UK government announces £1.9m funding to improve cyber skills and bolster defences

• More than 30 projects to receive funding to deliver targeted support including training to boost cyber skills and new ways to protect businesses against cyber threats

• Located across England and Northern Ireland, the schemes will help protect the security of the UK’s digital economy and grow a pipeline of cyber talent

• Students to be put through their paces in latest round of Cyber Explorers competition to encourage the UK’s brightest young minds into careers in the field

More than 30 projects across England and Northern Ireland will – it is hoped – deliver targeted support to boost the UK’s cyber resilience – from new ways to better protect businesses and families from potential cyber-attacks to advanced training to increase the nation’s cyber skills.

Announced today (8th January), the new projects will receive a share of £1.9 million in UK government and private funding to bolster the UK’s cyber defences and make sure the country has the cyber workforce it needs as the threat of attacks rises, with schemes in Northern Ireland, the Midlands, Yorkshire and Humber, the South West, North East and North West of England set to benefit.

The UK’s cyber sector is, claims the government, a true success story, contributing £11.9 billion to the British economy. The increasing number of threats we face online though means demand for trained cyber professionals is continuing to rise, with almost half of UK businesses currently reporting a cyber skills shortage. These projects will now 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.

First announced at a global cyber security meeting convened by the UK in September, these projects – delivered by organisations such as universities, local community groups and businesses – will tap into local know-how and partnerships to support initiatives that meet the needs of individual areas, plugging skills gaps to help keep the UK safe online by providing training for a wide range of groups including everyone from secondary school students and apprentices to working professionals.

Among the projects being supported are programmes in the South West and Yorkshire to upskill workers in small businesses, and a scheme in the North West of England which will unlock new avenues for communities to explore careers in cyber.  

Meanwhile, a project in Northern Ireland will explore how to encourage more neurodiverse workers into the field – boosting the diversity of the UK’s cyber talent pipeline. And a programme in the West Midlands will focus on supporting women and girls to protect them from cyber violence and abuse.  

Says Minister for Cyber Security Feryal Clark:

“We live more and more of our lives online – whether that’s for our weekly shopping, banking, browsing the web to book a holiday, or simply staying in touch with our loved ones.

“But our growing digital economy is also worth billions to the economy. That’s why having strong defences in place is more important than ever – and as part of our Plan for Change to grow our economy, we also need to protect it.

“Attempts to disrupt the technologies and services we rely on daily continue to grow, so we’re leaving no stone un-turned to make sure our communities have the skills to rise to the challenge.

“It’s also vital we develop a diverse and talented cyber security workforce, which is why the next phase of the Cyber Explorers Cup competition will be vital in identifying the UK’s cyber leaders of tomorrow.”

However, Andy Kays, CEO of Socura, a Cardiff-based cybersecurity business expresses reservations about the size of the investment relative to the project’s ambitions:

“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.

“My biggest reservation about the news is the size of investment relative to the scale of its ambition. 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. It is, however, a good start.”

Read the full list of the Cyber Local projects being delivered.