Nick Emmerson, president of the Law Society of England and Wales, commented on the three-day summit to boost cyber skills and tackle growing threats saying the legal society is ‘particularly vulnerable’.
The UK convened leading nations including the US and EU for talks on how to tackle the growing threat of cyber-attacks, as new figures show nearly half of British businesses do not have the skills needed to protect against cyber-crime.
The event took place at Wilton Park in West Sussex, and the discussions come at what the government calls a ‘critical time following recent high-profile incidents’ – including the global IT outage, an attack impacting NHS service providers, and attempts to disrupt London’s transport network.
The Law Society president said: “The legal sector is especially vulnerable to cyber threats due to its critical role in the UK economy and we welcome the upcoming talks to address the growing threat. Legal professionals handle highly sensitive client information, making cybersecurity essential for protecting both clients and businesses.
“Our joint report with the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) stresses the importance of cybersecurity training and strong governance. We fully support international collaboration to strengthen global defences against cyber threats.
“In England and Wales, initiatives like the National Skills Fund and the NCSC’s Funded Cyber Essentials Programme have already improved cybersecurity skills for legal firms. We welcome the continuation and expansion of these programmes to improve cyber skills and protect the digital economy.”
Over the next three days countries including the EU member states, Canada, Japan and international organisations such as the World Economic Forum (WEF) and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) will discuss how global cyber security workforces can be strengthened, from agreeing ways to boost cyber skills to developing new professional standards.
To help this effort, the UK will commission a new report, with attendees set to agree key areas it should focus on. The recommendations are expected to be published by the end of the year and will advance international collaboration to improve cyber skills and face down cyber-crime.
Taking more immediate action, the UK government is also launching a new scheme to deliver tailored support across regions of England and Northern Ireland. By tapping into local know how, the move will fund initiatives which will directly address the cyber skills needs of individual areas – whether it’s through apprenticeships or companies developing new forms of cyber security.
It follows the government’s decision to designate data centres as Critical National Infrastructure (CNI) alongside energy and water systems, which will bolster the UK’s security and allow the government to support the sector in the event of critical incidents. Supporting UK cyber skills will also boost the £11.9 billion cyber security industry and help protect growth in the UK economy.
Cyber Security Minister Feryal Clark said:
The UK needs a significant improvement in its cyber defences after the previous government failed to strengthen our cyber laws – we’re fixing that.
Later this year, we’ll bring forward new measures to better protect the nation from cyber-crime and our new regional skills programme will support the next generation of cyber talent and innovators.
But this is a shared challenge, which is why we’re bringing together global allies to discuss and agree steps to keep us safe online, improve cyber skills and protect our economy and public services.
A total of £1.3 million is being made available for organisations such as universities, local councils and businesses to provide cyber skills training, and fund organisations developing new innovations in cyber defence across Northern Ireland and England. Delivered by Innovate UK, applications for the scheme open today and will see grants of up to £150,000 awarded to winning applicants by March 2025.
