A budget of £1.9 million will be spread across 30 national projects.
The UK Government has announced 30 projects which will deliver targeted support to boost the UK’s cyber resilience.
Sharing a budget of £1.9 million, the projects will provide new concepts in better protecting businesses from potential cyber-attacks, providing training to increase the nation’s cyber skills, and bolstering the UK’s cyber defences.
According to a government statement, these projects “will help plug the gaps and meet that demand - giving people across the country the skills they need to explore new, highly-paid careers in cyber to ensure the wider security of technology and digital services across the economy.”
Individual Areas
The projects will be delivered by universities, local community groups and businesses who will tap into local communities and partnerships to support initiatives which meet the needs of individual areas.
Jonathan Ellison, the NCSC’s director for National Resilience and Future Technology, said: “These projects will help enhance the UK’s cyber resilience by empowering local communities with the skills and support needed to combat growing digital threats.
“By upskilling small businesses and individuals, investing in workforce development and encouraging neurodiverse talent, government and industry partners are fostering robust and diverse cyber communities for the future.”
He said this action is vital for protecting the UK’s digital economy, creating new opportunities for secure innovation and helping make the UK the safest place to live and work online.
Spread Evenly
Andy Kays, CEO of Socura, said: “All businesses need cybersecurity skills, so we need to ensure that security talent is spread more evenly throughout the country, not just concentrated in the South.
“Cybersecurity is a burgeoning industry with amazing opportunities for young people entering the field. It’s only right that the UK invests more money to develop its regional cyber skills in places like Wales, the North East of England and Northern Ireland."
However he said his biggest reservation was in regard to the size of investment, relative to the scale of its ambition as 30 new projects slated for 2025 and beyond across multiple regions means that this money will be thinly spread across the UK. “The concern is that this money won’t go far enough to have the level of impact needed,” he said. “It is, however, a good start.”
Written by
Dan Raywood
Senior Editor
SC Media UK
Dan Raywood is a B2B journalist with more than 20 years of experience, including covering cybersecurity for the past 16 years. He has extensively covered topics from Advanced Persistent Threats and nation-state hackers to major data breaches and regulatory changes.
He has spoken at events including 44CON, Infosecurity Europe, RANT Conference, BSides Scotland, Steelcon and ESET Security Days.
Outside work, Dan enjoys supporting Tottenham Hotspur, managing mischievous cats, and sampling craft beers.