Government announces £50 million cyber training academy

The UK government is to establish a £50 million Defence Cyber Academy to support the training of cyber experts, both domestically and internationally.

Defence Secretary Ben Wallace made the announcement as UK and US defence chiefs attended the Atlantic Future Forum 2022 in New York City last week.

The new Defence Cyber Academy will develop sovereign and international courses and support the UK in developing cyber as a profession. It is set to launch this year.

Based in Shrivenham, Oxfordshire, it will bolster the ranks of the UK and international allies, including the United States, training defence personnel to be at the forefront of cyber technology, strategy and operational preparedness. It will also support the wider development of cyber as a profession, as part of the National Cyber Strategy.

The MoD says it will:

• Increase the volume and scope of training and education, supporting the growth of Defence’s cyber workforce
• Collaborate with global allies, to identify and adopt best-practice, and provide international products and services
• Engage with industry and academia to enhance its Higher Education and research programme

“Defence co-operation between the United Kingdom and the United States is the broadest and deepest of any two countries in the world, and will continue to expand in the coming decades,” said Wallace.

“The Defence Cyber Academy builds on that collaboration, defining closer integration and shared capability, helping us and our allies counter global cybersecurity threats, staying one step ahead and at the forefront of this cutting-edge military domain.”

Check out the lineup for the Think Cybersecurity for Government event on January 26, 2023.