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Community Cyber Service

The UK has high levels of cyber-enabled fraud which are increasing year on year.

  • Over 50% of all crime being committed in the UK is fraud and cybercrime related
  • 42% of all crime against individuals is fraud
  • 200,000 cases of fraudulent conduct were reported to the NFIB in the first 6 months of 2022 – a rise of 11% compared to 2021

Vulnerable people of all ages are a particular target for this crime. Beyond providing online safety advice, there are currently no effective and affordable solutions that law enforcement can recommend to protect vulnerable people. Many large organisations and charities run valuable education campaigns about fraud, but vulnerable individuals often need assistance from others in order to implement basic cyber security controls.

The implementation of basic technical controls in schemes like Cyber Essentials have been successful for businesses in helping prevent the majority of common cyber attacks. IASME is keen to expand this simple prescriptive approach to protect the personal devices for people in the community. It would mean that even if someone is tricked into clicking a malicious link, the controls will help ensure that no harm is done.

Pilot Project

The Community Cyber Service will be offered initially as a pilot project with fifty users over a six month period. The pilot aims to use the processes that have been put into place by the research team of the Community projects team of IASME and UKCSF. The pilot will aim to test out the practicalities of setting up the technical controls on a vulnerable person’s device.

During the six months period of the pilot, the individuals and their devices will receive monthly cyber health checks to ensure the processes are continuing to be effective. In addition, the individuals will be given access to a helpline manned by IASME vetted staff to assist with any difficulties.

As well as measuring the performance of the pilot from a UKCSF and IASME point of view, users will be asked for their feedback throughout the process. A report of findings will be published once the pilot is complete so that lessons can be learnt before setting the project up on a longer-term basis.