The UK’s National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC), working alongside the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT), has enlisted the support of tech giant IBM for their joint goals of improving diversity in Britain’s rapidly expanding cyber security industry.
The partnership will see IBM provide the online platform used to run the NCSC’s flagship cyber skills programme for girls – CyberFirst Girls – an annual countrywide programme open to girls aged 12 to 13, which supports them in developing computing and security skills, and encourages them to explore future careers in the UK’s £13bn cyber sector.
Although diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives in the business world are coming under attack from many quarters, improving representation in the security trade remains a key priority at Westminster – with women representing just 17% of the sector workforce, and significant pay and skills gaps remaining.
Meanwhile, the widening cyber threat environment continues to impact UK organisations, making it even more critical that the next generation of security leaders is brought to light.
“If we’re going to keep the UK safe from the threats we face online, then we need to build a diverse workforce which is reflective of every community in the country,” said cyber security minister Feryal Clark.
“By partnering with IBM to deliver the next edition of the CyberFirst Girls Competition, we’re driving forward our plans to do exactly that – building up the skills of young girls across the country and nurturing the next generation of UK cyber leaders.
“The girls who will benefit from this support could even go on to represent the UK Cyber Team – the cream of the crop of British cyber talent who will fly the flag for us across the world.”
Mark Hughes, IBM global managing partner for cyber security, added: “IBM is delighted to build upon our partnership with the National Cyber Security Centre by supporting the CyberFirst Girls competition with DSIT. Our commitment to fostering diversity in cyber security remains unwavering, as highlighted in our Diversity & Inclusion in Cybersecurity initiative.
“This new collaboration is a significant step towards nurturing the next generation of cyber leaders, ensuring a more inclusive and robust industry,” he said. “We are confident that this partnership will make a substantial impact in encouraging more young girls to pursue rewarding careers in cyber security.”
Over 85,000 students have participated in the CyberFirst Girls competition since it launched in 2017. The contest format pits students against a series of cyber and cyber-adjacent challenges, looking at areas such as cryptography, network architecture, and, more recently, artificial intelligence (AI).
“Over the past decade, the CyberFirst Girls Competition has offered tens of thousands of young women a fun opportunity to test their cyber skills against real-world cyber problems,” said NCSC deputy director for cyber growth, Chris Ensor.
“I’m delighted that a new partnership across government and the private sector will be taking forward the delivery of this vital initiative which is inspiring the next generation of cyber security professionals.
“We need a cyber industry which reflects our diverse society and encourages the most talented individuals to keep our digital lives secure,” he said.
Cyber Team heads for Dublin
Meanwhile, some of the previous beneficiaries of the NCSC’s schools outreach activities are this weekend heading to Dublin to put their skills to the test against some of the best young cyber practitioners in Europe, in a series of e-sports-style cyber games.
Formed last year, the UK Cyber Team is run jointly by DSIT and the SANS Institute, and comprises 30 18- to 25-year-olds from across the country who qualified after making it through a series of preliminary rounds testing their technical expertise and problem-solving abilities in areas such as cryptography, digital forensics, network security and web exploitation.
Drawn from across the country, the current UK Cyber Team is 37% female and 3% non-binary.
