East Midlands Cyber Security Cluster has welcomed the Government’s Cyber Action Plan – and the opportunity to move forward with a new approach to skills.

The Action Plan represents a clear and timely commitment to strengthening the UK’s cyber resilience. 

It also recognises many of the challenges highlighted in EMCSC’s Cyber Workforce of the Future White Paper – including persistent skills shortages, capability gaps, and the need to professionalise cyber roles across the public sector.

The DSIT-led plan sets out how the Government and the wider public sector will “rapidly improve the cyber security and resilience of the government and the public sector, to keep the British people safe and confident in digital government”. 

It defines how public services will be secured “so they are trustworthy and resilient, as part of the broader Roadmap for a Modern Digital Government,” and acknowledges that cyber risk to the government is “critically high” and that a “radical shift in approach” is required. 

The Action Plan also proposes a stronger centre of gravity for government cyber through the new Government Cyber Unit, backed by more than £210 million of central investment, and introduces clear delivery strands – Accountability, Support, Services, Response and Recovery, and Skills – to drive change across departments and public bodies.

Alignment with the White Paper

On workforce and capability, the Action Plan aligns closely with the Cyber Workforce of the Future White Paper’s diagnosis of the problem space. The White paper, authored by EMCSC founder Dr Ismini Vasileiou, was officially launched during an event at Westminster in October. 

The Action Plan explicitly notes a “digital skills shortfall” and commits to “launch a new cyber profession for government” and “develop high-impact, sector-wide role-based learning pathways for top high-risk cyber specialisms”. 

It frames people and culture as central to resilience, aiming to build an “empowered workforce” with clear career paths, better tools and training, and a “just culture” that encourages learning from incidentsIt also recognises that “institutionalised fragmentation” and “inconsistent leadership” have contributed to the current state.

Dr Vasileiou referenced the White Paper as a member of the inaugural meeting of the Government’s new Women in Tech Taskforce, which aims to boost the number of women entering and progressing in digital and technical roles. 

Her appointment to the Taskforce reflects EMCSC’s commitment to inclusive talent pipelines and ensures that the centre’s work on diversifying and growing the UK’s tech talent base.

What next?

While the Action Plan recognises the need for work to be done, it is yet to fully address the structural and system-level solutions proposed within it. 

Rather, it concentrates primarily on the Government’s internal operating model and governance, unlike the whole‑system workforce architecture that was addressed in Cyber Workforce of the Future.

The White Paper – backed by the APPG for Cyber Innovation – spans education, industry, SMEs and government. It proposes a unified skills taxonomy, cross‑sector coordination mechanisms, and shared delivery platforms.

Dr Vasileiou said: “The Cyber Action Plan is a welcome and positive step, setting out a strong statement of intent and a much clearer central framework for government cyber. 

“It creates exactly the kind of constructive opportunity the UK needs to accelerate progress on cyber skills and resilience. 

“The Cyber Workforce of the Future White Paper can now be seen as a natural next step that helps translate this intent into a more coherent national cyber workforce system. 

“Its proposals on a unified skills taxonomy, cross‑sector coordination and practical delivery mechanisms l complement the Action Plan and extend its logic beyond central government into the wider ecosystem of education, industry and SMEs. 

“We stand ready to act as supportive partners and real‑world test‑beds for implementation, helping to pilot and refine the workforce, skills and coordination models that the next phase of the Action Plan will require.”

Read Cyber Workforce of the Future.