In a brand-new scheme funded by the Home Office and brought to Gloucestershire by the South West Cyber Resilience Centre, the University of Gloucestershire's BSc Cyber Security degree students will be offering their help to small and medium-sized businesses (SMEs) throughout the county.
As part of the Cyber Path Scheme, Gloucestershire-based SMEs will have access to a range of services provided by students, including a detailed analysis of a business's security system to help identify any weaknesses that will leave it vulnerable to cyber criminals. Students will also be able to advise on measures to improve businesses' cyber security and will help provide training to any staff or volunteers of organisations.
The University of Gloucestershire undergraduates will be supervised by senior cyber lecturers and practitioners of the university, and the initiative — which is part of its Your Future Plan careers scheme — will enable them to develop their skills and gain real-life industry experience, outside of the classroom.
Gareth Nelson, senior tutor and Your Future Plan lead for Cyber and Technical Computing at the university, said: 'We’re extremely proud to have been selected to work with the South West Cyber Resilience Centre on the Cyber Path scheme.
'The scheme provides our students with opportunities to apply the skills and knowledge they have gained from an academic setting in a real-world environment, giving them excellent industry experience ahead of a successful career in the sector.
'At the same time, this important initiative is enabling SMEs to have their cyber security measures thoroughly tested and expertly assessed by the next generation of cyber specialists at an affordable cost.'
The University of Gloucestershire is one of only four institutions in the region selected to work with the South West Cyber Resilience Centre, which is led by serving police officers, as part of this not-for-profit partnership.
