UK funds new cybersecurity program for overseas firms

Not-for-profit IT security certification body CREST has won funding from the UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) to boost cybersecurity maturity overseas.

The launch of the Cyber Accelerated Maturity Programme (CAMP) comes as the government holds international talks on how to tackle the increasing threat of cyber attacks.

And a subsequent report to be published by the end of this year on how best to boost international collaboration is likely to highlight the cybersecurity skills gap, and the need for standardized accreditation – a main aim of the CAMP program.

CAMP will initially run in Armenia, Bahrain, Georgia, Ghana, Kenya, Lithuania, Malaysia, Oman, the Philippines, and Thailand. All of these countries have identified a need to improve the maturity of their cyber ecosystem and will take part in the program from now until March next year.

Thanks to the new funding, companies in the selected countries will get targeted mentoring, training, and guidance. CREST aims to help them attain accreditation, grow their local customer base, and – in time – export their services internationally. CREST says it hopes more countries will sign up too.

“We are delighted to launch CREST CAMP, which is part of our increasing role supporting companies globally on their journey of professionalization and growth,” said CREST CEO Nick Benson.

“CREST’s active work in global capacity building is essential for those companies that need more support and guidance.”

The initiative, said CREST, shows a significant shift in development funding priorities. In the past, most cyber security capacity-building grants have gone to government agencies and their staff.

However, governments – and the wider sector – are now increasingly relying on private sector expertise. CREST CAMP aims to reflect this change.

“Thank you to the FCDO for supporting CREST CAMP and recognising the importance of the private sector in developing a country’s cyber resilience and better securing critical national infrastructure,” said Benson.  ”CREST member companies around the world, as mentors and examples of what good looks like, will play an important part in this crucial work.”

The FCDO funding is expected to be the first of a number of investments in CREST CAMP, with hopes that there will be more to come from development agencies, multilateral banks, and philanthropists.

The program will initially involve a global network of CREST-accredited member companies, training providers and academic partners. In the future, participating cohorts will also include national cyber security authorities and cyber security service providers, who will be given intensive mentoring from one of CREST’s 380-odd established member companies.

These mentoring companies will offer intensive support to local firms where methodology, policy, or skills gaps are concerned and help them make initial improvements. The CAMP program aims to also help leaders in participating countries form longer-term plans.

Alongside this, there will be support for up to eight training providers to build accredited training organizations within the countries taking part.

“CREST member companies around the world, as mentors and examples of what good looks like, will play an important part in this crucial work,” said Benson.

“In today’s increasingly interconnected global market we must look beyond our own national borders to do the hard work that makes us all safer from cyber threats.”