NCSC Annual Review 2022

The NCSC has a key role in strengthening the UK’s thriving cyber security ecosystem, which is now worth more than £10 billion to the economy, employing nearly 53,000 people across 1,800 businesses.

This aim was reinforced as one of the five pillars of the government’s National Cyber Strategy, with investing in cyber skills being a vital part of that goal.

Together with the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS), the UK Cyber Security Council and other partners, the NCSC is working to create an ecosystem that is self-sustaining and an essential part of the country’s national security and economic interests.

From finding and nurturing talent, to creating further and higher education opportunities, to supporting cyber startups, to certifying and assuring standards and services, to creating more diversity, to driving growth and innovation, to sharing best practice and people with the industry, the NCSC is making a positive difference across a dynamic ecosystem.

In February, analysis revealed record levels of growth were apparent in the UK’s cyber security sector with a 24% and 13% increase in new businesses and jobs respectively. The NCSC has been a part of this growth through its shared ambition, investment, dedication and collaboration with government, academia and industry.

However, it is evident the sector faces challenges when it comes to optimising growth, skills and diversity. Over half of businesses lack basic technical cyber skills and there is an annual shortfall of over 14,000 people in the UK cyber security workforce.

Too many vacancies go unfilled, the pipeline of talent falls short of the numbers it needs, while its workforce does not always reflect the diversity in wider society. The second joint NCSC-KPMG Decrypting Diversity survey results, published in December, reported many positive developments in equality and diversity within the sector, but further improvements were highlighted to increase inclusivity in many areas, such as gender, sexual orientation, ethnicity and social mobility. In her foreword, Lindy Cameron described the report as a “wake-up call” and called on industry to come together and act on its recommendations.

Through developing a diverse and technically skilled workforce, harnessing the innovative talents of the UK's vibrant research community, and supporting a cyber resilient and innovative cyber sector, the NCSC, through its people, projects and initiatives is looking to fill gaps and create a world-class cyber ecosystem.