Over 44% of the 293 graduates and trainees recruited by the BAE Systems in the UK in 2013 will join Detica, the company’s cyber and security subsidiary.
The recruitment figures reflect the UK’s growing need for cyber security and the cost of cyber-crime to the UK, which is currently estimated to be between £18 billion and £27 billion, according to the National Audit Office.
More and more companies are looking to shore up their defences against the growing cyber threat, representing a clear market opportunity for companies such as Detica that can provide much needed cyber skills and expertise.
Martin Sutherland, Detica’s managing director, said: “Detica has over 2,600 staff globally, but we’re planning on recruiting 600 people this year of whom 130 will be graduates based in the UK. Our growth reflects a huge demand for technologies that defend against cyber attack, combat fraud and help businesses effectively manage the sometimes overwhelming amounts of data available to them.”
Graduate training is a key element of BAE Systems Skills 2020 programme, which represents the company’s commitment to ensuring it has the right skills to remain competitive and operate successfully in the UK over the next decade, into 2020 and beyond.
According to a recent survey of 250 SMEs, conducted by the Institution of Engineering and Technology, cyber security threats were deemed a priority by a mere 14% of the companies questions.
Only half of the surveyed SMEs was aware of the government’s Cyber Security Strategy
