The UK's growing cyber security sector will be boosted by millions in new investment and a new Cyber Growth Action Plan, as part of the government's Plan for Change.
- New Cyber Growth Action Plan to boost jobs and innovation, growing the UK's £13.2 billion cyber sector.
- Up to £16 million in new funding to turn cutting edge innovation into new business, and boost cyber startups
- Cyber experts from defence and big tech set to advise government on public sector cybersecurity, amid growing threats.
The UK's growing and cutting edge cyber security sector will be boosted by millions in new investment and a roadmap for growth, as part of the Plan for Change .
The government has today [Wednesday 18 June] set out the Cyber Growth Action Plan that will chart a course for the UK's thriving cyber industry, including the technologies, processes, and services designed to protect digital systems, to continue to grow - with the sector already generating £13.2 billion in annual revenue and supporting over 67,000 jobs in 2024.
Led by independent experts at University of Bristol and Imperial College London's Centre for Sectoral Economic Performance, the Plan will examine the strengths of the UK's cyber sector and provide a roadmap for its future growth. This will culminate with a set of recommendations later this summer for government to plot out what steps can be taken to deliver maximum impact.
On top of this, up to £16 million in new investment has been announced in 2 cyber sector programmes to kickstart growth. Up to £10 million in additional funding will be invested in the CyberASAP programme over the next 4 years, which will support the UK's cutting edge academic cyber sector to turn their research into commercial companies. The programme has already supported the creation of 34 spin-out companies which have raised over £43 million in investment. The new funding aims to generate a further 25 spin-outs by 2030 and attract £30 million in additional investment.
To build on the work of the government's current cyber accelerator Cyber Runway, up to £6 million will be also allocated to support cyber startups and SMEs - helping firms scale, access new markets through trade missions, and strengthen the UK's wider cyber ecosystem. By backing researchers and entrepreneurs, these programmes will ensure the UK remains a global leader in cyber innovation and growth. This investment will unlock more jobs, support innovation, and bolster Britain's cyber security.
Cyber Security Minister Feryal Clark said:
Cyber security is essential to our economic strength and national resilience. Today's announcement is backed by investment showing we're serious about making the UK a global leader in cyber innovation and protection.
Through our Plan for Change, we're backing the sector to create high-quality jobs through the Cyber Growth Action Plan and ensuring our public services are built on secure foundations with the expert support of the Government Cyber Advisory Board.
Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster Pat McFadden said:
Today's investment will help to turn innovative ideas into successful businesses up and down the country, and the new research will support our mission to grow the economy.
Recent cyber attacks show just how important it is we foster the development of the sector - delivering the double dividend of high paying jobs as well as strengthening the country's cyber security.
The Growth Action Plan is due to report later this summer and will feed into the forthcoming National Cyber Strategy, ensuring the UK remains resilient and competitive in an increasingly interconnected world. This is central to the government's Plan for Change, aimed at driving innovation, creating high-quality jobs and securing long-term economic resilience.
The review is set to cover the supply and demand of cyber goods and services such as protective monitoring and encryption, to understand opportunities for growth. The research will aim to spot new trends and potential areas to capitalise on - as well as explore emerging technologies including AI and Quantum, and identify opportunities to strengthen Britain's competitive edge. This will in turn protect our digital economy and the new growth which is fundamental to the government's Plan for Change.
Simon Shiu, Professor of Cyber Security at the University of Bristol and leading the project, said:
The UK Cyber Sector is successful and growing, but so too are the challenges as demonstrated by recent events which have affected businesses and consumers. Based on input from all parts of the Cyber Sector, this project will make independent recommendations to accelerate growth in Cyber, but also to increase cyber-resilience in the other sectors critical to UK security, industry, and prosperity.
Professor Nigel Brandon, Dean of the Faculty of Engineering at Imperial, said:
The Centre for Sectoral Economic Performance (CSEP) at Imperial is uniquely placed to work with the University of Bristol on this important work in a rapidly growing and key sector for the UK economy. This work is aligned with our ambition to help drive economic growth by boosting the UK's innovation capacity, productivity and competitiveness.
Senior cybersecurity experts from defence, big tech companies, AI labs, academia and more are also advising the government on public sector cybersecurity. Cyber leaders from BAE Systems, Santander, Amazon Web Services, Microsoft, and Google DeepMind will form the new iteration of the Government Cyber Advisory Board, which will play a key role in supporting the government's goal to strengthen the public sector's cyber resilience. This aligns with the government Cyber Security Strategy and underpins the delivery of secure digital services across government.
