industry unlocked
James Lyne, Head of Research and
Development, SANS Institute
As technology develops, cyber incidents are
inevitably becoming more and more common, so
it’s crucial to promote the cybersecurity industry
as lucrative and rewarding to potential future
employees. According to James Lyne, Head of
Research and Development, SANS Institute, schools
should be going the extra mile to immerse and
educate pupils in the world of cyber.
T
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The UK is currently on the brink of a
cybersecurity skills crisis, one that will ultimately
affect the security and success of its digital
economy. The UK is positioning itself as a digital
innovator and leader in all things technological
in an increasingly technology-driven global
economy. However, UK businesses are still being
caught out when it comes to cybersecurity. IoT and other connected areas. We
are already in a hyper-connected
society, but it’s vital that we ensure
innovation does not outpace IT
security, exacerbating an already
sizeable problem.
This is heavily influenced by the ongoing lack of
cybersecurity talent available to help keep the
data, infrastructure and people safe within those
businesses. Along with the funding of technologies
such as 5G, robotics and AI, a continued and
renewed importance must be placed on protecting
the national digital infrastructure. Indeed, we’re already seeing the impact
of this shortage of skilled cybersecurity
staff. The government has reported
that around 43% of businesses have
experienced a cybersecurity breach or
attack in the last 12 months.
This means an ongoing focus on educating those
in the workplace about their responsibilities
regarding security, but also educating the next
generation about IT security, as well as promoting
the area as a lucrative, rewarding, but also
critical career option.
There remains, however, a large amount of
work to be done. Recent research conducted
by SANS showed that only 11.5% of UK 14–18
year olds are aware of job opportunities in the
cybersecurity sector, let alone considering a
career in the industry.
Given that these are the workforce of the future,
this has the potential to be highly damaging to
the country’s ambitions in areas such as 5G,
We’re not minding the gap
The severity of the attacks varies, as
does their cost to businesses and
the wider UK economy, but without
dedicated and educated personnel, the
potential for greater damage is huge.
While it may be hard to quantify and
We are currently
sitting on a
potentially rich
seam of digitally
literate talent.
Issue 17
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