Britain Fast-Tracks Military Recruitment For Cyber Defence

Uploaded on 2025-02-14 in TECHNOLOGY--Resilience, GOVERNMENT-National, GOVERNMENT-Defence, FREE TO VIEW

The British Ministry of Defence (MoD) has introduced a new entry route for potential cyber professionals and those with existing digital skills which will reduce basic training from 10 weeks to around one month, after which recruits will undergo 3 months of specialist cyber training, which will be conducted at the Defence Cyber Academy in Shrivenham.

By the end of 2025, new recruits will be embedded into operational roles, either securing defence’s networks at the digital headquarters in Corsham, or conducting cyber operations to counter those who would do the UK harm as part of the National Cyber Force.

Serving to enhance the UK’s ability to conduct operations in cyberspace, specialist recruits will receive one of the highest armed forces starting salaries of over £40,000, with opportunities for additional skills-based pay as they gain expertise and experience. The launch of the new scheme is the latest action by the government to tackle the recruitment and retention crisis in the armed forces.

The MoD disclosed that it has protected UK networks from an increasing number of ‘sub-threshold’ attacks, more than 90,000 in the last two years.

In an increasingly volatile world where technology is rapidly advancing, the nature of warfare is changing. Cyber capabilities present the threat of hybrid attacks which the UK need to be able to protect a national security and the armed forces are fit to face the threats of the future.

The new recruitment programme has been developed to bolster capabilities in response to these growing threats amid a global shortage of cyber talent. Looking ahead, the government’s Strategic Defence Review is closely assessing the threats we face, including the technological developments of the future. Secretary of State for Defence, John Healey MP, said “Fast tracking cyber warriors into our military will help ensure our Armed Forces are better equipped to face our adversaries in the 21st century and defend the country from the changing threats we face."

Recruitment into cyber roles in 2025 will initially be through the Royal Navy and Royal Air Force, with the British Army joining for subsequent recruitment campaigns from early 2026.

Image: Ideogram

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