Cyber Scotland Week: Record year for Cyber Security sector

The explosion in remote working and online communication as a result of Covid-19 measures has led to a surge in cyber security attacks.

The number of incidents rose by an estimated 20 per cent in 2020, compared to the yearly average since 2016, with almost half of all UK firms reporting a cyber-attack – and some surveys suggesting the true figure is much higher.

Yet there is much more to the cyber landscape than defending against attacks. Cyber Scotland Week, which starts today, will focus on the economic opportunities presented by Scotland’s growing status in the field, as well as examining all aspects of cyber resilience.

 

A report published last month by ScotlandIS Cyber stated that the Scottish cyber cluster currently includes approximately 230 companies, with about ten new Scottish cyber firms set up every year for the last five years.

Ciara Mitchell, head of cyber at ScotlandIS, who will speak at The Scotsman event, said that the report demonstrated the country’s real strength in depth, with companies ranging from small start-ups to large corporates. She added: “As well as attracting inward investment from the likes of Cisco and Corero, there’s a wide range of high-growth home- made businesses that are starting to attract a lot of attention.”

The report showed that university spin-outs remain important sources of growth. Edinburgh Napier University has spun out two big names in Cyan Forensics and Zonefox, while newer firms attracting interest include Strathclyde spin-out Lupovis, Glasgow’s PRC and Napier’s Memcrypt.

 

Across the UK, a new government report shows that the UK’s growing cyber industry attracted record investment last year, despite the global pandemic.

• Almost 50,000 people are now employed in UK cyber security
• Number of active cyber security firms in the UK increased 21 per cent on last year
• Sector contributed more than £4bn to the economy, attracting £800m of investment
• Cyber firms have stepped up to help the NHS in the national fight against coronavirus by providing vital technical support
• Between April 2019 and December 2020, reveals a 21 per cent increase in firms operating in the field, bringing the total number to 1,483.
• There was a nine per cent rise in employment in the industry with more than 3,800 new full time jobs created, bringing the total number of people working in the sector to 46,683.
• The sector is now worth an estimated £8.9 billion, with a record £800 million of investment raised by firms.

 

To find out more about the Cyber community in Scotland, visit cyberscotlandweek.com.  If you think a career is cyber is for you, check out our current vacancies or get in touch with us to find out more.