What is the UK Cyber Security Association?

Everyone knows that Cyber security is an issue – government, businesses and individuals rely on the Internet and IT systems, and have come to realise they are at more at risk from Cyber attacks.

These attacks are becoming increasingly more sophisticated and stealthy, targeting people, networks and devices. There are many questions, and not enough answers.

With this in mind, the UK Cyber Security Association exists to break down the barriers between all areas of cyber security.

• What is it?
• Who it effects?
• Where do you go for advice?
• How do you protect yourself, or your business?

Who is it for?

The association is for anyone who is interested in Cyber Security Issues. You could be an individual who is interested in getting a job in the industry to a large corporation who needs help and assistance to protect themselves from cyber threats.

The UK Cyber Security Association (UKCSA) is a membership organisation for:

• Individuals who actively work in the cyber security industry in the UK and internationally.
• Small businesses, SMEs and enterprise/corporate companies who actively work in the cyber security industry in the UK and internationally.
• Small businesses, SMEs and enterprise/corporate companies who don’t actively or necessarily work in the cyber security industry, but want to show that they take their cyber security seriously or have a strong interest in the cyber security industry.

The UK Cyber Security Association will work to a clear vision, mission and set of objectives that ensures best practice and information assimilation and sharing from the cyber security industry in the UK and internationally. This will be shared through our members and strong community to help with keeping the UK safe from the growing cyber threat.

The primary focus of the UK Cyber Security Association will be on building a strong community of individuals and organisations who actively work in the cyber security industry both in the UK and internationally to share best practice and to collaborate when it comes to the growing cyber threat and combatting it.

We will also raise awareness of the growing cyber threat though proactive thought leadership and education/training that focuses on how individuals and organisations can protect themselves as much as possible from cyber crime and all types of online and offline fraud.

Our Core Objectives:

• To create and grow the UK Cyber Security Association through a membership base of individuals in the UK and internationally, and organisations in the UK and internationally of all sizes.
• To heavily promote the world-leading work that the UK is currently undertaking in cyber security, to promote all key cyber security initiatives and to promote initiatives such as Cyber Security Valley UK and the Cyber Resilience Centres.
• To form collaborative partnerships and agreements with key organisations across the UK and other membership bodies such as the National Cyber Security Centre, GCHQ, the UK Cyber Security Council and the Chartered Institute of Information Security Professionals amongst others to share the load when it comes to promoting the growing cyber threat.
• To set up regional networks in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland to support and promote the work that the UKCSA is doing, and to set up working groups in key areas such as for women in cyber, equality and diversity (including neurodiversity), military/veterans, skills/education/training and developing the association.
• To promote the cyber skills gap and encourage more people to enter cyber security, as well as working to encourage more women to enter the industry.
• To increase business opportunities in cyber security for our members either directly or via collaborations.

Our Vision

“To become a leading community and membership organisation in the cyber security space, to campaign to raise awareness of the growing cyber threat for small businesses, SMEs, enterprise/corporate companies and the general public both in the UK and internationally, and to raise awareness of key issues and threats in the cyber security space.”

Who runs it?

The UK Cyber Security Association is run by CEO & Founder Lisa Ventura, and a strong team of cyber security industry professionals. The work of the association is overseen through various working groups in the following areas:

• Women in cyber security
• Equality and diversity (including neurodiversity)
• Military and veterans
• Membership development
• Skills, education and training.

Since our CEO & Founder had the idea to create the UK Cyber Security Association it has been in an expressions of interest phrase to see if there is a need and desire for an organisation to provide these services. The response during the expressions of interest stage was overwhelming, and we are now officially open for membership. Our launch day will be Tuesday 4th May 2021 – Star Wars Day.

Although we were not open for membership until April 2021, Lisa Ventura and her team undertook work in key projects in the cyber security industry through the association including:

• The launch of #InfosecLunchHour, a weekly meeting of cyber security and infosec professionals on Zoom to talk, network and share key insights and information from the cyber security space.
• The production of a documentary with ITN productions called “Safer Cyber Spaces”, as well as a possible similar documentary with the BBC.
• Appointment to the Advisory Group of the West Midlands Cyber Resilience Centre.
• Appointment to the Advisory Board of Think Digital Partners.
• Appointment to the Advisory Council of the National Cyber Security Expo.
• Cyber Security Valley UK  

We have already worked on a number of key campaigns within the cyber security industry including:

• Security when working from home or working remotely following the move to work from home quickly in March 2020 when the COVID-19 pandemic hit.
• The cyber skills gap – the UK is facing a shortage of cyber security professionals. We campaign through schools, colleges and universities and on a more general basis to encourage more people to enter the cyber security industry, as well as awareness raising campaigns generally in this area.
• Women in cyber security – we campaign heavily to encourage more women to enter the cyber security industry.
• Neurodiversity and cyber security – our CEO & Founder is neurodivergent, and as such we campaign to raise awareness of cyber security as a career choice for those who are neurodiverse.

We will continue to work on these campaigns as we grow and develop.

Why do we need another organisation?

Why indeed? Well the answer to this and how we intend to operate are both the same. Keep it simple.

Most of the organisations currently formed are very specific and are generally business to business orientated. This serves the required purpose, but these organisations are isolated with other similar organisations as they are in competition with each other.

The UK Cyber Security Association believes there is a greater good in working together, which would allow the industry to grow quicker rather than businesses and individuals working on the same issues in isolation.

This would also help the UK as a whole to regain its world leader status.

The walls need to be broken down, and all areas of the Cyber Security industry should act as one when dealing with the ever increasing number of Cyber threats to the UK.