UK’s £13 Billion Cybersecurity sector at risk as nearly half of UK Businesses lack vital security skills
However, 44% of UK businesses lack basic cybersecurity skills, while 27% are missing the advanced expertise required to defend against increasingly sophisticated cyber threats, according to a new report from the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) reveals that
As a key driver of economic growth, cybersecurity supports vital sectors including AI innovation, financial transactions, and national security. Yet, many businesses—particularly SMEs—remain underprepared, often underestimating their vulnerability to cyber attacks.
This widespread misjudgment leaves both individual companies and the wider UK economy exposed to growing digital risks.
Compounding the problem, regional disparities and a lack of investment in cybersecurity research and start-ups are stifling the sector’s potential. SMEs, in particular, face challenges in attracting and retaining the skilled professionals needed to safeguard their operations. Even those companies willing to invest in cybersecurity struggle to find and keep qualified talent, thanks to a highly competitive job market.
The sector currently employs approximately 67,300 people, with 6,600 new jobs created over the past year. Feryal Clark, MP and Parliamentary Undersecretary of State at DSIT, emphasised that the cybersecurity sector is a “key part of our vision for kick starting economic growth.”
Andy Ward, SVP International of Absolute Security commented: “This story highlights both the impressive growth of the UK’s cybersecurity sector and the barriers preventing it from reaching its full potential.
While the industry now generates £13.2 billion annually and has created thousands of new jobs, challenges such as skills shortages and regional disparities continue to hold it back.”
An organisation is only as strong as its weakest link whether that’s an endpoint device like a laptop or a member of staff that hasn’t been given the requisite cyber skills training.
For all of the tech-powered cyber defences, it’s vital that every member of staff within an organisation is equipped with cyber skills, understanding how to identify and report threats, as well as having the right tools in place to recover when an attack occurs. This alone can save precious time in the event of an outage, and reduce downtime.”
To maintain its position as a global tech leader, the UK must address its cybersecurity skills gap. Targeted investments in research and development, alongside the widespread adoption of robust security measures by SMEs, will be essential to unlocking the full potential of the £13 billion cybersecurity sector and ensuring long-term economic resilience and innovation.
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