Interactive HIE roadshow comes to Orkney

Starting here in Orkney this week, Highlands and Islands Enterprise is hitting the road to teach people how to outsmart online criminals and spot cyber threats.

The free Cyber Sense on Tour workshops will visit businesses and communities throughout the Highlands and Islands using fun, interactive games to allow participants to get under the skin of hackers and learn the tricks of the trade.

The tour starts in Orkney with two events, the first at Orkney Library this Tuesday, February 12, and the second at the NorthLink ferry Hamnavoe at the Stromness terminal on Wednesday.

The interactive experience is open to all and will use innovative technology to create an immersive ‘point of view’ exercise, were participants can take the role of an employee, a cyber security professional and even a hacker to learn the tricks of the trade.

Concepts such as ‘phishing’ will be explained and audiences will be taught to spot scams, dissect spurious emails and prevent hackers taking over their online lives.

Working in collaboration with the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) and supported by the Scottish Government, the Cyber Sense sessions will provide a memorable and engaging way to discover how everyday actions can help protect people and companies from these evolving cyber dangers.

April Conroy, project manager at Highland and Islands Enterprise, said: “As the way we work and live becomes more integrated online, it can be easy to take for granted how much important information we upload to the internet. Whether it’s our personal information on social media or important financial details, it’s vital that we’re aware of how to keep our safe and secure from cyber criminals.”

“By really getting under the skin of these hackers, our Cyber Sense workshops can point out how to understand how these individuals work. Through the games we’ve designed, attendees will be able to competitively play roles on both sides of a cyber-crime. This offers a unique perspective that can show just what preventative measures can be taken to outsmart these online criminals.”

To learn more about the Cyber Sense on Tour event and to book a free place, visit www.hellodigital.scot/cyber-sense-2019/