judicial Office has begun work to produce new, comprehensive guidance on contempt for jurors. However, members of the judiciary reported that they are confident that they already have access to the tools necessary to mitigate the effects of prejudicial social media posts, although there was some concern about the delay that these can cause to the trial process.

Notes to editors

1. The Call for Evidence was launched in September 2017, under the previous Attorney General Jeremy Wright QC MP.
2. The Call for Evidence requested examples of active proceedings in which social media had an impact, breaches of reporting restrictions, and other thematic concerns.
3. The Contempt of Court Act 1981 provides the framework for what can be published in order to ensure that legal proceedings are fair and that the rights of those involved in them are properly protected.

National Apprenticeship Week 2019 (NAW 2019) will showcase all the incredible opportunities doing an apprenticeship can bring – both for individuals firing up their careers, and for employers blazing a trail in their business and reaping the benefits of employing an apprentice.

In this daily round up we will feature a selection of events, announcements and good news stories from The Week.

There’s still time to get involved, so please download our supporting documents to find out more.

Join in the conversation and share your NAW activities on social media and tag us @Apprenticeships and use the hashtags #NAW2019 and #BlazeATrail.

Monday

Top 100 apprenticeship employer league table announced, along with IiP quality mark for apprenticeship employers

Marking the launch of National Apprenticeship Week 2019 with news of a new league table of top apprenticeship employers – blazing their own trail across England – which will rate the Top 100 large apprenticeship employers AND Top 50 SMEs. A new quality mark for apprenticeships – developed in partnership with Community Interest Company ‘Investors in People’ to shine a light on high-quality apprentice employers has also been announced.

Education Secretary Damian Hinds said:

We’ve transformed apprenticeships in this country. But that wouldn’t have been possible without the employers who have been at the forefront of developing new high-quality apprenticeship opportunities that provide great training, and the employers who have embraced the huge benefits apprenticeships are bringing to their workplaces.

This National Apprenticeship Week, I want to celebrate their contribution – giving thousands of people of all ages and backgrounds the opportunity to learn new skills and secure an exciting career.

You can find out more here.

Damian Hinds visits WSP Head Office

Education Secretary, Damian Hinds, marked the launch of National Apprenticeship Week with a visit to WSP. WSP are one of the world’s leading engineering professional services consulting firms, who currently employ 180 Advanced, higher and Degree apprentices.

He met current apprentices and took part in a roundtable discussion, learning more about the WSP programme and their apprenticeship experience.

North West Ambulance Service receive Ministerial visit

Apprenticeships and Skills Minister Anne Milton MP today visited the North West Ambulance Service, based in Bolton, to meet some of their apprentices in job roles including ambulance technicians, call handlers and paramedics.

North West Ambulance Service apprentices met by the Minister are trained to deliver the right care, at the right time, in the right place – giving them an excellent foundation to progress in their careers, whilst making a huge difference to the lives of others.

National Apprenticeship Week trending and Steph McGovern supports The Week

This morning National Apprenticeship Week, #BlazeATrail and #NAW2019 all trended on Twitter. Thanks to everyone who got involved!

Steph McGovern, BBC Breakfast Presenter, was also tweeting this morning after she interviewed Adrianna Baker, an inspirational young woman who used her apprenticeship to blaze her own trail.

Adrianna set up her own street food business, and shared with some advice on how to make it on your own.

The Big Assembly 2019

Thousands of students, parents and careers advisers from across the the country joined The Big Assembly 2019 to find out what an apprenticeship could mean for them.

The live video streamed event was hosted by apprentices, and covered topics such as how to apply to an apprenticeship, what the process is like, what it’s like to be an apprentice and what your career holds at the end of the apprenticeship.

Media Planet

Fantastic coverage from today’s Media Planet from Apprenticeships and Skills Minister Anne Milton on the benefits apprenticeships bring to employers and the passion apprentices bring to the workplace.

Blaze – Benefits

Great to see support from employers across Twitter today, with many spelling out how they have benefited from employing apprentices, and their return on investment, using our ‘BlazeATrail’ images.

These employers included Hemlow Ltd; Careers in Health and Social Care and Oxford University.

Tuesday

Minister visits Torbay

Apprenticeships and Skills Minister Anne Milton visited Torbay Development Agency and South Devon College, where she met with apprentice employers from across the region at a breakfast event organised by some of their own talented and committed apprentices as part of the Opportunities through Apprenticeships Project.

TES ‘Inspiring Apprentices’ campaign

TES launched their ‘Inspiring Apprentices’ campaign yesterday marking the start of National Apprenticeship Week 2019, to spotlight apprentices at all levels and in all industries. The campaign originated by Jason Holt, Chair of the Apprenticeship Ambassador Network and backed by Apprenticeships and Skills Minister Anne Milton, and will regularly include case studies from both the Apprenticeship Ambassador Network and Young Apprenticeship Ambassador Network, highlighting the benefits apprenticeships bring to both apprentices and employers alike.

Apprentices at Dartmoor National Parks

Dartmoor National Parks have employed apprentices in Conservation Works, Communications and IT since 2016. Each of their apprentices have progressed through the business, bringing new ideas and energy. They are supporting #NAW2019 – it’s great to have their support.

Support from Grantham College

Grantham College are supporting our Blaze Benefits campaign – spelling out the Learning opportunities apprentices get. 71% of their apprentices agreed that their chance of earning a higher wage in the future increased because of their apprenticeship learning and training. Another positive success story!

