Oxford University’s Department of Computer Science is leading a network which will aim to achieve security by design and default for the UK.

Named the Cyber Security Research and Networking Environment (CRANE) and funded by the UKRI Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC), its goal is to make businesses, charities, communities, and people more resilient against cyber threats.

This will include providing leadership in spotting emerging global trends and national strengths in cybersecurity, including understanding the potential of game-changing technologies from artificial intelligence to quantum computing.

Key Objectives

In particular, CRANE will have the following core objectives:

Support the UK National Cyber Strategy - CRANE’s work is aligned with the UK National Cyber Strategy, and aims to boost the UK’s resilience against cyber threats nationally and internationally.

Build and nurture a research-driven ecosystem - CRANE will advance research across disciplines, including computer science, psychology, social sciences, law, and economics. In fostering interdisciplinary collaboration, CRANE will work to create a transformative research environment where academics, industry leaders, and policymakers can share insights and address emerging challenges.

Identify game-changing opportunities - CRANE will identify opportunities, and through a structured horizon-scanning process will seek to capitalise on these opportunities by anticipating research needs and opportunities.

Establish a new learned society - CRANE plans to establish the first learned society dedicated to cybersecurity research. This will bring together researchers from across disciplines and provide UK businesses, government, and the voluntary, charity, and community sectors with a key connection point to access experts nationally and internationally.

Foster an inclusive community - CRANE is committed to building an inclusive and diverse community of professionals and researchers. Through a combination of online and in-person regional events, CRANE will provide opportunities for collaboration while making participation accessible to researchers across the UK.

Leadership

CRANE will be co-led by Professors Lynne Coventry from Abertay University, Adam Joinson from the University of Bath, Steven Murdoch from University College London, and Mark Ryan from the University of Birmingham.

Ollie Whitehouse, CTO of the NCSC, said: “This new network will help further open opportunities for the sector to collaborate on the most pressing cyber challenges, driving meaningful progress through our joint efforts to make the UK the safest place to live and work online.

“By harnessing the UK’s rich cyber security expertise, fostered through initiatives such as the NCSC’s Academic Centres of Excellence and Research Institutes, we can amplify our impact and innovate solutions.

“Collaboration between academia, industry, and government is an imperative if we are to further strengthen the UK’s competitive edge and enhance our national resilience to evolving cyber threats.”

Feryal Clark, Minister for Cyber Security, said: “Since taking office we’ve made shoring up our cyber defenses a national priority. To make sure they’re stronger than ever, we’ll be bringing in new laws next year as we continue to take steps to ensure our online economy and critical services are safe, resilient and secure.

“This network will bolster those efforts, building up a better picture of where our strengths lie and where the gaps we need to plug are, all while supporting our expert cybersecurity workforce to drive forward their careers and become the UK’s cyber leaders of tomorrow.

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.