CASE STUDY
Cyber Security Void Poses Growing Threat to UK Businesses: Cyber Ready CanHelp
CHALLENGES Nearly half (46%) of UK businesses, according to the Cyber Security Breaches Survey 2020, experienced cyber security breaches in the last 12months. And according to the latest government report (Cyber security skills in the labour market, 2020), 653,000 businesses (48%) have a basic skills gap. With theworkplace impacts of COVID-19 compounding an already complex cyber landscape, organisations cannot afford complacencywhen it comes to IT preparation and training. In light of the stark IT skills gap and the urgent need for digitally savvy, remoteworkforces, employers are actively seeking quality cyber security talent to bring new levels of preparedness to their workforce. With cyber-related salaries ranging from£20,000 to £80,000 or more, depending on experience, jobs in this fieldwill become evenmore lucrative in the comingmonths and years. “The biggest challenge in cyber security nowadays is that it’s really difficult to find good staff who are current andwho are passionate about the subject,” saidGary Fildes, Cyber Ready ExpertMentor. “There is a skill shortage, and CompTIA [certifications] address that gap.” Increasingly, IT applicants around the country are looking towork for companies that are prepared tomake an ongoing investment in the talent and skills-development of their people through such programmes and training initiatives as Cyber Ready. SOLUTION: CYBER READY In 2018, CompTIA launched the Cyber Ready programme nationally with hubs in Leeds, Glasgowand in London. Using amanaged, flipped-classroom learning experience, and with a requiredminimumof eight, weekly hours of independent study, Cyber Ready candidates learn via industry-standard content including video and adaptive questioning to build their knowledge and skills-base. Dedicated Cyber Security Trainers assign required learning and ensure candidates are on-track. A required, once-monthly in-personmeeting enables students to put their theoretical knowledge to the test as they complete various assigned, hands-on challenges. In the final workshop, participants are put through a healthy dose of competition as they participate inWargames to test their skill against other teams. Candidates are helped, beginning at programme enrolment, to find employment in a cyber security job role and are able to obtain two key certifications. “We’re confident in this programme as an effective way for anyone hoping to enter the field, or to retrain from an IT role, into a role as a Cyber Security Analyst. This programme ensures that they have the knowledge, skills and certifications they’ll need.”
Cyber Ready is a six-month- long training and education programme designed to improve the workplace readiness of anyone hoping to reskill or pursue a career in cyber security, around the UK.
“The exams are challenging, they are relevant, and they provide the knowledge and understanding to move forward into further certification.”
– Gary Fildes Cyber Ready
Expert Mentor
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