The Cyber Advisor scheme has only certified 100 advisors.
The UK's National Cyber Security Centre is urging cybersecurity professionals and firms to participate in its under-subscribed Cyber Advisor scheme, aimed at improving the digital resilience of the country’s 5.5 million small and medium-sized enterprises.
Nearly two years after launch, the program has only certified 100 advisors, a growth that NCSC admits is too slow to meet nationwide demand.
Program lead Emma W attributes this lag to limited awareness and uncertainty over benefits, but emphasised that certified advisors gain a competitive edge by proving their skills in plain-language communication, solution design for SMEs, and expertise in Cyber Essentials.
Despite challenges, feedback has been positive, with 95 percent of clients rating advisor knowledge as "excellent" and 99 percent saying that solutions are tailored to their needs.
Cyber Advisor supports the broader Cyber Essentials scheme, yet uptake remains low, with fewer than one percent of UK businesses accredited despite crossing the 10,000 milestone, signalling a broader challenge in engaging the SME sector.
Written by
Dan Raywood is a B2B journalist with 25 years of experience, including covering cybersecurity for the past 17 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 Forum, BSides Scotland, Steelcon and the National Cyber Security Show, and served as editor of SC Media UK, Infosecurity Magazine and IT Security Guru. He was also an analyst with 451 Research and a product marketing lead at Tenable.