Wednesday

BBC Breakfast

Apprenticeships featured on BBC Breakfast this morning, with our Fire It Up campaign star Sarah, a Trainee Ophthalmic Nurse with the NHS, joining Steph McGovern in the studio. Sarah and Steph chatted about all the benefits of apprenticeships for people looking to change career, and how she used an apprenticeship to get her dream job.

You can watch the interview online until 9:15am Thursday 7 March. The apprenticeships content begins at 48 Minutes.

Celebrating apprenticeship beginnings

Anne Milton visited University of East London today to attend an event celebrating over 100 new apprentices starting their apprenticeships. Anne met with staff, employers and apprentices from a wide range of organisations including Barclays Bank, Thames Tideway and NHS Trusts.

#AskAnApprentice trending!

Today was #AskAnApprentice day, and all across the country apprentices took over Twitter and their workplaces to chat about apprenticeships and their journey. Support for the campaign was exceptional, and resulted in #AskAnApprentice trending nationally! Thanks to our Department for Education apprentices Emily, Kevin, Kate and Charmaine, who took over @Apprenticeships to join in the discussion.

Anne Milton’s apprentice meet and greet

Yesterday, Anne Milton visited Cornwall Council to meet new and existing apprentices, managers and senior leaders. Anne took part in a roundtable with apprentices who gave her a flavour of the apprenticeship programme and how they have benefited.

Media coverage

Yet again apprenticeships, and National Apprenticeship Week, have received some excellent media coverage.

Cosmopolitan ran an online article on ‘14 cool apprenticeships you might not know existed’, and the Evening Standard featured an 8 page special ‘Apprenticeships 2019’.

The Gazette News featured an article on The British Army’s Apprenticeship Awards which took place this week, and the Tees Business website includes a piece on Teesside University’s recent ‘outstanding’ apprenticeship provision inspection by Ofsted.

Blaze Benefits

Our week of Blaze Benefits continues, and today is A for Aspire – an apprentice’s view on what their apprenticeship has enabled them to achieve.

Thanks to everyone who got involved today, including Intraining who shared this brilliant Q&A session with their apprentice Beth.

Thursday

Anne Milton out and about

Today, Apprenticeships and Skills Minister Anne Milton visited Bradford Dental apprentices at ‘Dentistry at BD4’, where she had a go at dentistry using a model head and mouth. Minister Milton spent time with the very passionate apprentices in the practice before visiting engineering firm AESSEAL Mechanical Seals & Support Systems, shadowing apprentices designing, and manufacturing mechanical seals.

The Minister’s day was wrapped up with a trip to Bradford College’s Grove Restaurant to meet hospitality apprentices. The Minister helped in the kitchen with food preparation and was invited to a #NAW2019 lunch with local apprentice employers, including Bradford Council, Judith Cummins MP and Bradford Royal Infirmary.

Apprenticeships, Skills and Careers for the Future

Our own Apprenticeships, Skills and Careers for the Future event took place earlier today, with the National Careers Service and WorldSkills UK. The event included careers leaders and young people, with inspirational apprentices and Fire It Up campaign stars in attendance, all showcasing the benefits apprenticeships bring to individuals, employers, local communities and the economy.

Blaze Benefits

Our Blaze Benefits series continued today with Z for Zest.

Thanks again to everyone who took part. We loved hearing +24 Marketing apprentices talk about their zest for success!

Tomorrow is E for Energise, recognising the energy that apprentices bring to a business. Get involved and help us #BlazeATrail.

Friday

NAW2019 events map update

Fantastic news to share… we have surpassed 1,000 events taking place across the country this Week – an increase on 2018!

A final tally is being taken and we will share next week!

Invotra visit from minister celebrates International Women’s Day

Today, on International Women’s Day, Education and Skills Minister Anne Milton visited the Digital Accessibility testing lab at Invotra, where she took part in a cyber-security challenge with two fantastic female apprentices.

The minister had lunch with past and current apprentices – representing over a third of Invotra’s total workforce.

We also joined in the #IWD2019 conversation online, sharing inspirational female apprenticeship success stories across our social media channels.

There are some truly fantastic female apprentices working in exciting sectors and today’s celebration helped to showcase some of the best female apprentices in England.

MP Ambassador visit

Gillian Keegan MP, MP Apprenticeship Ambassador, attended the ‘How apprenticeships work for SMEs’ event in Chichester today.

Organised by the South East Apprenticership Ambassador Network and the Federation of Small Businesses, the event included levy employers wanting to transfer funds and SMEs in supply chains eager to do more.

Gillian spoke about how she started her career as an apprentice at the age of 16, and employers spoke about the benefits of employing apprentices.

Landmark week for ASK programme

National Apprenticeship Week 2019 has been a landmark week for the ASK programme. The programme, which supports schools and colleges nationwide to improve understanding and awareness around apprenticeships, has supported over 300 school events and activities across the week, resulting in over 16.5k engaged students. A further 425 events have been booked for the rest of March also.

Uptake across the programme’s other NAW2019 resources has been exceptional – 25,000 apprenticeship information posters were distributed to schools nationwide, an activity pack designed to inspire students has been used in more than 2,000 schools and colleges, the online apprenticeships quiz has had over 4,000 participants, and nearly 250 teachers participated by showing the ‘Teacher Talks’ film to their colleagues. Find out more about the ASK programme today.

Blaze Benefits

Our Blaze Benefits series ends today with E for Energise.

We have really enjoyed hearing about all the benefits of hiring an apprentice, and how their passion and energy can fire up the whole business.

We hope you will continue to share these positive experiences throughout the year!

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