The UK will convene a multinational summit over the next three days to discuss how best to tackle the rising threat of cyberattacks. The meeting at Wilton Park in Sussex will include representatives from the US, Japan, Canada and the European Union (EU) and comes as new figures reveal that approximately half of British businesses lack the requisite skills to defend themselves against cybercrime. The summit also follows a series of audacious cyberattacks against public institutions in the UK, including against the NHS and Transport for London (TfL.)
According to the UK Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT), the global coalition will focus on strengthening the global cyber security workforce by covering measures to boost cyber skills and develop new professional standards. In support of the initiative, the UK intends to commission a new report with attendees set to determine the key areas of focus.
The recommendations, set to be published by the end of the year, are expected to enhance international collaboration in the fight against cybercrime and improve the global cybersecurity workforce.
Cyber skills also a key focus
Additionally, the UK government is taking immediate steps to address challenges by launching a new initiative to provide tailored support across regions in England and Northern Ireland. The new scheme will fund local projects aimed at addressing specific cyber skills gaps, with solutions ranging from apprenticeships to innovative cyber security developments by companies.
This follows the government’s recent decision to classify data centres as critical national infrastructure (CNI), aligning them with key sectors such as energy and water. The move strengthens the UK’s ability to protect data centres in the event of cyber incidents. It marked the first CNI designation since the Space and Defence sectors were awarded such a status in 2015.
The government estimates that renewed support for UK cyber skills will also boost the £11.9bn cyber security industry and help protect growth in the UK economy.
A total of £1.3m has been allocated to fund cyber skills training, with universities, local councils, and businesses invited to apply.
Grants of up to £150,000 will be awarded to successful applicants by March 2025, providing a boost to cyber defence innovations across Northern Ireland and England.
“The UK needs a significant improvement in its cyber defences after the previous government failed to strengthen our cyber laws – we’re fixing that,” said the UK government’s cybersecurity minister, Feryal Clark. “Later this year, we’ll bring forward new measures to better protect the nation from cyber-crime and our new regional skills programme will support the next generation of cyber talent and innovators.”
In addition, the UK government has launched a competition to identify the nation’s top young cyber talent, who will represent the UK on the international stage. It has also released the latest figures from the Cyber Security Skills in the UK Labour Market Survey.
While the annual shortfall of jobs in the UK’s cyber workforce has reduced significantly from 11,200 last year to 3,500 this year, the report found that 44% of UK businesses still lack fundamental skills to defend against cyber-attacks.
This highlights the urgent need for targeted action to ensure a sustainable pipeline of diverse talent within the UK’s cyber security sector.
The UK is also partnering with CREST International, a non-profit organisation that sets standards in the cyber security community, to launch the CREST Cyber Accelerated Maturity Programme (CAMP).
Sponsored by the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), the programme will provide mentoring to cyber service providers, helping them develop capabilities in line with CREST’s standards.
Countries across Europe, Africa, Southeast Asia, and the Middle East have been invited to join as founding partners.
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