Our economies are increasingly dependent on digital connectivity. This means that cybersecurity is also increasingly the foundation for growth and economic resilience. Today, cybersecurity is essential for governments and companies around the world. As our reliance on digital connectivity increases, governments are increasingly aware that businesses and organizations are vulnerable to digital threats.
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The threats we face in cyberspace have increased in intensity, complexity and severity in recent years. Criminal organizations use digital tools to affect a wide range of organizations.
The borderless nature of cyberspace puts any organization with cybersecurity vulnerabilities at risk. For businesses, this means that their intellectual property or customer data can be stolen. For governments, it means the interruption of critical public services.
Now, criminals try to extort ransoms from companies after encrypting and stealing sensitive internal data. Ransomware cases are becoming more frequent and can have a devastating impact on any organization, large or small.
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Although companies around the world are falling victim to cybercriminals, the private sector has many of the solutions to cybersecurity challenges, both at the organizational level and at the national level. The private sector is a key player in cyberspace. Businesses own and maintain the wires that data travels around the worldThey build the devices we use every day and design and implement the digital services that enable innovation and growth in our economies.
Companies specializing in cybersecurity solutions often have excellent insight into the cyberthreats facing a country, in addition to advanced technical knowledge.
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Companies concerned about the security of their data or their intellectual property can take advantage of the experiences of the private sector. This can range from training your staff in personal cyber hygiene, to specialist advice on running a global security operations centre. Governments can also benefit.
In the UK, our National Cyber Security Center works with cyber incident response companies to help UK organizations that have been victims of these attacks. We have created public-private information sharing platforms that allow companies critical to our economy to report suspicious cybersecurity activities to the government. This helps the government to provide timely and relevant advice to organizations at risk.reducing the damage caused by cybercrime.
In the UK we call this ‘cyberecosystem’. Strengthen the cyber ecosystem of the public, private and research sectors it is central to our national approach to cyber resilience.
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It means putting in place the right people, knowledge and structures. It means having a diverse and technically qualified workforce, an internationally competitive cybersector, and a regional innovation ecosystem that allows for the expansion of technological capabilities, and which is based on stronger partnerships with industry and academia.
The UK has a strong reputation as a provider of cybersecurity solutions. to organizations around the world, and UK cybersecurity exports reached £5bn in 2021, a growth of 20% on the previous year.
Our national cybersecurity sector has had significant growth in annual revenue and job creation, as well as significant investment in companies that are in early phases and that are highly innovative and specialized.
Total cybersecurity-related revenue in 2021 increased by 4% to £10.6bn and UK cyber Gross Value Added (GVA) reached £6.2bn, an increase of 17% on the previous year .
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Many of our companies want to export and are considering countries like Colombia as an interesting business opportunity. They see that the Colombian cybersecurity market is expected to grow at a Compound Annual Growth Rate of 11.12% between 2023 and 2028. They see the important steps that Colombia has taken to ensure that cybersecurity is a priority. Working together we can create new jobs and support the growth of cybersecurity in both countries.
Supporting each other to build vibrant and diverse cyber ecosystems will help our national resources reach further.
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There is still a global e-skills shortage affecting almost every country, including the UK. Additionally, cybersecurity remains a male-dominated profession. This means that, in an environment of limited resources, we are not making the most of the available talent. A more diverse workforce also ensures that technology is better developed to meet the diverse needs of our societies.
In the United Kingdom, we are working hard to strengthen skills in cybersecurity and encourage more women and girls to enter the profession, but we still have a long way to go.
This week, I will be in Bogotá and I am excited to meet some of the leading Colombian women in cybersecurity and technology. As Colombia seeks gender parity in public office, the country has a great opportunity to make the participation of women and girls in cyber and technology at the center of its plans.
The UKCOL Cyber Summit is the start of this exciting journey. I hope to see you there.
Juliet Wilcox
Cybersecurity Ambassador
UK Department of Business and Commerce
