University of Gloucestershire’s C11 Cyber Symposium – book your place now!

As published in Business & Innovation Magazine.

If you’ve ever wondered how your organisation can tackle the growing and constantly evolving threat of cyber-attacks by sourcing and developing skilled employees with the perfect level of expertise then get your diary out and mark the date – Thursday 17^th June, 9am to 4pm – for the University of Gloucestershire’s inaugural online ‘C11 Cyber Symposium 2021.’

This event, held in partnership with the University’s C11 Cyber Security and Digital Innovation Centre, is set to bring together leading academics, businesses and thought leaders from across Gloucestershire and the South West, with the purpose of reviewing the very latest developments, research and solutions in cyber security and protection.

With a special emphasis on skills development, the day will be packed with the most up-to-date information on how employers can engage with cyber education and security advice from a range of regional suppliers, along with demonstrations and discussion on research breakthroughs and emerging technology, all designed to benefit industry at local, national and international levels.

The day will further feature:

• Real-world insight and best practice on how to manage your own cyber skills gap
• Demonstrations on the latest breakthroughs in research, and what these mean
• Grilling of the experts, where you can ask the difficult questions
• Engagement with students, tomorrow’s workforce, demonstrating their capabilities
• Access to an exploded network and opportunities for SMEs and multinationals alike
• Direct input into the future of regional cyber education and training.

Professor Kamal Bechkoum, Head of the University of Gloucestershire’s School of Computing and Engineering, said:

“It’s an unfortunate reality that a cyber-attack on your organisation is inevitable. It’s really not a question of ‘if’, but ‘when.’

“Current forecasts for the number of online-linked devices, otherwise known as the ‘Internet of Things’ (IOT), vary from between 26 to 75 billion, and if there’s one lesson to be learnt from the COVID-19 pandemic, it’s that more of us than ever before have been working remotely and often mixing the use of personal and professional devices to stay connected.

“There is so much information created by these devices – up to and beyond 2.5 quintillion bytes – that 90% of the world’s data has been produced in the last two years alone.

“Considering this massive volume it’s perhaps understandable that cyber defences can never be 100% secure. The grand challenge is to improve workers’ understanding of where threats are most likely to come from, and engage in habitual good security practice at all levels.

“Our default approach to all IOT systems should always be one of suspicion, particularly because 95% of internal cyber breaches are caused by human error.

“I’m very pleased that the C11 Cyber Symposium will be welcoming leading figures from business, along with our academic staff, students and supporters to this important debate on 17^th June. We’re looking forward to developing many more long-standing partnerships that will continue to help industry stay secure.”

To register for your free place at the University of Gloucestershire’s Cyber Symposium on Thursday 17^th June, 2021, please go to: www.glos.ac.uk/event/c11-cyber-symposium