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A cyber security expert from Ð԰ɵç̨ Leicester (Ð԰ɵç̨) has told health leaders from around the country of the urgent need to address system vulnerabilities to protect patient data. 

Dr Ismini Vasileiou, Ð԰ɵç̨’s Cyber Skills lead, spoke at an event at this year’s Labour Party Conference, hosted by the Cyber Security Business Network. 

There, in a room filled with high level health and NHS professionals, she spoke about the need to address outdated cyber training systems and inconsistent skills standards and role definitions which are leaving the UK vulnerable to highly damaging cyber-attacks. 

Dr Vasileiou said: “The event was a discussion about the vulnerability of the health system but the debate covers much of our industry and society. 

“At the heart of the issue is the way in which cyber skills are taught. To make sure we have a cyber workforce able to protect vital data and systems, we need a consistent and well-planned approach to teaching from an early age.” 

Government figures show that in the past year, approximately 612,000 UK businesses and 61,000 UK charities had reported experiencing cyber security breaches, with high-profile attacks like that which recently forced Jaguar Land Rover to shut down production for weeks, a frequent fixture in the news. 

In response, Dr Vasileiou has worked with senior figures including the Department of Science and Innovation and Technology, UK Cyber Security Council, UKC3, SASIG, CIISec, BCS, and a host of other industry leaders to draw up a white paper, making key recommendations to improve the way cyber skills are taught across the country. 

The paper - produced in collaboration with the APPG on Cyber Innovation - sets out 5 steps for the Government to secure UK cyber security skills for decades to come. The White Paper recommends that Government should: 

1. Establish a DSIT-led taskforce to co-create a UK Cyber Skills Taxonomy 

2. Establish a national delivery body to govern the taxonomy 

3. Incentivise employer adoption of standardised, skills-based recruitment 

4. Align education and career pathways to real-world cyber roles 

5. Scale regional skills alignment through a National Implementation Framework. 

Having helped draw up the white paper, Dr Vasileiou is now set to formally launch the paper with senior leaders from the cyber industry, at an event in Parliament later this month.