CERT.JE - It’s a not a worst case scenario, it’s a realistic one.

Dear all,Laying the right foundationsRunning a CERT comes with a lot of complexities beyond the technical, from having the right mandate and authority to work with other governments and public bodies, to dealing with data protection, freedom of information and computer misuse legislation alongside national security requirements. Getting the foundations right is essential, and over the last 12 months we’ve been working closely with the Government of Jersey to define the right direction of travel. We don’t want to be reinventing the wheel or duplicating costs, but we do need the right degree of independence to deliver our mandate. Together we’ve found a good way forward that balances the two and learns from successful CERT’s around the world. This will require legislation, and therefore will be subject to consultation. It’s not the quickest route, but it is the right one. Once we get there we will be will able to fully deliver against our mandate to prepare, protect and defend Jersey from cyber threats.CERT RecruitmentWe made progress last week hiring for our Head of Cyber Defence, Senior Analyst and Apprentice and look forward to announcing these appointments soon. We’re enormously grateful to our candidates who put themselves forward. There was some wonderful talent on display who willingly put themselves through a practical cyber incident triage exercise, technical questions and a panel interview. Unfortunately we just can’t offer a role to everyone, no matter how much we’d like to. However we do want everyone seeking a career in cyber security in Jersey to find a role they will excel in and enjoy. A strong industry with good opportunities for local candidates makes all of us stronger. We are offering all those who applied 1:1 feedback and (should they want it) advice. If you are hiring, please tell us at [email protected] and we will include your role in our newsletter.Regards,Matt

August 01, 2022 • Estimated Reading Time: 7 minutes

Is an 'Undeclared War' realistic for Jersey?

Over the last 6 months, CERT.JE has been quietly working with the Government of Jersey and other partners to prepare for an escalation of the cyber conflict taking place in Ukraine, and now extending more widely to other parts of Europe. Whilst we are a small island and it may sometimes feel as if we are off the radar, we have been named be Russia as an ‘unfriendly’ nation. Additionally, any serious wider attack could have consequences for us. So we have been preparing – just in case.

It often sounds hard to comprehend. Is the threat real? Would it really impact us? Would it really affect my life or wellbeing?

Recent cyber attacks around the worlds have disabled hospitals, electricity grids, water services, oil pipelines, satellite services, telecoms operators and transport services. It’s real, it can impact us, and if you’re not sure if you’d be impacted just imagine life without these services – even for a short time.

When I first heard about Channel 4’s drama ‘The Undeclared War’ I was cynical: real cyber attacks just don’t look particularly exciting, so they are hard to dramatise without losing touch with reality. However, this is one program everyone should watch. Whilst the events portrayed may be simplified, they do reflect what could happen very well. If anything, the potential human impact is understated. The complexity of response – requiring high levels of trust and cooperation, data sharing and international collaboration – is well explained. It’s a not a worst case scenario, it’s a realistic one.

With the summer holidays well underway, if you want a break from the sun we’ve pulled together some of our other favourite cyber dramas below:

We confirmed last month that free cyber liability insurance cover is available to CE and CE+ certified organisations in Jersey - just another reason to get your organisation certified!

To learn the other reasons why cyber essentials plus is essential for everyone, please do read our article below 👇

From around the web

Help us!

Are you a cyber security professional?

Please help and send us a short clip of yourself so that we can show as many varied careers in our industry as possible. 

To raise awareness of the exciting careers possible in cyber security we need video content that can be used repeatedly in schools. The first batch of these short videos will be played as a series in either computing and career lessons or assemblies.

The minimum to include is:

  • What do you do (day to day tasks)

  • Why you like it 

  • Any qualifications (if needed)

  • Skills that make a difference 

  • What subjects you/your team enjoyed (the more diverse the better)

  • Next steps to get started on their journey 

Try to make the video short and not just sat at your desk. Multiple short videos can be used if you have lots to say. 

For further tips Digital Jersey's Rory Steel has you covered in this short video - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eZ7SfwqxCDw

To upload a video, please place it in this folder: Cyber Security Video Uploads

Resources

Upcoming Events

August is a very quiet month for events but fear not.. it’s Cyber Security Awareness Month in October, and CERT.JE are working on a catalogue of events alongside local partners - details to follow but for now SAVE THE DATE - 4th October for the Headline Conference.

Tool of the month

Hack The Box - Hacking Training For The Best

Looking to work in cyber? Develop and improve your practical skills with hands-on labs, available from a range of providers including HacktheBox, who offer a free account.

Cyber Vacancies

Many people have told us there are not many cyber security roles in Jersey, or that it is difficult to find new team members, so we’re sharing the opportunities we are aware of below…

(Please note that sharing is not endorsement).

JT are looking for a Cyber Security Consultant to join on a permanent contract in either their Jersey or Guernsey office, or alternatively in the UK working remotely.

This role would see you working within the Technical Consultancy team and being responsible for providing regular cyber security, risk, compliance services/assessments, reports and prioritised recommendations.

Closing date: August 11, 2022.

If you're looking to get into cyber security, why not spend time in a role where you can build wider skills such as IT Support? Here Islands IT Centre are looking for a member of staff to join their small team to support their clients. you will need to have excellent communication skills, be able to support Microsoft 365, Windows Server, Microsoft office, Windows 10 and 11 and have a general aptitude for IT Systems.

It is a very varied role dealing with lots of different clients and different systems both in the office and on site. You will be expected to support and install various systems and different technologies. More roles like this can often be found on the Digital Jersey jobs page.

Closing date: August 15, 2022.

If you’d like to share local resources, jobs or events related to cyber security please do let us know via email to [email protected].