Cyber security is an increasing risk across all businesses and the social housing sector is no different.

Housing Technology Magazine reported on the top 5 cyber security challenges facing the sector in March 2022.

Hillhead director Stephen Macintyre said: “Our reaccreditation demonstrates our commitment to providing high quality secure environment for protecting all of our data. The process is very robust and rigorous, and the re-accreditation offers reassurance to our customers that their data is secure with the Association.”

Cyber Essentials Plus is a government-backed certification scheme within the UK, that helps organisations enforce cyber security policies and industry-wide techniques, which can combat the most common types of cyber-attacks. It requires a technical verification/assessment that is accounted for by a government-approved assessor.

To gain accreditation, Hillhead Housing Association has been able to provide clear evidence against all technical controls associated with the audit that was carried out and has therefore been assessed as meeting all the necessary criteria.

Steven McGuire, business development lead for housing associations at Lugo, which provides ICT support services to the Association, added: “Nowadays internal policies for cyber security are no longer sufficient to provide the necessary assurance to the management committee and tenants. Instead, housing associations need to do more to protect the data of their customers, staff and business in an ever-changing and challenging digital landscape.

“Lugo is very pleased to have been able to support Hillhead Housing Association in its reaccreditation for a second successive year.”