The cyber sector will be a key focus of the upcoming Industrial Strategy - becoming a central pillar of the government's Plan for Change to kick-start growth and put more money in people's pockets across the UK. Cyber security has become a central part of the government's plans to secure the economy and drive growth across the country as part of its Plan for Change.
Earlier this year, the Technology Secretary set out his ambition for the forthcoming Cyber Security and Resilience Bill which includes proposals to protect the UK's supply chains, critical national services, and IT service providers and suppliers and is expected to be introduced to Parliament later this year.
As part of the new measures, hospitals and energy suppliers are set to boost their cyber defences, protecting public services and safeguarding growth.
Notes
You can find the Terms of Reference for the growth review here .
The new board members of the Government Cyber Advisory Board include:
- Daniel Cuthbert (co-chair), Global Head of Cyber Security Research, Santander
- Bella Powell (co-chair), Government Cyber Director, Government Digital Service
- Daniel Card, Cyber Security Consultant
- Cate Pye, Global Partner Lead for Digital Trust and Cyber Security, PA Consulting
- Heather Bedson, Head of Information Security, BPP
- Jeff Moss, President of DEF CON Communications Inc
- Jen Ellis, Cyber Security Consultant
- Asif Matadar, CEO and Founder, cyberwargames.ai
- Dr Simon Parkinson, Professor of Cyber Security, University of Huddersfield
- Julia Spain, Partner, Ashurst Risk Advisory
- Nicole Fowler, Chief Information Security Officer, Bank of Ireland UK
- Thomas Harvey, Chief Information Security Officer (CISO), Santander UK
- Richard Palk, Managing Director Security, Accenture UK
- Sam Kirby-French, Group CISO, BAE Systems
- Phil Legg, Professor in Cyber Security, University of the West of England
- Mark Evans, Principal Security Strategist, Amazon Web Services
- Sarah Armstrong-Smith, Chief Security Advisor, Microsoft
- Ian Thompson, Senior Government Cyber Advisor, Middle East and North Africa, Google
- Eleanor Sim, Director Security Strategy and Architecture, Chief Security Architect, Bupa
- Euan Birch, Head of Cyber Security Operations, SP Energy Networks
- Vijay Bolina, Chief Information Security Officer, Head of Cybersecurity Research, DeepMind
Daniel Cuthbert (industry co-chair):
It is an honour to co-chair the UK Government Cyber Advisory Board (GCAB). Our strength comes from the close partnership between public and private sector experts, drawing on a wide range of experience to help protect the UK. As cyber threats continue to evolve, strong cyber security is essential to safeguarding our economy, protecting public services, and supporting everyday life. The diversity of expertise on the board plays a vital role in ensuring the UK remains resilient, innovative and secure.
Ian Thompson:
The Government Cyber Advisory Board plays a vital role in bringing together expertise from across government and a wide set of industry sectors. This cross-sector collaboration not only accelerates the sharing of best practices and experience but also ensures balanced perspectives and mutual learning - something I'm personally finding invaluable.
Sarah Armstrong-Smith:
From laggards to leaders - in an era where cyber-attacks are coming thick and fast, GCAB has the opportunity to take a commanding role, setting the right path and principles for how the UK should respond to this systemic threat. This requires a whole-of-society approach to build collective resilience that inspires confidence in times of uncertainty.
Cate Pye:
I'm delighted to be part of the GCAB, it is a really pivotal part of making sure that the whole of the UK contribute to our cyber security as this becomes increasingly essential to the way we live and work. It is also an exemplar of how government and industry can work as one team to really change the way both government and the private sector pragmatically address cyber challenges together, building trust and competency in both.
Asif Matadar:
It has been an absolute honour to serve as an inaugural member of the Government Cyber Advisory Board. This initiative has already delivered concrete improvements in how government organisations anticipate and mitigate cyber threats, embedding best practice across government. I am therefore delighted that my term has been extended for a further year, during which I will continue to apply my expertise in incident response, cyber skills development and emerging technologies to support the UK government's mission of building a world‑class, resilient cyber estate by 2030.
Euan Birch:
GCAB reflects the best of trusted public-private partnerships, embedding strategic collaboration and shared responsibility at the heart of government. As a member, I value the opportunity to support government in its mission to strengthen the UK's resilience to cyber attacks and help secure its position as a global leader.
Heather Bedson:
Being part of the GCAB is an opportunity to drive change and improve the Government's cyber resilience by using expertise from a wide range of industries. I enjoy being part of the GCAB, as it's an opportunity to share my experiences while collaborating with colleagues across the sector who I might not have otherwise met.
DSIT
