Councillors and committees

Agenda item

CYBER SAFE SURREY PROJECT UPDATE

To provide the Police and Crime Panel with an update on the work being undertaken as part of the CyberSafe Project.

Minutes:

Key points raised during the discussions:

 

·         The Deputy PCC informed the Panel that the Project Manager was absent from the meeting but the Project’s Policy Officer was present at the meeting as an observer.

 

·         The Deputy PCC noted that the report outlined how Cyber Safe Surrey can encourage Surrey residents to stay safe online. Further to this, the Deputy PCC informed the Panel that they were carrying out a county-wide survey on how adults use Information Technology (IT) and how safe people are online and in addition they were working with schools to train on how to use social media.

 

During the first week of the survey’s distribution, 7,000 responses were received and only three to four per cent of respondents obtain information regarding cyber security from the police. The Deputy PCC noted that the website was progressing and that in a three month period, over 20,000 people had visited the site.

 

·         A Panel member was concerned about the errors of the initial letter, which was sent to all councillors and whether those errors were apparent in the survey. The Deputy PCC responded that the letter had too many acronyms and the letter had to be re-written, but that the errors wouldn’t impact the survey.

 

·         A Panel member asked whether the financial sector are taking issues of financial related cyber crime seriously and if there was a guideline for cyber safety when teaching children at school. The Deputy PCC reassured the Panel that the issue was widespread across the financial sector and that the financial sector was working to combat cyber crime however the Deputy PCC emphasised that there was still more to do.

 

The Deputy PCC also reassured the Panel that there is a curriculum in place in schools to teach children how to stay safe against cyber crime. The Deputy PCC noted that the key point to teach children is that what is put online stays online forever as well as to communicate with family members, guardians/carers and teachers for advice and support.

 

·         A Panel member noted that the elderly should be more informed regarding cyber security as they are IT literate however may be less concerned about cyber safety. The Deputy PCC informed the Panel that they are collaborating with Age UK to inform the older, wealthier demographic about cyber safety.

 

The Deputy PCC noted that it was difficult to track the perpetrators as many are from abroad which limits the jurisdiction of the Police, however the National Crime Agency (NCA) and the financial sector were working hard to deal with cyber crime.

 

·         Regarding concerns from the Panel of the threat of cyber crime to small businesses, the Deputy PCC responded that the Federation of Small Businesses was involved in informing small businesses about cyber crime as well as alerting their members to the many scams that were out there.

 

·         The Panel agreed to promote the Cyber Safe Surrey Network.

 

 

RECOMMENDATIONS:

 

            None.

 

ACTIONS/FURTHER INFORMATION TO BE PROVIDED:

 

1.    The Deputy PCC to distribute leaflets for Top 10 Tips to avoid being a victim of cyber crime.

 

 

PANEL NEXT STEPS:

 

            None.

 

Supporting documents: