IET: UK faces a current and future cyber security skills gap

A significant lack of skilled workers is hampering the UK's fight against cyber-crime, says a leading engineering and technology organisation.

The warning, from the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET), coincides with a report from the National Audit Office (NAO).  The NAO warns that the UK faces a current and future cyber security skills gap, with "the current pipeline of graduates and practitioners" unable to meet demand.

Hugh Boyes from the IET said: “The UK has been proclaimed as the ‘most internet-based major economy’. This obviously provides a rich and fertile basis for industry, and small businesses in particular, to expand and grow.

“However, there continues to be real and growing threats to our interests in cyberspace and these have increased with the growth of the ‘internet economy’.

“This issue is made worse by a lack of suitable professionals who can help us to combat the issues associated with cyber security.  This situation will be exacerbated if we do not take urgent action now to fill the skills gap.”

The IET has been working with the Cabinet Office to ensure a better mix of skills for the future.  One of the ways it is hoped this will be achieve is by building software engineering best practice into undergraduate university degrees and encouraging more students to undertake postgraduate study of cyber security.

Hugh continued: “With a bigger pool of suitably qualified graduates we can improve cyber security by making software more secure, dependable and reliable.”

The NAO report says that the internet economy in the UK accounts for more than £120bn – a higher proportion of GDP than any other G20 country. The cost of cyber-crime is estimated to be between £18bn and £27bn a year, the report says.

Ends

Notes to editors:

§  Interview opportunities are available with IET spokespersons.

§  The IET is Europe’s largest professional body of engineers with over 150,000 members in 127 countries.

§  For more information, visit www.theiet.org.

§  Follow the IET on Twitter.

Media enquiries to:
Robert Beahan, Media Relations Manager
T: +44 (0)1438 767336
M: +44 (0)7595 400912
E: rbeahan@theiet.org