Cyber employment across the industry rose by 13 per cent, meaning more than 6,000 new jobs created; bringing the total number of people working in cyber in the UK to 52,700. That’s according to the Annual Cyber Sector Report, from the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS).
The report found 1,838 active cyber security firms in the UK in 2021. More than half are based outside of London and the South East.
The total annual revenue within the sector has reached £10.1 billion within the most recent financial year; an increase of 14pc since the previous study. As for external investment, some £1 billion was secured across 84 deals by companies notably by Bristol-based Immersive Labs, which raised £53.5m, and London-based Tessian which secured £52m.
At the DCMS, the new Digital Secretary Nadine Dorries said: “Cyber security firms are major contributors to the UK’s incredible tech success story. Hundreds of British firms from Edinburgh to Bristol are developing and selling cutting-edge cyber tools around the world that make it safer for people to live and work online. We are investing in skills training and business initiatives to help the UK go from strength to strength as a global cyber power and open up the sector to people from all walks of life.”
Comment
Amanda Finch, CEO of the Chartered Institute of Information Security (CIISec) said that it was welcome to see the growing recognition that security isn’t just tactical action, but a critical industry and vital strategic goal. “This is something we have been supporting for many years. We are also glad to see the emphasis on programmes to attract and support new people into the industry. It’s never been a more important time to do this and show the sheer diversity of cyber security careers. This is something at the heart of what we do, offering schemes such as apprenticeships and the UK’s first of its kind CyberEPQ to kick-start careers, all underpinned by our skills frameworks that help develop and support individuals right up to retirement.
“There is still work to do to professionalise security. We need a diverse industry that supports and nurtures individuals throughout their whole careers. From digital investigation professionals to risk management professionals, there are opportunities for everyone, and we need to make sure we’re attracting new applicants form every background. All of this will play a key role in driving professionalism in the industry, and helping to transform security into a strategic concern at the heart of the business, instead of a technical add-on.”
Background
The polling firm Ipsos MORI, Perspective Economics and the Centre for Secure Information Technologies (CSIT) at Queen’s University Belfast (QUB) were jointly commissioned by DCMS to do the analysis. A previous estimate of the size and scale of the UK’s cyber security industry was published in February 2021. You can view the 78-page sector analysis on the DCMS website.
