The Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA) in Northern Ireland is responsible for a wide range of policies related to food, farming, the environment, fisheries, forestry, and rural development. It promotes sustainable growth in these sectors while ensuring consumer needs, public health, animal welfare, and environmental conservation are met. DAERA supports farmers with business advice, provides veterinary services for animal health, and offers education through its College of Agriculture, Food and Rural Enterprise (CAFRE). The department also coordinates with Defra on UK-wide schemes and implements EU policies in Northern Ireland.
Given DAERA's crucial role in these areas, a cyber attack or data breach in the agricultural sector could be highly disruptive. Such an event could destabilise food supply chains, lead to significant economic losses, and compromise food safety. The theft of valuable data, threats to national food security, and erosion of trust in digital farming technologies are also potential risks. Additionally, the legal, environmental, and national security implications underscore the need for robust cybersecurity measures to protect this vital sector.
Despite DAERA's extensive responsibilities, one area where the department was struggling was in effectively engaging its employees in Cyber Security Awareness Training. Their existing Security Awareness Training relied on traditional, lengthy PowerPoint presentations and 45-minute modules. This approach proved ineffective, resulting in only 49% of employees participating. This low engagement hindered DAERA’s efforts to bolster its cyber security posture and meet ISO27001 certification requirements.
Empowering and Educating Employees
A Partnership with MetaCompliance
MetaCompliance provided DAERA with a more engaging approach through 2-3 minute nano videos, significantly boosting participation. The content emphasised the importance of cyber security at work and home, aligning with the remote working trend during the COVID-19 pandemic. MetaCompliance also introduced an 'anytime, anywhere' learning approach and an Incident Reporting feature linked to DAERA's 'Big Red Button' process, streamlining incident reporting.
Recognising the need for a more dynamic and engaging approach to cyber security awareness, DAERA partnered with MetaCompliance. The aim of this collaboration was to revolutionise the department's security training and foster greater employee participation. MetaCompliance introduced a more engaging approach through bite-sized eLearning videos, making the content more digestible and accessible for employees. The training content emphasised the importance of cyber security both at work and at home, which was especially relevant as remote working became a norm after the COVID-19 pandemic.
One of the key features introduced by MetaCompliance was an 'anytime, anywhere' learning approach. This allowed employees to access training at their convenience, which significantly contributed to the rise in engagement. Moreover, MetaCompliance implemented an Incident Reporting feature integrated with DAERA's existing 'Big Red Button' process. This streamlined the process for reporting security incidents, making it more efficient and ensuring that potential security threats were addressed promptly.
The results surpassed expectations. Within just a few weeks, DAERA's 3,900 employees quickly adapted to the new training format, with engagement soaring to 90%.
Additionally, the Incident Reporting feature proved to be crucial for the department, saving time and enhancing responses to potential security threats. Implementing MetaCompliance's solutions not only advanced DAERA's ISO27001 certification efforts but also strengthened their overall cyber security stance. The personalised content further enriched the user experience.
Through its collaboration with MetaCompliance, DAERA successfully transformed its cyber security Awareness Training program, achieving remarkable results in a short period. The combination of engaging, bite-sized content, flexible learning options, and efficient incident reporting significantly enhanced both employee participation and the department's overall security capabilities.
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