industry unlocked
Fortunately for the country, there is
government backing. In 2016, the UK
government launched the National
Cyber Security Strategy, setting out a
number of initiatives across the country
in order to improve cybersecurity
skills, including £20 million of funding
to its cyberschools programme, Cyber
Discovery, designed to give pupils aged
14–18 clear pathways and direction to
the cybersecurity industry through direct
contact with industry experts.
Cyber Discovery gets right to the heart
of this issue, helping to develop and
nurture the skills and aptitude among
school children that are needed to help
defend our country and its businesses
against cybercriminals.
The free, extra-curricular programme
is primarily delivered through
an online gamified portal that is
designed to spark interest and deliver
46
comprehensive training through a series
of online challenges. Using personal
devices to compete with others via
online platforms for competitions and
collaborative projects have all been
proven as successful methods of
84% of UK students
have never
considered a career
in cybersecurity,
trailing miles behind
countries such as
Saudi Arabia and
the UAE.
engaging, immersing and educating
pupils in the world of cyber. It can’t all
be wrong as a recent McAfee report
demonstrated that 96% of businesses
using these techniques reported
benefits being seen across the board
when it comes to cybersecurity.
Stimulating this kind of interest and
growth in the cybersecurity sector will
take a nationwide and collaborative
approach. Proper funding, better
allocation of school budget and support
from industry are all required to come
together in an effort that will reap more
reward than the sum of its parts.
As well as unlocking career opportunities
in a highly lucrative sector, this will
equip pupils with IT skills for safer online
navigation – benefiting themselves, the
broader population and businesses in
the UK as we continue on our journey
forwards into the unknown. u
Issue 17
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