Government cyber security initiatives to know about

The public sector’s need for cyber security solutions is on the rise. 40% of the cyber incidents managed by the National Cyber Security Centre between September 2020 and August 2021 were aimed at the public sector, making it a pivotal time for cyber security suppliers to ensure they are aware of and prepared for upcoming opportunities.

This blogpost aims to showcase the various initiatives that have been set up for cyber security suppliers who work with the government, to solidify their presence in the industry.

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The Cyber Growth Partnership

The Cyber Growth Partnership (CGP) is a joint venture between industry, academia and government organisations, led by techUK. The purpose of the CGP is to help cyber security businesses grow and “boost the UK’s global market position in cyber security product and services.”

The CGP supports the National Cyber Security Strategy’s three-year vision to “ensure the UK remains confident, capable and resilient”, and that government organisations “continue to adapt, innovate and invest” in protecting the nation’s cyber space.

So what avenues exist for cyber security suppliers to ensure they remain on the cutting edge of cyber solutions required by government organisations?

Under the CGP, a Cyber Security Suppliers’ scheme has been developed. The scheme offers an opportunity for cyber suppliers who work with the government to lean on their relationships and leverage government logos when applying for future opportunities.

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Cyber Cluster Collaboration

In conjunction with the Department for Digital Culture Media and Sport, and in support of the National Cyber Strategy’s goal of continuing to adapt, innovate and invest, a Cyber Cluster Collaboration has been formed.

This involves a network of 20 regional clusters of cyber businesses, employers and local organisations to ensure cyber growth is distributed across the nation. The table below showcases the clusters that have been formed and the main contact at each.

At the time of writing this blogpost, more than half of the UK’s cyber security firms are registered in London and the South East. The map below displays the distribution of registered cyber suppliers across the UK, clearly outlining the skew toward south-east presence. The cyber clusters aim to aid with redistribution and allow for more regional opportunities.

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In support of the equalisation of the UK’s supplier presence, local government’s have increased their commitment to ensuring the suppliers they work with are located within their region. The next section of this blogpost goes into more detail on how to make the most of this.

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Regional procurement through local government

Procurement for cyber security solutions has increased across all government organisation types, not least with local councils.The graph below shows the cyber security procurement activity of local government organisations over the last 7 years by organisation.

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Whilst East Riding of Yorkshire has been the most active overall, Cornwall Council and The City of Edinburgh Council have been the most active this year. We expect the amount of local councils actively procuring for cyber contracts in their region to continue to increase, particularly as attacks against local government bodies is on the rise.

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The UK Cyber Security Council

‍The council acts as the expert voice of the cyber security profession in the UK. Its focus is to seek alignment for qualifications and certifications in the sector, and to set the standard for Charted Cyber Security Professionals. For more information on how to ensure your qualifications are recognised, visit this website.

This blogpost outlines some of the key initiatives suppliers can turn to when wanting to work with the public sector. There are plenty of other government strategies and partnerships that have been created to support the cyber security industry as a whole. To read more about them, click here. Additionally, £billions in funding has been allocated to cyber security procurement. To understand more about the funding, read this blogpost.

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In August 2022, we released a free report on the £billions in public sector cyber security funding. The aim of this report is to showcase the monumental opportunities emerging for cyber security suppliers to get involved with. Click here to download your free Stotles report.

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