Defence Online

Cyber-skills shortage puts Britain at risk

Homeland January 19, 2017

With a new global study revealing the UK’s dire skills shortage, particularly in the area of cyber security, businesses are being “put at risk” as employer demand for expertise is treble supply.

The global study, by jobsite Indeed, found that Britain’s cyber security skills gap is the one of the worst in the world, with the number of cyber security roles advertised in the UK the third highest in the world, with employer demand exceeding candidate interest by more than three times.

The number of cyber security job searches in Britain reached just 31.6% of the number of jobs posted, giving the UK a skills gap second only to that of Israel.

With increased hacking activities and a number of high profile attacks has seen the need for cyber security experts increasing by a 31% between 2014 and 2016, fuelling a growing skills gap in Britain.

Mariano Mamertino, EMEA economist at Indeed, said: “2016 saw a spate of big corporations – and even the US electoral process – suffer high-profile data breaches.

“But beyond the headlines, cybercrime is a threat to organisations of all sizes. As cyberattacks increase in scale and sophistication, British employers are racing to recruit staff with the skills and experience needed to protect their vital data.

“Sadly the supply of skilled workers isn’t keeping up with employer demand, and Britain’s cyber security skills gap – already the second worst in the world – is getting worse.

“The problem is fast approaching crisis point and British businesses will inevitably be put at risk if they can’t find the expertise they need to mitigate the threat. This should serve as a wake-up call to Britain’s tech sector – it must pull together to upskill and attract more people into cyber security roles.”

In order to help balance out the gap, GCHQ’s new National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) has launched the CyberFirst Girls Competition.

The competition will see teenage girls from across the UK pit their tech skills against one another to find the best candidates to help keep Britain cyber secure in the future.

The competition is an important step to knock down barriers preventing women from joining the fight against online crime.

With only ten per cent of the global cyber workforce female, millions of British women may be missing out on a career they could excel in.

Deputy director at the NCSC, Alison Whitney said: “Women can, and do, make a huge difference in cyber security – this competition could inspire many more to take their first steps into this dynamic and rewarding career.

“Having worked in cyber security for over a decade, it is a line of work I would strongly recommend to anybody, and one where lots more women could make a really positive impact on the world. 

“It’s a fantastic career choice where team work, ingenuity and creative thinking are highly valued attributes and the rewards can be substantial.”

Winners will take home individual prizes and their school will receive IT equipment to the value of £1,000.

The Government is fully committed to defending against cyber threats and address the cyber skills gap to develop and grow talent. A five year National Cyber Security Strategy (NCSS) was announced in November 2016, supported by £1.9Bn of transformational investment.

Alison, who is a deputy director at the NCSC, said: “Women can, and do, make a huge difference in cyber security – this competition could inspire many more to take their first steps into this dynamic and rewarding career.

 “Having worked in cyber security for over a decade, it is a line of work I would strongly recommend to anybody, and one where lots more women could make a really positive impact on the world. 

“It’s a fantastic career choice where team work, ingenuity and creative thinking are highly valued attributes and the rewards can be substantial.”

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Post written by: Vicky Maggiani

Vicky has worked in media for over 20 years and has a wealth of experience in editing and creating copy for a variety of sectors.