Building a cyber-resilient future

Duncan Bradley at Kyndryl UK and Ireland explains how the UK’s cyber-skills gap might be addressed through education reform and practical business integration

 

In the wake of the October Investment Summit findings on AI as a driver of economic growth, it’s clear that advancing technology—especially in AI and cyber-security—continues to expose critical skill gaps in the UK workforce.

 

Despite a 34% rise in cyber-security graduates, a recent UK Government report reveals that nearly half of businesses still struggle with incident management, highlighting that educational progress isn’t matching the technological curve.

 

At the recent October Investment Summit, AI adoption was highlighted as a key driver of economic growth yet concerns around data privacy and security remain the largest adoption barrier.  Kyndryl’s latest Readiness Report, which shows how executives rank risks, prioritise investments, and balance technology and talent, revealed that while 90% of executives believe their IT infrastructure is best-in-class, only 39% of them think it’s ready to manage future risks.

 

This, coupled with that fact that AI (40%) and cyber-security (20%) are the top tech skills gaps in the UK highlights that education just isn’t keeping up with the rapid pace of technological advancement. To build a cyber-resilient future, we need to start at grassroots level, in the classroom. 

 

Cyber-resilience starts in the classroom

Cyber-security is a complex, technical field that requires skills in critical thinking, problem-solving, and technical proficiency. By introducing cyber-security concepts early in education, students have the opportunity to develop these skills over time, building a strong foundation for the future.

 

Basic cyber-security literacy is now essential for everyone, not just IT professionals. By integrating cyber-security into standard curricula, students from all fields learn to recognise and mitigate threats, creating a workforce that’s inherently more cyber-aware and resilient against social engineering, phishing, and other forms of attack.

 

It’s not just a skills gap that is impacting cyber-security, either – the industry is also suffering from a diversity gap. Introducing cyber-security into education early can help pique the interest of groups that are currently underrepresented in the industry, that may go on to pursue advanced studies or careers in the field.

 

To better prepare students today for the workplace of tomorrow, schools and educators need to focus less on teaching students about specific technologies, and more on skills development and problem-solving abilities. Learning about the application of technology is more beneficial in this instance than an in-depth understanding of the technology itself.

 

The technology industry is rapidly evolving, and the curriculum needs to reflect that. We can’t expect educators to develop a new curriculum every year, but we can adopt a more agile approach, equipping specialist teachers with frequent training programmes and working closely with industry experts to ensure students learn about the real-life applications of existing and emerging technologies.

 

To effect change, governments and tech industry leaders must work closely with schools and educational organisations towards the same goal.

 

Collaboration is key

While there is still much work to be done, significant steps have been taken to address the skills gap in the UK. In July, the King’s Speech outlined the government’s legislative agenda, emphasising the importance of skills development and further education. The UK government has committed to raising educational standards and expanding access to opportunities through the proposed Skills England Bill, a new initiative aimed at fostering close collaboration with employers.

 

Skills England will bring together the expertise of central and local government, businesses, training providers, and unions to address skills needs nationwide. It will also identify training programs eligible for the new "growth and skills levy," providing businesses with more flexibility to allocate levy funds toward the skills they require—a long-requested change by employers.

 

Additionally, the UK government has committed to reforming the apprenticeship levy to better support apprenticeship programs. Labour’s manifesto outlines that this reform will be aligned with the establishment of Skills England, creating a flexible growth and skills levy designed to equip students with the skills most in demand.

 

Raising the bar on cyber-security

Cyber-security learning shouldn’t stop when students reach the workplace. Human error is still one of the biggest risks when it comes to protecting digital information, so organisations need to make it a collective responsibility to stay up to date with training. 

 

The UK’s cyber-security landscape is evolving rapidly, with new threats like AI-driven attacks and the rising incidence of ransomware intensifying the need for robust defences. However, the challenge goes beyond technology. The shortage of skilled cyber-security professionals, reliance on outdated infrastructure, and the complexity of integrating modern security tools all increase the risks for UK businesses.

 

To close this readiness gap, business leaders must invest in both infrastructure and workforce development. This means not only modernising legacy systems but also fostering a culture of continuous learning and upskilling in cyber-security and IT. Key actions include partnering with educational institutions, investing in AI-powered threat detection, and proactively replacing obsolete systems to stay ahead of emerging threats.

 

By addressing these interconnected challenges, UK businesses can build stronger defences and be better prepared for the future of digital security. 

 

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Duncan Bradley is Kyndryl UK and Ireland practice leader for security and resiliency

 

Main image courtesy of iStockPhoto.com and MTStock Studio