From Campfires to Firewalls: why Scouts are the cyber future
October 2024 by David Shepherd, Senior VP of EMEA at Ivanti
With the National Cyber Security Centre backing the Scouts to boost cyber skills in young people, there’s a growing recognition of the need to cultivate the next generation of cybersecurity professionals. As cyber threats continue to evolve, it’s critical to address the widening skills gap now, starting with engaging youth.
The Scouts’ initiative emphasises that fostering digital literacy and cybersecurity awareness at an early age is essential for future-proofing the UK’s workforce, but there’s still much work to be done to bridge this gap across all ages and sectors.
David Shepherd, Senior Vice President of EMEA, Ivanti said:
“It’s refreshing to see how the government is finding ways outside of traditional education to address the current cyber skills gap. Although the digital revolution has been ongoing for years, the cyber security skills gap continues to widen. Every sector, from engineering to law, financial services to healthcare, faces escalating cyber threats, especially with the rapid growth of artificial intelligence. While technology is a crucial driver of progress, cyber security threats risk holding the UK back in its digital evolution. Now more than ever, we need to build a robust pipeline of cyber security talent, while also finding immediate solutions.
“Cyber security education and engagement with future leaders across all levels of the education system is critical. However, the reality is that we still face an immediate skills shortage that must be addressed now. Organisations should focus on reskilling their existing workforce to fill gaps and take on new roles in cybersecurity teams. Furthermore, as cyber threats become increasingly sophisticated, companies cannot afford to delay implementing automated prevention, detection, and response strategies that work whether employees are in-office or working from home.
“Cyber security is everyone’s responsibility. As security leaders, we must advocate for stronger collaboration between organisations and government to ensure the UK has both the skills pipeline and the advanced tools needed to stay secure.”