Levelling up cyber resilience

Local authorities are among the most targeted organisations in the UK cyber threat landscape. They hold vast quantities of sensitive data, operate critical public services, and are increasingly reliant on digital infrastructure. However, they face a very real cyber skills shortage.The UK Cyber Security Council has launched a new entry-level professional title – associate cyber security professional – offering local government a practical tool for strengthening cyber resilience while opening up recruitment to a more diverse talent pool.The scale of the problemThe cyber skills gap facing local authorities is not a future concern but a present one. The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) estimates that 50% of UK businesses have a basic cyber skills gap, and 49% of cyber firms have been unable to fill technical roles in the past 12 months.For local authorities, this challenge is compounded by well-documented retention difficulties and the reality that those responsible for hiring cyber security professionals are often not cyber specialists themselves. Without a clear, recognised benchmark for what good looks like, recruitment is more challenging and less consistent.A clear benchmark for non-specialist hiring managersThe associate cyber security professional title addresses this directly. It provides local authority HR teams and hiring managers with a standardised, independently verified marker of entry-level cyber security competence. This does not require hiring managers to be a cyber expert to understand or apply.An associate title holder has been assessed against the UK Cyber Security Standard for Professional Competence and Commitment, and demonstrated that they have the knowledge, skills and professional values required for their first cyber security role. This removes ambiguity from the hiring process and reduces the risk of poor recruitment decisions in a field where the consequences of getting it wrong can be significant.Importantly, the standard underpinning the title carries government backing and forms the basis for the professional standard framework to which the Government's new Cyber Profession framework will be aligned. For public sector organisations which answer to central government, hiring to a government-backed standard is becoming the expected baseline.Supporting retention through professional recognitionRecruitment is only part of the challenge. Local authorities often struggle to retain cyber security professionals, who are frequently recruited away by private sector organisations offering higher salaries. Actively recognising and supporting professional registration is a meaningful way to demonstrate commitment to staff development and career progression.Cyber security professionals who are supported in their professional registration journey are more likely to feel valued and invested in. The associate title is the first step on a structured pathway that leads through the UK Cyber Security Council's further professional titles: practitioner, principal and chartered. By embedding professional registration into their approach to workforce development, local authorities signal that cyber security is not just a technical function, but a respected, long-term career within their organisation.Ethics, accountability and public trustLocal authorities have a particular obligation to the public they serve. Registered cyber security professionals are held to a formal ethical code, with a robust complaints process in place. This provides a clear framework for ethical decision-making and empowers those on the UK's Cyber Security Professional Register to maintain professional and ethical standards even in challenging circumstances.For organisations handling sensitive data and delivering essential public services, the accountability framework provides a meaningful safeguard.Widening access to talentLocal authorities are committed to inclusive employment and the associate title is designed with that in mind. Until now, cyber security has lacked a formal entry-level qualification that is genuinely accessible regardless of education and background. The Associate title can be achieved through formal academic study, self-directed learning, certifications, bootcamps, apprenticeships, or transferable experience from another career.This makes it an ideal recruitment tool for local authorities seeking capable, committed candidates from the widest possible talent pool, without inadvertently excluding those for whom traditional academic routes were not the right path.A practical step forwardThe cyber threat facing local governments is real and growing. The associate cyber security professional title does not solve the skills gap alone, but it gives local authorities a practical, government-aligned tool to hire with greater confidence, retain staff more effectively, and build the credible, professional cyber security workforce that public services depend on.Giles Grant is chief executive of the UK Cyber Security Council

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HR

Levelling up cyber resilience

By Giles Grant | 08 May 2026

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