£237,000 cyber security project to make Scarborough and Yorkshire coast ‘national centre of excellence’ gets go-ahead

The plans, which include spending £140,000 of council funds and accepting a £97,000 grant from Anglo American, hope to establish Scarborough and the Yorkshire coast as a “national centre of excellence for cyber security with a specialist focus on operational technology”.

Authority to “enter into contract with the successful bidders” from the invitations to tender regarding the project was also granted to the authority’s interim director of regeneration.

The Cyber Security Cluster Strategy was approved by the council’s cabinet member for inclusive growth, Cllr Liz Colling.

The £237,000 pilot project aims to be completed by the end of March next year when local government reorganisation will see borough councils replaced by a new North Yorkshire Council.

A report published by Scarborough Council states that the project will be built around “a network approach” that will draw on physical buildings including Scarborough’s proposed FabLab+ facility which “will have a pivotal role in providing a focus for activity in the medium term”.

The FabLab+ project is part of the council’s levelling up and “gateway” redevelopment plans for demolishing the former Comet building and creating new town centre digital workspaces.

Aims for the March deadline include engaging with around 120 individuals and organisations on increasing cyber security awareness, training initiatives designed to increase understanding of career opportunities, and creating a “real-world” science challenge, posed by a local business, for groups of individuals to design an operational technology solution.

They also include supporting around 25 SMEs to “implement the steps needed to protect their business and customers from the most common cyber attacks”, a six-month paid work placement opportunity for at least two people interested in a cyber-related career, and introducing young people “to the fast-paced world of cyber security”.

In developing the pilot scheme, the council has worked with the Government Communications Headquarters (GCHQ), Coventry University Scarborough, and Anglo American.

A council report on the project states that cyber-attacks are becoming increasingly frequent across the world, adding that “the expansion of the UK’s investment in offensive cyber operations creates new opportunities”.

Earlier this year Scarborough Council’s head of ICT reported that the authority is targeted by hundreds of cyber attack attempts on “a daily basis”.