New Skills Academy Aims to Bridge Nation-Wide Cyber Skills Gap

26.11.24

General

The Cyber and Fraud Centre – Scotland has welcomed our newest member of the team – Katie O’Neill, who joins as Head of Cyber Skills Academy.

Katie brings extensive experience in cyber crime training, having worked with Police Scotland previously as Cyber and Digital Forensics Lead. Where she delivered advanced training programmes to equip law enforcement personnel with essential skills to investigate cyber crime, analyse digital evidence and address emerging cyber threats.

This newly created role will help the Cyber and Fraud Centre – Scotland develop our online and in-person resilience training for organisations of all sizes, helping us to achieve our vision of educating and informing teams on how to prepare and respond to potential cyber breaches.

The Skills Academy will deliver tailored training via accessible methods, ensuring that cyber skills gaps are closed, in-house team training opportunities are maximised, and organisational cyber postures are secure.

Katie’s recruitment to the team has never been more important. A recent survey* highlighted that only 6% of CEOs listing cyber security as a priority, ranking it ninth out of twelve major regulatory concerns.

This new research clearly flagged that despite an increasing number of cyber attacks and data breaches, many senior leaders are focused on other areas, leaving potential vulnerabilities unaddressed. While customer satisfaction and revenue growth top the list of priorities, compliance and risk areas such as cyber security are much lower on this list, with only 4% of 1,000 CEOs ranking it as their top area of concern.

Compounding matters, this research also shows that senior-level employees, who often have access to sensitive data, are less likely to report cyber incidents such as phishing emails. Indeed, senior level executives are three times less likely to report compromised passwords or suspicious IP addresses compared to entry-level staff, with nearly half (48%) admitting they wouldn’t immediately report a phishing email and 41% would delay reporting compromised work passwords.

With this dangerous gap in awareness and understanding of the importance of cyber security risks, organisations should embed training and skills growth at every level to create a positive cyber security culture – empowering any team member to act as a first line of defence.

Katie comments, “This is an important new role in the cyber education landscape, and I look forward to applying my specialist expertise in cybercrime training and educational strategy to develop a dynamic skills academy that will enable organisations to upskill their workforce. With a rise in cyber attacks, it’s vital to stay aware of the latest threats and best practices to stay safe.”

Jude McCorry, CEO at the Cyber and Fraud Centre – Scotland adds, “Katie is an outstanding leader and brings a wealth of experience in the field of cyber security. Her widespread expertise will give organisations the opportunity to gain critical knowledge and practical approaches, to navigate the complex landscape of cyber threats.

I am proud that we are building the team as a result of client demand, and it’s great to see organisations taking cyber security training and culture seriously.”

If your organisation would benefit from a training boost, contact the Cyber and Fraud Centre – Scotland team today at [email protected].

* https://www.digit.fyi/only-6-of-ceos-say-cybersecurity-is-a-top-priority/