Publication of correspondence regarding Cyber Security Skills Strategy

Following the publication of the Government’s Initial Security Skills Strategy in December 2018, the Chair of the Joint Committee on the National Security Strategy has written to Margot James MP, Minister for Digital and the Creative Industries at the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport.

The Chair of the Joint Committee, Margaret Beckett MP, urges the Department to produce the ‘final’ strategy as soon as possible, taking on board the Committee’s recommendations set out in its Report published earlier in the year, entitled Cyber Security Skills and the UK’s Critical National Infrastructure.

Margaret Beckett commented:

“Our July Report could not have been clearer about the importance of cyber security skills to the UK’s national security. The shortage in the range of specialist skills and the deep technical expertise required is one of the greatest challenges faced by the UK’s critical national infrastructure operators and regulators in relation to cyber security, both in the immediate and longer term.

“While the Initial Strategy picks up some of my Committee’s recommendations, most of the proposals appear only to involve continuing current initiatives and schemes. This does not measure up to the scale and urgency of action required. 

“In our letter to the Minister, we set out further work required on the specific areas identified in our Report. We need to be sure that the Government is taking this threat seriously and making real progress, especially if there’s a prospect of a protracted wait for the final Strategy document, or worse, if that final Strategy reveals few further ideas.”