Made Smarter Yorkshire’s fully funded programme strengthens SME cyber resilience through training, Cyber Champions, and a pathway to ISO 27001 certification.

The Made Smarter Yorkshire cyber security programme will be instrumental in enhancing digital resilience among the manufacturers through free training, advice, and accreditation services. Backed by a £400,000 pilot project, the program will allow manufacturers to recognize cybersecurity threats, raise awareness among workers, and increase security as manufacturing processes become more and more interconnected.

This programme, delivered through Sheffield Hallam University, is due to begin in September and may well influence future cyber security provision for manufacturers’ SMEs throughout England.

Four Levels of Cyber Security Support

The programme shall provide four tiers of support from simple cyber awareness to internationally accepted ISO 27001 certification. The framework is aimed at supporting firms in various stages of developing their cybersecurity framework, especially small manufacturers who may not have the capacity to develop such cybersecurity measures.

Step one involves the participation in a 2.5 hour Cyber Security Awareness online training that is open to SME manufacturers in the Yorkshire region. This will help the participants understand the risks such as phishing, weak passwords, and cloud security, among others.

Cyber Champions Put People at the Centre

An important part of the initiative involves the creation of Cyber Security Champions within the companies taking part. These people will be trained to identify the dangers, promote secure use of IT and improve security awareness at their respective companies.

Dharmendra Shadija, head of the School of Computing and Digital Technologies at Sheffield Hallam University, explained that the university's experts in cyber security, digital forensics, and organisational change will assist the manufacturers to gain knowledge and confidence.

This emphasis on employees comes as part of a larger problem that faces the manufacturing industry. As noted by Made Smarter Yorkshire, human error is one of the main causes of security breaches.

Rising Cyber Threats Raise the Stakes

Cyber threats are growing to become a risk of operation for manufacturing companies because there are implications that may spread outside of the IT system such as disruption in production, order delays, increased cost, among others.

As reported by the National Cyber Security Centre, there have been more than twice the number of national significance of cyber-attacks, and the private sector in the UK would need to bear an average cost of £190,000 for each attack. The economic effect will be £14.7 billion every year.

Key takeaways:

  • Fully funded programme targets Yorkshire manufacturing SMEs

  • Training covers practical cyber risks and resilience

  • Businesses can progress towards ISO 27001 accreditation

  • Employees will become trained Cyber Security Champions

  • Pilot findings could influence national support schemes

The programme will also overcome the cost and knowledge barriers that may hinder smaller manufacturers from becoming cyber-resilient. Through affordable training and the development of a pathway for achieving higher accreditation levels, this pilot seeks to make digital security not only a technical concern but a business one.

Thus, Business Fortune believes that strengthening cyber awareness and workforce skills will help manufacturers build lasting resilience against evolving digital threats.

 

FAQs

What is the Made Smarter Yorkshire cyber security programme?

It is a fully funded initiative helping manufacturing SMEs improve cyber resilience.

When will the programme begin?

The pilot is scheduled to begin in September.

Who can access the initial awareness session?

SME manufacturers across Yorkshire can participate in the online session.

What are Cyber Security Champions?

They are trained employees who promote safer digital practices within businesses.

Can the programme lead to ISO 27001 accreditation?

Yes. The support pathway includes internationally recognised ISO 27001 accreditation.