The Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) is continuing to count the cost of an ongoing ransomware attack that it believes is likely to be by international serious and organised cyber-crime groups. The agency also confirmed the theft of 1.2 GB of data and the support available to staff and affected partners, while seeking to reassure the public that regulatory, monitoring, flood forecasting and warning services are adapting and continuing to operate.

Agility has acquired US-based provider of business continuity software and consultancy services, RecoveryPlanner. In addition to tools for business continuity planning, incident management and risk management, the RecoveryPlanner team, including CEO Monica Goldstein and the company’s business continuity planners will now be part of the Agility team and offering.

As we begin to look ahead to 2021 with a renewed sense of optimism given the recent vaccination rollout, it is also worth exploring the measures that companies can take to ensure their employees’ well-being in the new year. Never before has the health and well-being of employees played such a central part in defining how employers approach the range of benefits they offer staff. The pandemic has made companies reassess their priorities.

The deadline for entries is 26 March 2021.

Without a doubt, 2020 was a difficult year for many organisations, including managed service providers and small businesses – especially as it relates to cyber security. In a recent survey, MSPs reported that certain industries saw a rise in attacks during the pandemic – healthcare (59%), finance/insurance (50%), and government (45%). Although ransomware remains the most common malware threat, viruses, adware, spyware, and remote access trojans completed the top five security risks.

The winners of this year’s Business Continuity Awards were announced last night via a special online broadcast.

The UK has signed trade continuity agreements with Canada, Singapore, Vietnam, Norway and Iceland.

The continued effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, or a new public health crisis are the top risk concerns for Indian companies, according to a report published by US risk management society, RIMS and Marsh.

Insurance has not provided the support organisations need for their business interruption throughout the coronavirus pandemic, something the EU should help address to avert future crises, according to the Federation of European Risk Management Associations.

Sungard Availability Services has launched a new dedicated workplace recovery service.

Two thirds (68%) of business leaders used automation to respond to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to new research from Deloitte on robotic and intelligent automation.

Trading on the Australian shares market was halted for most of Monday due to a technical problem. The Australian Securities Exchange said that the issue was a software error which showed inaccurate market information. In a statement, ASX and its technology provider Nasdaq said it had identified the root cause and a resolution path to fix it. A software issue limited to the trading of multiple securities in a single order (combination trading) created inaccurate market data.

The mental health of employees in the UK continues to be at risk, with declining workplace productivity and the need for mental health support adding to the ongoing mental strain of the pandemic. The latest figures from the Mental Health Index, produced each month by wellbeing and mental health service provider Morneau Shepell, suggest a continuation of the decline in the rate as the pandemic continues.

The manufacturing sector is looking to overcome the many challenges caused by the coronavirus situation by turning to cloud-enabled digital transformation projects. This is ushering in the new era of smart and sustainable manufacturing at a pace faster than was predicted prior to the pandemic, according to software firm InfinityQS.