Wirral Council is concerned about cyber threats from Russia due to the war in Ukraine as a report said 15 areas of the council are at risk.
A council report warned that the local authority's security was "insufficient" to deter and prevent unauthorised access or hacking
The report said this could result in “data breach and loss of access to data and disruption to Council services with increased financial costs.” It added that the level of risk had increased “to reflect increased global threads in particular as a result of war in Ukraine.”
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The issue was given a risk score of 20, with 25 being the maximum level of risk. The council plans to bring in new security software and rolled out awareness training for staff and members from September 2022 reducing the risk. It will also review its Cyber Security policy.
Other areas at high risk for the council include inflation, cost of living pressures, the council’s climate response, financial stability, as well as “unanticipated major failures” in services.
This all comes from a report detailing risks the council is currently facing as it experiences financial issues driven by rapidly rising costs. It was recently revealed the projected deficit for the council now was more than £49m.
The report says the council is bringing in a number of policy proposals to reduce the number of areas in the red down to six.
Concerningly the targets for reducing the risk of service failure do not have any impact with the target remaining in the red with a score of 15 in the report.
The report states the consequences of services failing could lead to “service users at risk, intervention and enforcement action, increased costs and damage to reputation.”
Pressures driven by the cost of living and inflation will also remain high with a risk score of 20. The report said this issue was creating extra demand for services, seeing drops in income from leisure centres and contract costs rising. The report said service suppliers could go under “leaving the council without a service” as a result.
This is despite a number of measures being brought in to mitigate the risk including plans for additional savings, providing councillors with updates on three year trends, and using grants to address fuel poverty. The report also said people need to be made aware of what support already exists for those struggling.
A new £86,000 UK Government cap on the costs someone will spend on personal care over their lifetime “could lead to an increase in demand and costs" too.
Another report that will also be considered by the Audit and Risk Management committee next week seeks to reassure councillors that the council is making sure levelling up projects will go ahead as planned.
It said the council is “taking appropriate measures to ensure that the Council’s resources are being protected and that project risks are being effectively reviewed and managed.”
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