Government minister highlights vital role of north east’s cyber community

Viscount Camrose, Government Minister for Cyber, made a historic appearance at Aspire CyberFest 2023, the North East’s premier cyber security conference. This groundbreaking moment marked the very first time a Government minister graced the event with their presence.

Aspire CyberFest, jointly organized by Aspire Technology Solutions and CyberNorth, stands as the flagship event within CyberNorth’s illustrious #CyberFest program. Convening over 350 esteemed business leaders and tech experts from the region, the conference offered an extensive program designed to empower companies in fortifying their security measures against the ever-evolving threat landscape.

#CyberFest, the North East’s month-long cyber security festival, encompasses a diverse range of events throughout September. Organizers expressed their profound satisfaction with the festival’s collaborative impact on the region’s cyber security landscape. Throughout September, it attracted over a thousand participants representing businesses, government entities, industry, academia, and schools from across the region.

Before addressing the Aspire CyberFest audience, Minister Camrose engaged in discussions with regional cyber security leaders to delve into the challenges at hand and explore the potential for expanding the cyber and digital sector, thereby unlocking new employment opportunities and investments across the region.

In his address, Viscount Camrose emphasized the indispensable role played by the North East’s cyber cluster, CyberNorth, as well as local tech stalwarts like Aspire, in propelling the region’s cyber sector. He went on to outline the government’s strategies for fostering technologies with enhanced security features and the pivotal role of international collaboration in establishing the UK as a global leader in the cyber sector.

Currently, cybercrime exacts a staggering cost of over £13 billion annually on UK businesses. Given the escalating frequency and complexity of cyber-attacks, it has become imperative for businesses to take decisive action.

Building digital and cyber skills ranks high on the government’s agenda as part of the £2.6 billion National Cyber Strategy aimed at safeguarding the nation online. Minister Camrose’s address underscored the government’s commitment to ensuring that individuals across the country possess the tools and knowledge necessary to confront cyber threats effectively.

During the conference, Viscount Camrose put his expertise to the test by engaging in the ‘BattleBots arena,’ a thrilling, robot wars-style interactive game that merges cyber security prowess with hardware skills.

The North East stands as one of the UK’s vital cyber hubs, boasting the distinction of being the sole location outside London with two Centers of Excellence in Cyber Security Research, situated at Northumbria University and Newcastle University. This positioning uniquely equips the region to lead the charge in inspiring individuals across the area to pursue careers and cultivate skills in the realm of cyber.