Becoming a cyber professional should be as prestigious as joining the medical or legal professions

Foreign affairs and national security exposed me to technology. As Security Minister in the coalition administration, I oversaw the UK's first financed national cyber security policy.

Since those early days a decade or so ago when cyber was a specialist interest, we have seen it become a central element in this country’s security and prosperity agendas.

Good cyber security

Good cyber security boosts our physical security, wealth, and crime resistance. Poor security causes physical harm to our national infrastructure, public services and institutions, promotes fraud and substantial financial losses as well as investments foregone because of lack of confidence.

As we employ more enabling technology, society's advantages and hazards rise, and although we're making progress, our enemies are still winning.

Increasing cyber skills

The UK's technological drive makes increasing cyber skills crucial and urgent. Becoming a cyber professional should be as prestigious as joining the medical or legal professions, and the profession should employ individuals at all technical levels in the public and commercial sectors.

We need T-levels and PhDs. Industry, business, health, education, government, law enforcement all require cyber expertise...I could go on. I just wish I was was starting again!

Visit my website.

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