Ransomware Against Public Services
Attacks on councils and public bodies can take services offline for weeks and expose large volumes of personal data. Recovery often costs far more than prevention would have.
Critical National Infrastructure
Protect the services citizens depend on.
Councils, government bodies and public services hold sensitive data and run services people cannot do without. We help you defend them on public sector budgets and timescales.
TOP THREATS: GOVERNMENT & PUBLIC SECTORSector focus
Ransomware Against Public ServicesAttacks on councils and public bodies can take services offline for weeks and expose large volumes of personal data.
Nation-State EspionageState linked groups target policy, procurement and research information.
Legacy SystemsOlder line of business systems may be hard to patch or replace.
Shared Services and SuppliersOutsourced IT, shared platforms and software suppliers connect many organisations together.
The threat picture
Why attackers target government & public sector
Public bodies face the same criminal groups as private companies, plus state backed actors interested in policy, procurement and citizen data. Legacy systems, shared services and complex supply chains make it harder to see where the real risk sits.
Cybergen helps public sector organisations prioritise, test and monitor the systems that matter most, prepare for incidents and evidence progress against government frameworks.
Nation-State Espionage
State linked groups target policy, procurement and research information. Their intrusions are designed to stay hidden for long periods.
Legacy Systems
Older line of business systems may be hard to patch or replace. They need compensating controls, segmentation and careful monitoring.
Shared Services and Suppliers
Outsourced IT, shared platforms and software suppliers connect many organisations together. One weak link can affect several bodies at once.
Assurance and Accountability
Leaders must show that cyber risk is understood and managed. Frameworks such as the CAF and GovAssure turn that expectation into evidence.
Regulation and standards
The rules you work under
The obligations that shape security in government & public sector, and how we help you meet them with evidence rather than paperwork.
GovAssure
Central government departments and their arm's length bodies assess themselves against the NCSC Cyber Assessment Framework, with independent review of the results.
Official guidanceGovernment Cyber Security Strategy
The strategy sets the aim for government organisations to be resilient to known vulnerabilities and attack methods, using the CAF as the common assessment framework.
Official guidanceUK GDPR
Public bodies process large volumes of personal and special category data and must protect it with appropriate security and report qualifying breaches to the ICO.
Official guidanceNIS2 Directive
Public administration entities fall within NIS2 in EU member states, bringing risk management and incident reporting duties.
Official guidanceIllustrative scenario
A Council Locked Out on Monday Morning
How a typical attack on government & public sector unfolds, step by step. Press play to watch it run.
- 1Initial Access
An unpatched remote access appliance is exploited over a weekend using a publicly known vulnerability.
- 2Credential Theft
The attacker harvests administrator credentials and spreads across file servers and backup systems.
- 3Data Theft
Housing, benefits and social care records are copied out to a cloud storage account.
- 4Encryption
Systems are encrypted early on Monday, stopping payments, case management and contact centre tools.
Where Cybergen breaks the chain
Vulnerability management closes the exposed appliance, MDR spots the weekend activity, protected backups make recovery possible and a rehearsed incident plan keeps priority services running.
Illustrative example, not a real incident.
How we help
Security that fits how you operate
Sector insights
Latest thinking for government & public sector
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Can you help with GovAssure and the CAF?
Yes. We help organisations understand the CAF outcomes that apply to them, assess their current position and build an evidence led improvement plan.
Are you available through public sector frameworks?
Cybergen is a Crown Commercial Service supplier and listed on G-Cloud. Speak to us about the right route for your organisation.
How should we prioritise with limited budgets?
Start with the services that would hurt citizens most if they failed, then focus on the controls that stop the most common attacks: patching, MFA, backups and monitoring.
What should we do if we are attacked?
Follow your incident plan, preserve evidence, call your incident response provider and report to the relevant authorities. Our team can help immediately.
Get in touch
Talk to us about government & public sector
Tell us about your organisation, the regulations you work under and what is worrying you most.
Prefer to talk? Call +44 (0) 1865 950 828
Or email [email protected]
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