Effective Information Sharing and Security (EISS) is one of the three main iNetwork programmes. The programme primarily supports practitioners in the area of cyber security and information governance. Over the last year, the programme has delivered a variety of events on topics such as: managing effective cyber communications, cyber security down the supply chain, and dealing with legacy systems in your organisation.

We are at the start of a new programme year and the Network Leadership Group (NLG) for the EISS programme have set and confirmed the programme priorities for 2023-24. These priorities will support the focus and delivery for the EISS programme from now until March 2024.

Looking forward to 2023-24, the EISS NLG has discussed the on-going importance of cyber-security and information governance. The priorities previously set for the programme will continue to be the same for this new programme year. The NLG discussed the greater need to emphasise resilience and business continuity as part of the focus on cyber security. We will therefore be looking to work more closely with Local Resilience Forums (LRFs) in the region, and to ensure resilience is picked up as a major component of this year’s Northern WARP conference. 

The NLG reflected on the successful collaboration work of the Northern WARP, which started during the pandemic. A key priority for the EISS programme is to continue to collaborate with Y&H WARP and ISNorthEast (WARP in the NE) under the collaboration of ‘Northern WARP’. Through this collaboration, we are delivering cyber simulation exercises, discounted cyber training and conferences.

We are increasingly seeing an overlap of the EISS programme with iNetwork’s other two programme areas: Transforming & Innovating Public Services (TIPS) and Connected Procurement & Commissioning (CPC). The TIPS programme is particularly interested in information governance as an enabler for the sharing of information and data analysis. The CPC programme is interested in the issues of cyber down the supply chain. This year, we will be seeing more collaboration between the iNetwork programmes. 

The EISS Programme Priorities for 2023-24 are as set out below:

 

EISS Priorities 2023-2024
1. Information Leadership – This priority bolsters information leadership in iNetwork member organisations with the aim to upskill those with information roles in our member organisations, and to increase influence and strengthen our collective voice to positively impact information access policy and programmes at the national level.
 
2. Improving Cyber Security and ResilienceThis priority promotes increased engagement across iNetwork membership in the North West Warning, Advice and Reporting Point (WARP) which facilitates the sharing of best practice and the exchange of information and cyber security intelligence across the membership strengthening collaboration and communication across the region to improve situational awareness and both organisational and multi-agency response readiness. This should lead to a reduction in the number of data breaches as a result of poor practice and cyber-attacks.
 
3.  Improved Person-Centred Information SharingThis priority delivers improvements to necessary and proportionate information sharing to support effective partnership working and person-centred care.