William Purves gains Scotland’s first Cyber Essentials certificate

William Purves Funeral Directors has become the first funeral director in Scotland to gain Cyber Essentials certification, a UK government-backed scheme designed to help organisations guard against cyber threats.

The firm said the move follows a series of cyber-attacks on UK businesses that have underlined the risk facing organisations handling sensitive information. It added that the certification aims to strengthen protections for families and staff.

According to IT manager Shaun Donaldson, who led the process, the scheme raised awareness of the methods used by criminals to target company systems.

Donaldson said: “It only takes one email to infiltrate a business’s systems, data and ability to operate, ultimately threatening the company’s income and longevity. Undertaking the scheme has been incredibly eye-opening, revealing the various threats and methods ransom hunters use to infiltrate a business’s cyber systems and the controls to limit the risk of breaches.”

Leslie Stewart, borders regional team leader at William Purves, added: “Funeral directors are trusted to handle incredibly sensitive information every day. It is our responsibility to ensure these records are protected from potential cyber-risks.”

William Purves said the certification reflects its commitment to privacy and hopes it will encourage other funeral directors to improve their cyber resilience at a time when families may be especially vulnerable.