1 in 4 UK based Housing Associations have been breached in the last 12 months
Housing Associations //
Cyber Resilience for Housing Associations
Operational continuity depends on controlled risk
Housing Associations operate under constant pressure. Essential services must remain available. Tenant data must be protected. Investment programmes must stay on track. Confidence from regulators, partners and boards must be sustained.
When cyber risk is poorly controlled, disruption does not stay contained. It spreads though services, supply chains, site operations and leadership decision-making. The impact is immediate: service disruption, financial exposure and reputational damage.
Regulators are clear where the risk sits. The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) consistently ranks Housing Associations among the highest public sector reporters of data breaches. The Regulator of Social Housing has also warned that weak cyber resilience can undermine governance ratings.
The answer isn’t fear. It’s cyber resilience.
Resilience that can be measured, tested and improved. Built into day-to-day operations so disruption is anticipated, contained and recovered from.
Cyber risk is no longer an IT issue. It is a board-level one.
The Challenge
Housing associations are under growing cyber pressure, without the tools to keep pace
Housing associations manage large volumes of highly sensitive data while delivering essential services under sustained regulatory scrutiny. At the same time, they are being asked to modernise systems, integrate third-party providers and adopt new digital tools, often on ageing infrastructure and constrained budgets.
Sector bodies including the National Housing Federation and HACT have consistently highlighted how this combination of legacy technology, complex supplier ecosystems and limited internal capacity creates structural cyber risk across housing.
The result is a widening gap between exposure and readiness.
£3.29 million. The average cost for UK-based organisations to recover from a data breach.
Source: Cost of Data Breach UK 2025 Report | Nortdoor
Only 4 % of housing associations feel fully prepared for a ransomware attack, suggesting major capability shortfalls.
Source: Scottish Housing News
$23 trillion. Global cyber crime costs are projected to reach $23.82 trillion by 2027, up 285 % in five years.
Source: globalsecuritymag.com
The NormCyber Approach
Norm believes cyber resilience is an operating capability, not a technical initiative. It exists to support decision-making, continuity and accountability.
Every Housing Association we work with is supported by a dedicated Focal Analyst. This is a named security professional who understands your organisation, your regulatory obligations and your operating pressures. They provide a consistent point of accountability, reducing fragmentation and removing ambiguity when decisions matter.
Together, we help leadership teams answer the questions boards and regulators actually ask:
- Where would disruption have the greatest operational and financial impact?
- How quickly could we contain an incident and restore services?
- Which actions will most effectively reduce exposure over the next quarter, not just in theory?
By combining Focal Analyst ownership, continuous monitoring, structured governance and rehearsed response, we give leaders clarity over risk, confidence in response and evidence of improvement.
Trusted by Housing Associations
What We Deliver
Operational continuity
Essential services continue even when incidents occur. Disruption is contained quickly, recovery is coordinated, and momentum is maintained.
Executive visibility and control
Leaders have a clear, defensible view of cyber risk in operational and financial terms, supporting confident board and regulatory conversations.
Reduced exposure across the estate
Risk is identified and prioritised based on real-world impact, including third-party and supplier dependencies.
Confidence under pressure
When incidents occur, roles are clear, decisions are faster, and uncertainty is reduced at leadership level.
Demonstrable improvement over time
Cyber resilience strengthens month by month, with progress that can be evidenced, explained and defended.
Why NormCyber for Housing Associations
A single partner for visibility, response and resilience
In housing, cyber resilience means keeping services running when disruption hits. It means protecting tenant data, maintaining regulatory confidence and ensuring leaders have control when pressure is high.
NormCyber supports housing associations operating under ICO and RSH scrutiny, complex legacy environments and constrained resources. We understand the operational pressures this creates, and we have designed our approach to deliver control, clarity and resilience without adding burden.
What you get:
Proven in the Housing Sector
Clanmil Housing Association strengthened cyber resilience while reducing cost and operational burden:
- £235,000 in annual savings without compromising security
- 60% reduction in vulnerabilities in just one month
- Full executive visibility of cyber risk through Smartbloc
Read the case study
What our customers say
“During the tender process, Norm far outperformed competitive offerings in both quality and pricing. Looking at commercial benefits alone, outsourcing to Norm cost just one-third of in-house management. And that’s before we consider recruitment and procurement costs. As a result, we estimate that Norm is saving us £235,000 annually.”
Peter Grimley
Assistant Director of ICT | Clanmil Housing
“Before Norm, it was hard to demonstrate the ROI of our efforts to the Board. Now, our Cyber Resilience Score is a clear indicator of our cyber posture. The data is visualised and validated by Norm, and it’s structured in a way that even non-technical executives can understand. The Board’s reception was extremely positive, with our Finance Director remarking on its clarity and simplicity.”
Peter Grimley
Assistant Director of ICT | Clanmil Housing
“Before, penetration testing gave us a one-off snapshot of our cyber risk, whereas now, Norm provides continuous monitoring and much richer data. It’s the difference between an annual MOT to Formula 1-level telemetry – the visibility is unparalleled.”
Peter Grimley
Assistant Director of ICT | Clanmil Housing
“Our business requirements spanned the full spectrum of security, but Norm’s modular Cyber Security offered the complete package. Most importantly, it gave us that measurable, centralised oversight we needed. The Smartbloc dashboard was a key differentiator that set Norm apart with clear, contextualised reporting, on-demand. It felt tailor-made for us from the outset.”
Peter Grimley
Assistant Director of ICT | Clanmil Housing
Frequently Asked Questions
How do we prove cyber resilience to our board or regulators?
Through a real-time Cyber Resilience Score in Smartbloc, contextualised by your Focal Analyst. This provides a clear, audit-ready view of exposure, response readiness and improvement over time.
Will this divert time or budget away from delivery teams?
No. NormCyber is designed to reduce internal burden by prioritising action and handling monitoring and response externally.
How does NormCyber support regulatory expectations?
Our approach aligns with ICO and RSH expectations around governance, preparedness and response. Our reporting and governance model helps organisations evidence control, preparedness and continuous improvement.
How quickly can NormCyber respond to an incident?
Our NCSC-assured response team mobilises within 15 minutes to contain impact and coordinate recovery. Response includes threat containment, forensic investigation, recovery coordination and ICO communication where required.
Is this suitable for organisations with legacy systems?
Yes. NormCyber works across modern cloud platforms and legacy environments without forcing disruptive change.
What outcomes should we expect in the first few months?
Most organisations see:
- Reduced exposure through prioritised remediation
- Clear executive visibility of cyber risk
- Faster response readiness
- Lower operational burden on internal teams
As demonstrated by Clanmil Housing, this can also translate into significant cost savings and productivity gains.