CybersecurityU.K.’s first research institute to investigate the science of cyber security

A new academic research institute, aiming to improve understanding of the science behind the growing cybersecurity threat, was announced last week.

GCHQ, the U.K. intelligence agency, says that the institute, which is funded by a £3.8 million grant, is part of a cross-government commitment to increasing the U.K. academic capability in all fields of cybersecurity. The institute’s research will ultimately make it easier for businesses, individuals, and government to take informed decisions about how to implement better cyber protection measures and benefit, safely, from the opportunities offered in cyberspace.

Established by GCHQ, in partnership with the Research Councils’ Global Uncertainties Program (RCUK), which is led by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC), and the Department for Business Innovation and Skills (BIS), the Research Institute is a virtual organization involving seven universities. It will allow leading academics in the field of cybersecurity, including social scientists, mathematicians, and computer scientists from across the United Kingdom, to work together.

GCHQ says the institute will also connect them with the collective expertise of industry security experts and international researchers in the field to tackle some of the U.K.’s toughest challenges in cybersecurity, in both the public and private sectors.

This collaborative approach among academia, industry, and government will ensure that research is relevant and inspired by real world, cutting edge, security issues.

Francis Maude, Minister for Cyber Security, said:

The UK is one of the most secure places in the world to do business — already 8 percent of our GDP is generated from the cyber world and that trend is set to grow. But we are not complacent. Through the National Cyber Security Program we are putting serious investment into the best U.K. expertise to lead thought in the science of cyber. The U.K.’s first academic Research Institute will strengthen capability in a strategically important area, keeping the U.K. at the forefront of international research in the field.

David Willetts, Minister for Universities and Science, said:

Britain has one of the largest online economies in the world and a growing cyber security sector, and we need to ensure this success continues. This new Research Institute will draw on the leading expertise in our universities from both technological and behavioral disciplines to address key challenges. It will help businesses, government and individuals to better protect themselves from cyber threats so they can make the most of the opportunities the internet presents.

Universities were selected following