In acknowledgement of emerging threats, the UK’s new body will establish the knowledge, skills and experience required for different cybersecurity jobs and provide guidance for people looking to enter the sector. The new body will be directly funded by the British government’s Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport.
As well as offering guidance and a threat reduction framework, the council will also work with training providers to accredit courses and qualifications.
Digital Infrastructure Minister Matt Warman said of the new organisation: “The fact we are launching an independent professional body for cyber security shows just how vital this area has become – it makes a huge contribution to our thriving digital economy by safeguarding our critical national infrastructure, commerce and other online spaces.”
Commenting on the news for Digital Journal is OneSpan’s Director of Product Security, Frederik Mennes.
Mennes explains the need for the new council: “Cybersecurity is a rapidly growing industry, so it’s extremely reassuring to see government in the UK factoring cybersecurity into its long-term planning. The surge of digital adoption which we’ve seen during the COVID-19 pandemic is not a temporary measure – the shift will be permanent with many people and organisations feeling the benefits of improved customer experience, reduced costs and greater convenience. Therefore, it’s extremely important that digitisation efforts are met with high-levels of security to protect businesses and their customers from the increased risk of cybercrime.”
Mennes adds that: “High levels of security can only be provided by skilled professionals, and it’s therefore encouraging to see that the UK government will define knowledge, skills and experience required by cybersecurity professionals. We expect the new UK Cyber Security Council to collaborate with other organisations in this area, such as the UK’s Chartered Institute of Information Security (CIISec).”
