The Current State of Cyber Security

Every aspect of society now depends on the Internet. Global connectivity is growing exponentially. Wireless is becoming the dominant means of access. With more and more devices connected and performing critical control functions – the so called ‘internet of things’ - cyber security is both a human-internet issue and a device-internet issue. Cyber security has become critical for everyone: Government, business, and every individual.

Cyber security in practice is perceived by many to be broken, and new and radical approaches are needed to mend it.  The subject must be rethought and re-engineered from policy and regulation through to meeting the demands and needs of all parts of society. 

There is a need for a trusted, persistent presence that can bring together government, academia, industry, business, trade bodies and users, on an international scale, as a community to deliver a secure cyber environment fit for all, making the Internet a safe and trusted place to conduct business and communicate with friends. 

The Institute is dedicated to providing that presence by introducing a multidisciplinary and multi-organisational approach to innovation in cyber security that overcomes specialisation and segregation to meet corporate and societal needs and expectations. 

We turn the traditional model of research on its head, by listening first to end users, policy makers, business leaders, and others, and developing projects that meet their short and medium term needs. We deliver projects for clients by drawing on our extensive network of experts at Royal Holloway and beyond.