This year’s DCMS report on cyber security was launched last week, with some stats proving the growth of the sector.

The report revealed these findings for the UK’s cyber security sector:

• between April 2019 and December 2020, there was a 21 per cent increase in firms operating in the field, bringing the total number to 1,483
• There was a nine per cent rise in employment in the industry
• More than 3,800 new full-time jobs were created, bringing the total number of people working in the sector to almost 50,000
• Overall, the sector contributed more than £4bn to the economy, attracting £800m of investment

[Source: The full DCMS report is found here.]

Simon Whittaker, CEO of Vertical Structure said, “Four billion pounds being contributed to the economy reflects the huge input that cyber security brings to the UK. It goes to show that the pandemic only increased people’s awareness of the threats from cyber crime, especially as more of our lives were being led online.”

Our experience at Vertical Structure has definitely matched this picture of growth. Despite a complete change to remote working, we’ve been busier than ever since the first lockdown began in March 2020.

For example:

• We’ve been doing more remote cyber security training sessions than ever before, with much success. Read: Can remote training sessions work for you?

• We’ve also hired a new team member with deep experience in the areas of ISO27001 and GDPR, amongst others. Read: VSL welcomes Keith Anderson to the team

Simon continued, “It’s beneficial to all companies to see growth in the cyber security industry. It provides comfort to know that businesses of all shapes and sizes are protected from threats. With so much growth in this area, it makes this a great industry to work in – that’s why we always encourage graduates to consider jobs in this sector.”

For more information about the local NI cyber security market, please visit this link: NI Cyber Cluster