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Success Stories Observatory for Sport in Scotland

Millgate was approached by OSS to help them get Cyber Essentials certified for continued growth.

1100% increase in data stored

7x growth in projects run

2 months for complete certification

The Challenge The Solution The Results

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The Challenge

After launching in 2016, the Observatory for Sport in Scotland (OSS) completed multiple successful research projects exploring the relationship between sport and community. Because many children reduce their sport activities at secondary school age, the projects carried out by OSS into community sport are integral to shaping government policy and helping to encourage the continued uptake of exercise.

As OSS’s role and influence has grown, so too has the number of projects they are carrying out: from 3 in 2019 to over 20 currently. As a result, they are processing 10x as much data, often from confidential sources. Therefore, the team at OSS wanted to ensure their data handling practices were secure, compliant and scalable.

The Solution

Following a recommendation from an IT manager associate, OSS reached out to Millgate for support getting Cyber Essentials certified. The government-approved accreditation asks organisations to analyse and improve their security postures, addressing gaps they may not be aware of. As cybersecurity is an expansive and evolving area, Millgate was able to guide OSS throughout the certification process, making it easier to follow and to focus on key areas.

The certification process covered both in-office and remote working, so that OSS’s team could have confidence in the security of their data handling practices wherever they were working.

We certainly wouldn’t have completed the certification so quickly without Millgate’s help and guidance.

David Ferguson Chief Executive

The Results

As a result of Millgate’s guidance throughout the process, OSS was able to become Cyber Essentials certified in just 2 months. OSS’s team have increased their knowledge of cybersecurity and now employ best practices like password updates regularly.

The organisation can now confidently demonstrate its cyber prowess to partners and participants, allowing the team to continue completing important research projects that will shape community sport for years to come. Plus, by working with a data security specialist like Millgate, OSS can rely on continued support throughout recertification and any future changes to the scheme.

1100% increase in data stored

7x growth in projects run

2 months for complete certification