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Digital skills gap is challenging security of UK companies
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Nearly half of CISOs (48%) say that the skills shortage in their teams or organisations is the biggest people-related challenge their business is facing this year, closely followed by a lack of applicants for vacancies (36%).

That’s according to new research from cyber security solutions provider BSS that explores How CISOs can succeed in a challenging landscape.

The research, which surveyed 150 information security decision makers, further revealed that the most challenging areas to recruit and retain staff for are: cloud engineering (34%), third-party assessment (31%), and risk assessment and assurance (31%).

The research also revealed that staff attrition is another key people related challenge (19%) and not just at a team level, In fact, one in ten CISOs (13%) stated that they only stay in the role for less than a year.

To combat the shortage of internal experts and high churn rates, many are turning to external companies to bolster their security offering, with nearly all (97%) of those surveyed stating that they engage with partners and service providers for their security needs.

While use of external providers is a great way to deal with skills shortages in teams –with new offerings like the virtual CISO making it even easier to manage projects end to end with external companies– churn rates, budget for external help and even training to address the skills gap all rely on one thing: recognition of the importance of cyber security. Recognition that this new research reveals is sorely lacking.

In fact, less than a third of CISOs surveyed (28%) said that the value of their role is recognised by the board with less than a quarter (22%) stating that they are actively involved in wider business strategy and decision making. And half (49%) of those surveyed agreed that there is a lack of C-level buy-in to the role of information security.

BSS Director, Chris Wilkinson said: “In the midst of a relentless digital skills shortage sweeping across all industries, the urgent call for senior leaders is crystal clear: embrace the paramount significance of cyber security and, above all, recognise the immense value their information security teams bring.

“Moreover, with the critical skills crisis continuing, seeking external expertise is no longer just a nice to have but an absolute necessity to enable companies to fortify their cyber defences to the utmost level.”

Almost 12,000 UK schools could be vulnerable to cyber attacks this year
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Over three quarters (78 percent) of UK head teachers believe their school faces an increased risk of being exposed to a cyber incident in light of remote learning, according to a survey by Cantium Business Solutions and conducted by Censuswide

Despite this, the survey conducted in partnership with Censuswide, revealed that nearly four in ten (37 percent) of respondents, including school staff and IT professionals do not rank cyber security as a high priority. On a national level, this could mean that almost 12,000 schools are at greater risk from a cyber-attack in 2022. 

The online survey covered the views of just over 500 UK headteachers, school IT professionals and teaching staff. It found that two-thirds (66 percent) of UK schools surveyed claimed to have suffered a cyber-attack in the last 18-months and only 35 percent felt strongly that they were well prepared to protect their school against malicious activity in the future. 

The survey suggests that secondary schools in the East of England are more vulnerable to cyber-attacks. 84 percent of schools in the East of England claimed to have suffered a cyber incident in the past 18-months, compared to a nationwide average of 66 percent. Additionally, schools in the region felt their risk of a cyber incident had increased, with 55 percent for those in the East of England agreeing. 

Despite head teachers acknowledging the heighted exposure that remote and home learning brings with it, the survey showed that 46 percent of schools believe the cyber threat will not increase further in 2022. 

Detective Inspector Fiona Bail, Head of Cyber and Innovation at the Eastern Cyber Resilience Centre, said: “Cybercrime continues to increase and unfortunately there is no evidence that the number or scale of attacks will be decreasing soon. Education are key targets due to the sensitive nature of the data that they hold, as well as the complexities of the systems involved, which make secure configuration and implementation of controls tricky. Educational institutions are also easy targets for students who are experimenting with their cyber skills, so being able to identify and nurture technical talent is a problem which other businesses may not have to face. Covid has already placed huge demands on the education sector and having a cyber-attack occur, losing access to key files and data, or being unable to teach, is a situation that no one wants.”

Mark Scott, CEO at Cantium Business Solution, added: “The last year has been particularly challenging for the education sector and it’s clear that the shift to remote learning has left many schools feeling vulnerable and unprepared to protect themselves against cyber criminals. As the threat landscape evolves and schools continue to adopt digital technologies, it’s important to invest in cyber security measures, education and expertise that can help protect against malicious activity. Cyber security doesn’t just fall down to the IT department, it’s a mindset and level of awareness that helps to prevent cyber-attacks and safeguard staff and pupils.”