Building cybersecurity capacity: essential new resource for decision-makers

The first global online resource for building cybersecurity capacity has been launched. The Cybersecurity Capacity Portal will help coordinate international efforts in cybersecurity through sharing of information and best practice, to support decisions and investments that can significantly enhance safety and security in cyberspace.

The Cybersecurity Capacity Portal has been created by the Global Cyber Security Capacity Centre, based at the Oxford Martin School, in partnership with Oxford's Saïd Business School. It gives policy-makers, governments, agencies, international and regional organisations, industry groups, academics, NGOs and others with a role in cybersecurity capacity building, information on a wide range of essential elements of cybersecurity; from national policies, regulation and protecting against cybercrime, to encouraging responsible cyber culture and building skills in the workforce and leadership - as well as technological developments to enable better cybersecurity.

Content is collated by a team of researchers at the Global Cyber Security Capacity Centre. They bring publically available material including government directives, case studies, articles, videos and industry insights together within the portal to act as a central point of reference. Users can also join discussion groups or suggest new content to ensure that the portal contains the latest thinking on threat-related issues.

The portal also contains information on the work of the Centre, which works to understand how to deliver effective cybersecurity both within the UK and internationally. Organisations collaborating with the Centre in this work include the Organization of American States and the World Bank.

The Cabinet Office Minister responsible for Cyber Security, Rt Hon Francis Maude MP announced this new initiative on Friday at an event marking the third anniversary of the UK Cyber Security Strategy.

Centre Director, Professor Sadie Creese, comments: "Building capacity in cybersecurity is essential to keeping our online environments, societies and economies safe and prosperous. This new portal will be a one-stop shop for essential information on what is already being done around the world and what we can learn from those experiences to enable us to better increase the scale, pace and quality of cybersecurity."

The creation of the portal has also been supported by a network of experts in Oxford's Department of Computer Science and Cyber Security Centre, Oxford Internet Institute, and in institutions worldwide. David Upton, Professor of Operations Management at Saïd Business School, co-chairs research into internal cyber attacks: "Cybersecurity needs a multi-pronged approach, and here at the Business School we've been focusing on education, leadership and skills," he said "It's increasingly clear that these risks need to be addressed at executive level, not just by the IT Department, and this portal will be a key source of information to help with this." 

Anyone with an interest in cybersecurity can visit and view information on the site at: www.sbs.ox.ac.uk/cybersecurity-capacity