In 2018, the UK’s Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) funded the creation of the UK Cyber Security Council, which launched in March 2021. The UK government will look to the council as the authority on the cyber profession as it works to implement and enforce consistent standards for the industry.

In January 2022, DCMS issued a public consultation on proposals to develop the cybersecurity profession in the UK. The proposal looks to provide clarity to the industry by looking at similar established fields such as accounting, law, and engineering that already have professional standards and pathways in place. Additionally, the proposals set out to address pathways into the profession and make it more accessible to a wider range of skills and skill levels.

The UK has prioritized the adoption of digital technologies and that has become a critical aspect of the national infrastructure. Therefore, it is important that cybersecurity plays a fundamental role in the evolution of the business and government needs in the UK.

As an industry leader and the largest not-for-profit association of certified cybersecurity professionals in the world, (ISC)² took the opportunity to address the issues presented by DCMS and provide feedback on the proposals. 

You can view the summary of the entire (ISC)² opinion online which includes our association’s response to the following areas of the proposal:

1 – The Role of Government in The Professionalisation of the Cybersecurity Workforce 

Cybersecurity represents a human challenge, first and foremost. There is a strong need for government to provide guidance, assistance, and limited, but thoughtful regulation for individuals and organisations within the cybersecurity sector. Key areas of focus for this guidance would include strengthening and refining day-to-day cybersecurity management systems.

2 – Adapting Professionalisation Models from Other Professions 

An organisation that can successfully improve the ‘people’ element will improve the ‘process’ element which will trickle down to the ‘technology’ element resulting in a far better overall outcome for the entire industry. From this will emerge a more resilient industry that is better prepared to prevent, detect, respond, and recover from an inevitable set of cybersecurity challenges.

3 – Importance of Harmonising Standards in Cybersecurity

It is important that any UK-based competency framework operates harmoniously with existing internationally recognized frameworks. Appropriate cybersecurity certifications, such as those issued by (ISC)² would strengthen any proposed professionalisation model for the UK cybersecurity workforce.

This consultation response is among the latest initiatives of our advocacy team to help educate and partner with policy makers to build awareness for our members, the value of our certifications and encourage impactful solutions to the challenges facing the workforce. 

Learn more about the (ISC)² opinion in our full response .