A survey by an exhibitor during last month’s Infosecurity Europe 2024 show among 201 cyber security people about trending cyber issues found some interest piqued by the Conservative Party’s idea of National Service, as aired during the election campaign – if it was including cyber.
When questioned about that potential reintroduction of national service in the UK, views were split; only a third (33pc) of those in the survey supported this; and about as many were don’t knows. However, the support rose to nearly half (48pc) if it incorporated cybersecurity education, leaving the remaining half or so either unsure or still opposed to the proposition.
Javvad Malik, lead security awareness advocate at KnowBe4, said: “This division in perspectives highlights the complexity of the issue but provides evidence that there is a growing recognition of the urgent need to expand cybersecurity education, particularly to the younger generation, and equip individuals with the necessary skills to navigate this increasingly digital world safely. Yet, the equal number of those who are unsure or opposed underscores the contentious nature of using National Service for this purpose which can arise from hesitation about the effectiveness of the programme or the practical challenges of implementing them.”
Among the findings from the survey, the number one frustration felt by those surveyed was that their advice was being ignored (29pc), well ahead of other answers such as a lack of skilled workers to employ (as 15pc) or an inadequate security culture (stated by 13pc); that same percentage (13pc) reported they had too many tools to manage.
Malik added: “Whilst the frustrations here are all entirely valid, this highlights the importance of fostering a robust security culture within organisations, where cybersecurity is viewed as a shared responsibility rather than the sole responsibility of the IT department. Organisations must shift away from the antiquated once-a-year training model, where they inundate employees with an overwhelming amount of information over an hour or more in a bid to complete the training.”
More from the show (keynote theatre, pictured) in the August edition of Professional Security Magazine. For more of the survey, visit the KnowBe4 website.
The Infosecurity show runs next at the same venue, London Excel from June 3 to 5, 2025. Visit https://www.infosecurityeurope.com/.
