UK government to give lawyers & accountants free cyber security training

The legal and accountancy sectors are to be offered access to a free, online IT security training course to help members of these professions learn how to avoid cyber attacks.

It is also hoped the government-backed initiative will enable lawyers and accountants to advise their clients on cyber security best practice.

The course's launch is being announced in a speech by digital economy minister Ed Vaizey today at the Law Society in London.

In a statement, he said the sensitive data the legal and accountancy sectors handle makes them a prime target for cyber attacks.

Therefore, it's vitally important that people working in these industries are clued-up on cyber security issues.

"The new course we are launching today makes cyber security part of the day job for lawyers and accountants. It provides members of both professions with tailored and relevant guidance on how they can better protect themselves and their clients from cyber threats," said Vaizey.

"It's essential government and industry work together to protect UK companies from online attacks that can cause millions of pounds of damage."

The course content has been jointly created by the government, The Law Society, the Institute for Chartered Accountants in England and Wales, and the Solicitor's Regulatory Authority.

Robert Bourns, deputy vice president of the Law Society, said cyber crime poses not just a threat to solicitors and accountants, but to clients as well.

"Training to raise awareness and understanding for all involved in practice is an important part of protection," he said.

"That is why we are supporting our members by providing this bespoke training package, developed in partnership with the government and other professional bodies."

It will cover a wide range of issues, including how to protect digital information, avoid workplace data breaches and prevent cyber attacks occurring.

Funding for the training course will come from the government's five-year, 860 million National Cyber Security Programme, which aims to make the UK one of the safest places in the world to do business online.

Further details on the course can be found here.