Strengthening cyber resilience across Northern Ireland’s agriculture, environment, and rural sectors.
About DAERA
The Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA) in Northern Ireland is responsible for policies covering food production, farming, fisheries, forestry, environmental protection, and rural development.
DAERA promotes sustainable growth while safeguarding public health, animal welfare, consumer needs, and environmental conservation. The department also supports farmers with business guidance, delivers veterinary services, and provides education through the College of Agriculture, Food and Rural Enterprise (CAFRE).
In coordination with Defra, DAERA implements UK-wide and EU agricultural and environmental policies within Northern Ireland.
Cyber Security Risks in the Agricultural Sector
Given DAERA’s critical role, a cyber attack or data breach could have severe consequences. Potential impacts include:
- Disruption to food supply chains
- Economic losses across rural industries
- Compromised food safety and public trust
- Threats to national food security
- Loss of sensitive agricultural and environmental data
These risks highlight the importance of robust cyber security awareness and proactive defence strategies within the public sector.
The Challenge
Despite its extensive responsibilities, DAERA faced challenges in engaging employees with cyber security awareness training.
Traditional 45-minute PowerPoint-based training modules resulted in only 49% employee participation. This low engagement hindered DAERA’s ability to strengthen its cyber security posture and achieve ISO27001 certification.
Empowering and Educating Employees
To address this challenge, DAERA partnered with MetaCompliance to modernise its cyber security training programme.
MetaCompliance introduced bite-sized eLearning videos lasting just 2–3 minutes. This nano-learning approach made training more engaging, accessible, and easier to retain.
The training focused on cyber security best practices both at work and at home—particularly relevant as remote working increased following the COVID-19 pandemic.
Anytime, Anywhere Learning & Incident Reporting
One of the key improvements was the introduction of an “anytime, anywhere” learning model, allowing employees to complete training at their convenience.
MetaCompliance also implemented an Incident Reporting feature integrated with DAERA’s existing “Big Red Button” process. This streamlined incident reporting, enabling faster responses to potential cyber threats.
The Results
The transformation delivered immediate and measurable success.
- Employee engagement increased from 49% to 90% within weeks
- 3,900 employees adopted the new training format quickly
- Incident reporting became faster and more efficient
- Improved progress towards ISO27001 certification
The personalised and engaging content significantly strengthened DAERA’s overall cyber security posture.
Create Tailored Cyber Security Training
Through its collaboration with MetaCompliance, DAERA successfully transformed its cyber security awareness programme in a short timeframe.
By combining flexible learning, bite-sized content, and streamlined incident reporting, DAERA enhanced employee participation and reinforced its defences against cyber threats.