In an era where digital interconnectivity provides the foundations of global commerce and communication, the cyber threat landscape has evolved into a complex web of ever-advancing risks and challenges. Not only have advancements in technology provided new opportunities for
cyber criminals to exploit vulnerabilities, our adversaries are also leveraging new sophisticated techniques to infiltrate organisations defences. This threat landscape necessitates a robust approach to cyber security to safeguard assets and data, protect intellectual property and maintain trust in the digital ecosystem.
To mitigate these growing risks and support a proactive approach to cyber security, the Scottish Government updated the Scottish Wide Area Network (SWAN) in 2023 to provide enhanced cyber security protections for the public sector. SWAN was originally designed to provide a
single shared network and common ICT infrastructure to Scotland’s entire public sector, and accelerate digital transformation across Scotland, including the most rural parts of the country. It ultimately enabled schools, hospitals, GP surgeries and NHS Board and local government offices to communicate better, share data and collaborate across thousands of sites across Scotland.
Acknowledging the need to protect public sector entities from the growing cyber security risks,the Scottish Government launched the next iteration of SWAN in 2023 to provide greater security for data transmitted over the network and to securely support the digital transformation
of public sector entities across Scotland. In essence, the core SWAN network has been upgraded with next generation firewalls, providing complete visibility into all network traffic based on applications, users, content and devices. It incorporates advanced threat detection and prevention capabilities, including intrusion prevention, application control, and URL filtering, to safeguard against sophisticated cyber threats.
In addition to the core network, the SWAN framework provides a range of digital services and ICT capabilities enabling Scottish public sector entities to access a range of cyber security capabilities. This includes Prisma Access, which provides secure remote access for the Scottish Public Sector, supporting growth and flexibility using cloud technologies as a SASE offering. As a result, SWAN provides a one stop shop for secure network and ICT infrastructure, as well as state of the art cyber security capabilities.
The way SWAN has been designed and implemented will enable it to scale and adapt as the needs of the public sector evolve. It supports improved collaboration, enabling easier and more secure data sharing and communication between different public sector organisations,
facilitating better collaboration and service delivery.
From a cyber resilience perspective, not only does SWAN provide a secure platform for the transmission of sensitive data and the operation of critical services, the network has been built with resilience in mind ensuring that the network remains operational even in the face of the constant threats, thereby supporting the continuity of public services.
SWAN is a strategic initiative aimed at creating a more efficient and collaborative public sector in Scotland by leveraging a shared network infrastructure. It also has the added benefit of enhancing the cyber resilience of the Scottish public sector.
John McGowan
Regional Sales Manager Regional Manager, Public Sector – Scotland
Palo Alto Networks
