Cancelled NCSC CyberUK event gets green light for 2021

The National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) has announced its flagship annual CyberUK security event will return in 2021 following the cancellation of the 2020 event due to the Covid-19 coronavirus pandemic.

Set to begin on 19 May, the 2020 event would have taken place at the ICC Wales conference centre in Newport, and the NCSC said today that next year’s event will take place at the same venue.

“CyberUK is a great opportunity to bring together experts from around the globe, and while the postponement of the Newport conference was unavoidable, it was clearly disappointing,” said NCSC CEO Ciaran Martin.

“So it’s fantastic that we’ll be coming together at this great venue next year to share ideas and insights from across the industry.”

The previous event, held in Glasgow, attracted 2,500 delegates from government, academia and industry and saw wide-ranging discussion of global cyber vulnerabilities, shared experiences and differences.

Themed around the development and communication of “good” cyber security to citizens, and making digital technology secure by default, CyberUK 2019 also saw representatives of the global Five Eyes intelligence-sharing alliance – Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the UK and the US – share a stage for the first time.

Topics on the slate for 2020 had included attribution and countering of cyber adversaries, artificial intelligence (AI) and cloud security, and securing connected lives, from the internet of things (IoT) to smart city infrastructures.

Welsh secretary Simon Hart said: “I’m delighted that Wales will play host to CyberUK next year, an event which develops global expertise in a crucial industry to keep people safe.

“The ICC in Newport will showcase the best of what Wales has to offer next year, as delegates develop their knowledge in this important field.”

Digital minister Matt Warman added: “Wales is a leading hub in our fast-growing cyber security sector, with cutting-edge firms and strong investment figures, as well as being home to some of the UK’s top academic institutions. CyberUK is an important milestone in the calendar so it’s great to see it scheduled for next year.”