The vision of the UK Cyber Security Council is that the United Kingdom should be one of the most secure places anywhere in the world to do business in cyberspace (as set out in the original National Cyber Security Strategy 2016-2021).  

To help this vision become reality, the role of the Council is to be the umbrella body for existing professional organisations, and to drive progress towards meeting the key challenges faced by the cybersecurity profession. 

The UK Cyber Security Council’s mission is: 

• To enhance and expand the nation's cyber skills, knowledge and profession at every level.
• To be the self-regulatory body for, and voice of, the cyber security profession.
• To develop, promote and provide stewardship of the highest possible standards of expertise, excellence, professional conduct and practice in the profession, for the benefit of the public. 

We will do this by: 

• Raising awareness of the cyber security profession as a career choice to a wide range of diverse audiences 
• Developing and promoting an accessible career framework to demystify routes into the cyber security profession 
• Developing, promoting and stewarding a new nationally recognised professional standard for cyber security professionals 
• Developing an ethical framework in which the cyber security profession should operate 
• Being the voice of the UK cyber security profession 
• Supporting the UK Government’s National Cyber Strategy to be a responsible and democratic cyber power 
• Being the industry body for existing professional organisations to drive progress towards meeting the key challenges faced by the cybersecurity profession 

Our Strategy

In October 2022 the Council published our Chartering a Cyber Future Strategy 2025, read our strategy below.

As the focal point for the UK cyber security profession, the Council works closely with the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC), the UK's national technical authority for cyber security, to define and develop the skills the country needs. 

For further information and advice on responding to a cyber security incident, go to NCSC.gov.uk. 

How and why the Council was formed 

The National Cyber Security Strategy 2016-2021 policy paper set out “the UK Government’s plan to make Britain secure and resilient in cyberspace”. It included ambitions to develop and accredit the cyber security profession by “reinforcing the recognised body of cyber security excellence within the industry and providing a focal point which can advise, shape and inform national policy.” 

This plan was developed further and, in December 2018, the Initial National Cyber Security Skills Strategy was published, specifically prescribing a new, independent body – the UK Cyber Security Council. The Council would be “charged with the development of a framework that speaks across the different specialisms, setting out a comprehensive alignment of career pathways, including the certifications and qualifications required within certain levels. The Council will lay the structural foundations of the cyber security profession that will enable it to respond to the evolving needs of industry and the wider economy.” 

We are funded by the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology. 

The UK Cyber Security Council is registered as a Charity in England & Wales (number 1195030).