Lancaster University is one of eight trailblazing universities to have become the first in the UK to gain recognition for their commitment to cyber security education in a new initiative from the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC).

Pioneering institutions in the UK have been recognised as the country’s first Academic Centres of Excellence in Cyber Security Education (ACEs-CSE) for delivering first-rate cyber security education on campus and promoting cyber skills in their community.

The ACE-CSE programme, led by the NCSC and the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, has recognised seven universities with Gold awards in this first round of applications for demonstrating impressive approaches to promoting cyber security excellence. They are:

· Lancaster University

· University of Southampton

· University of Warwick

· University of the West of England

· Abertay University

· University of Surrey

· University of South Wales

Edinburgh Napier University was successful in being recognised with a Silver award.

Each of the successful Gold centres demonstrated they offer at least one NCSC-certified degree, deliver top cyber security training to staff and students from other specialisms within the university, work to improve the institution’s cyber resilience and carry out local outreach activities.

This Gold award for education adds to Lancaster University’s cyber security recognition, which includes recognition by the NCSC of Lancaster’s Security Institute as an Academic Centre of Excellence for Cyber Security Research, and Lancaster University’s Master’s degree in Cyber Security has been certified by the NCSC.

Professor Andy Schofield, Vice-Chancellor of Lancaster University, said: “Lancaster University has a strong and long-established track-record as being at the forefront of cyber security research and education. It is fantastic that our considerable contribution towards tackling the skills gap by training future generations of cyber security professionals has been recognised by the UK’s National Cyber Security Centre.”

Professor Neeraj Suri, Director of Lancaster University’s ACE-CSE and Director of Lancaster University’s Security Institute, said: “We are delighted that the educational work Lancaster University currently undertakes, and is planning to undertake in the future, has been recognised by the ACE-CSE Gold Award.

“It builds on our previous successes in being recognised as an ACE-CSR and having our innovative multi-disciplinary Master’s degree in cyber security certified by the NCSC.

“In all three recognitions, Lancaster has been at the forefront of participating in these schemes showing our commitment to the UKs national cyber security strategy in developing and growing our cyber capability under the umbrella of Lancaster’s Security Institute.”

Chris Ensor, NCSC Deputy Director for Cyber Growth, said: “I am delighted we can now recognise the first tranche of universities as Academic Centres of Excellence in Cyber Security Education, complementing our existing programmes which recognise high quality cyber security research and degree courses.

“It is a testament to the continual efforts of academics, support staff and senior management that cyber security remains high on their agenda.

“We very much look forward to working with them over the coming years and strongly encourage other universities to work towards achieving similar recognition in the future.”

Offering a NCSC-certified degree is necessary for receiving ACE-CSE recognition, as it demonstrates that an institution is already providing a high standard of education to students enrolled in cyber security disciplines.

However, successful ACE-CSE institutions go beyond this, offering cyber security education opportunities across the whole campus and to those in their wider community.

More information about the initiative can be found on the NCSC website.

More information about cyber security at Lancaster University can be found by visiting https://www.lancaster.ac.uk/cybersecurity/#