The Police Digital Security Centre launched at IFSEC last month. It’s described as a police-backed cyber-security certification scheme. Pictured are David Mudd, Global Digital Product Director at BSI; Guy Ferguson, CEO of Police Crime Prevention Initiatives; and Simon Newman, Strategic Development Lead for the PDSC.
The Centre (PDSC) has evolved from the London Digital Security Centre (LDSC), set up in 2015 by the Mayors’ Office for Policing and Crime with the Metropolitan Police and City of London Police to help small and medium sized businesses against cyber-crime. The LDSC has become the PDSC and will work across the whole of the UK.
Focused around five strategic priorities, the PDSC’s work will include the LDSC’s community outreach, design and delivery of accredited training through the Police Crime Prevention Academy, and a first police-backed digital security certification. The PDSC has worked with BSI (British Standards), on the development of a number of digital security certification schemes. Organisers add that police will be able to champion local firms that have achieved the Digitally Aware or Digitally Resilient certificate.
Simon Newman, Strategic Development Lead for the PDSC, said: “It is our intention that a police-backed cyber-security certification scheme will ensure an easily identifiable platform of best practice across the digital landscape. This will be a unique and recognisable certification that will assist those seeking a clear differential in a very crowded and ever-changing digital security marketplace. Organisations will benefit from it because it will enable them to demonstrate that they have taken the necessary security steps to instill confidence in their product and supply chain and help end users choose effective and appropriate solutions.
“The overall objective is to achieve an industry recognised certification for producers of cyber defence products in the same way that SBD has achieved for manufacturers of security-related products in the building industry, such as doors, windows and locks. By harnessing the wealth of expertise provided by SBD, we can achieve an industry certification that will help cyber security producers and the organisations that use their products.”
And, David Mudd, Global Digital Product Director at BSI said: “We’re delighted to be working with the PDSC in order to help organisations improve their digital security and are committed to supporting organisations with this challenge. Through awareness, training, testing and other information security-minded practices, we help organisations to capture the opportunities that digital business can bring, minimize their risk and enhance resilience.”
Visit www.policedsc.com.
Separately, Heald Ltd, the Yorkshire based manufacturer of hostile vehicle mitigation products, is one of the latest companies to renew their membership with Secured by Design (SBD).
