Faculty of Science and Technology

On Friday 7 September, Science and Technology hosted The Cyber Security Careers Fair for employers and potential employees to engage and discuss careers in the cyber security industry.

The event was the first event of its kind ever held in the northwest and was attended by major employers in UK cyber security and defence and students across the UK vying to be the next generation of security professionals.

The fair was held at Lancaster University and run in partnership with security technology company Raytheon and the Cyber Security Challenge UK, who run a national set of competitions aimed at filling a desperate need for more cyber security talent.

Neil Cassidy from QineticQ explained his involvement "The reason we got involved with the Cyber Challenge was because we were seeing such a difficultly recruiting into the cyber security space getting really good talent to come into that part of the industry is extremely difficult and we saw the cyber security challenge as a way to generate interest across the whole of the UK and get some of the better candidates."

Employers included industry leaders such as HP, QinetiQ, KPMG, and Cassidan and professional and education bodies such as CompTIA, (ISC)2, CREST, Infosec Skills, 7Safe, and Royal Holloway. Ultimate Graphics and the Police E Crime Unit will also be represented.

Dr Daniel Prince, Business Partner Manager for Security at Lancaster University said: "This is an ideal way for those interested in cyber security to talk to companies and find out what a career in cyber security is all about and how to get ahead. We are especially happy to be partnering with Raytheon, who bring a wealth of industry experience and knowledge to the event, and the Cyber Security Challenge UK, who provide a vital and legitimate mechanism for talented and enthusiastic people from diverse backgrounds to enter the industry."

Vincent Blake, Raytheon UK's Head of Cyber, commented: "Raytheon UK is intricately involved in the Cyber Security Challenge UK and raising awareness of the need for better cyber capabilities in business and the public sector. The overall need to develop skills and careers in this burgeoning domain is vital to us as we seek to address our customers' needs, in a rapidly advancing market."

During the fair a number of Challenge Sponsors ran professional skills workshops to develop attendee's interview and presentation skills, increasing their chances of getting a job in the industry.

Videos of the presentations and interviews from the careers fair are now online and can be viewed on the Security Lancaster website and on YouTube.

Tue 09 October 2012