Tag Archives: SME adoption

A Potted History of the UK’s Cyber Economy: From Secrecy to Sector

This article, written in reaction to the DSIT Cyber Policy 2025, traces the uneven history of the UK’s cyber economy. From CESG’s secretive assurance role to NCSC’s public authority and DSIT’s contested remit, the story is one of incremental gains but persistent churn. Programmes such as Cyber Essentials, CyberFirst, CyberASAP, Cyber Runway, and Cyber Resilience Centres have delivered value but lacked continuity, scale, and coherence. Unless the government commits to stabilisation and long-term delivery, the UK will continue to recycle initiatives rather than build a durable cyber base.

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Cyber Resilience Testing and Facilities: Mapping, Critique, and the Path Forward

Between February and March 2025, I analysed the UK’s Cyber Resilience Testing (CRT) initiative and its associated Cyber Resilience Test Facilities (CRTFs). From that research, I developed three articles: one mapping the global standards landscape, one examining CRT’s practical challenges, and one exploring its role as a trust label. Together, they present CRT as a promising but evolving approach: not yet a standard, but under active NCSC development and consultation, with the potential to reshape product-based assurance if given clarity, support, and ecosystem alignment.

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The Future of Cyber Resilience Testing: Reflections on a Scheme in Transition

This blog article offers a critical yet constructive reflection on the UK’s Cyber Resilience Testing (CRT) initiative. While CRT is conceptually sound and timely, significant questions remain around cost, demand, usability, policy intent, and delivery responsibility. The article explores whether CRT is positioned to become a meaningful standard or risks being sidelined as another voluntary layer. It advocates for clearer articulation of purpose, audience targeting, and strategic alignment to unlock CRT’s full potential.

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