A ‘virtual’ Research Institute in the Science of Cyber Security has been set up by intelligence agency GCHQ.
Funded by a £3.8m grant, government and other organisers say it’s to help businesses and others to take informed decisions about how to take better cyber-protection measures and safely benefit from the opportunities of cyberspace. Francis Maude, Minister for Cyber Security said: “The UK is one of the most secure places in the world to do business – already eight per cent of our GDP is generated from the cyber world and that trend is set to grow. But we are not complacent. Through the National Cyber Security Programme we are putting serious investment into the best UK expertise to lead thought in the science of cyber. The UK’s first academic research institute will strengthen capability in a strategically important area, keeping the UK at the forefront of international research in the field.” Four unis are part of the institute: University College London (UCL), with Aberdeen; Imperial College, working with Queen Mary College and Royal Holloway, University of London; Royal Holloway; and Newcastle, working with Northumbria. A UCL computer scientist, Prof Angela Sasse, is the Director of Research.
Established by GCHQ, with the Research Councils’ Global Uncertainties Programme (RCUK), (led by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC)), and the Department for Business Innovation and Skills (BIS), the Research Institute is a virtual organisation involving seven universities. It will allow academics in the field of cyber-security including social scientists, mathematicians and computer scientists from across the UK to work together.
And David Willetts, Minister for Universities and Science, said: “Britain has one of the largest online economies in the world and a growing cyber security sector, and we need to ensure this success continues. This new Research Institute will draw on the leading expertise in our universities from both technological and behavioural disciplines to address key challenges. It will help businesses, government and individuals to better protect themselves from cyber threats so they can make the most of the opportunities the internet presents.”
