Associate feature: Beyond endpoint security: How Scotland must evolve its cyber-defences

Across Scotland, cyber incidents are no longer abstract risks but real-life experiences for councils, NHS trusts, and public bodies responsible for delivering vital public services to citizens. When systems are disrupted or sensitive data is exposed, the effect is felt not only in technical downtime but in the erosion of public trust. Citizens expect to pay bills and access records seamlessly. Yet, as recent cyber attacks have shown, those expectations can be shattered in an instant.

West Lothian Council’s ransomware attack earlier this year began with no evidence of data loss, but quickly escalated into the theft of sensitive information, including details connected to pupils and school staff. NHS Dumfries and Galloway has similarly warned of “further data release risk” following a sustained attack that forced it to alert the public to remain vigilant. Even where systems are restored, the lingering uncertainty about what information may surface online undermines citizens’ confidence in government’s ability to safeguard their data.

These cases are part of a wider pattern. Police Scotland has acknowledged that cybercrime is not only becoming more common but also more complex, prompting the creation of a dedicated cyber and fraud division. The private sector is facing the same pressures. NatWest, the owner of the Royal Bank of Scotland, recently informed MSPs that it blocks more than 100 million cyber-attack attempts every month. That scale of activity demonstrates the challenge that even the most well-resourced institutions struggle to keep up with, and the challenge for public bodies, often operating with tighter budgets and limited expertise, is immense.

What these incidents underline is that traditional, siloed approaches to cyber security are no longer fit for purpose. Attackers now exploit stolen credentials, third-party suppliers, and cloud-based collaboration tools to gain unauthorised access. In 2023, stolen or compromised credentials became the most common entry point for breaches, and these incidents took an average of almost a year to identify and contain. Such delays are costly, not just financially, but also socially, as citizens face the very real consequences of service disruptions and the potential misuse of their data.

Extended Detection and Response (XDR) has emerged as a vital tool in this changing landscape. Unlike traditional endpoint detection and response solutions, XDR provides unified oversight across entire IT estates, spanning endpoints, identities, cloud services, and third-party integrations. By correlating signals from these multiple domains, XDR enables organisations to detect sophisticated attacks earlier, respond more quickly, and limit damage. For public bodies, the ability to act swiftly can be the difference between a controlled incident and a prolonged crisis.

Many organisations still lack the visibility and resources to defend effectively against modern threats. With automation, AI-driven insights, and integrated workflows, XDR provides a means to bridge that gap, enabling public bodies to maximise their resources while aligning with national resilience goals.

Scotland is not unique in facing these pressures, but the stakes here are uniquely high. The more these services are digitised, the more their resilience becomes inseparable from the resilience of the nation itself. Moving beyond endpoint security is no longer just a technical decision; it is a matter of safeguarding trust in government.

To explore how XDR can transform your organisation's security posture and prevent devastating service disruptions, download WithSecure's comprehensive guide to XDR and discover why leading analysts predict widespread XDR adoption by 2025.

This article was sponsored by WithSecure