Why Home Secretary's immigration plans could spell disaster for UK cyber industry

Sajid Javid is reportedly set to unveil new plans to slash EU immigration by 80 per cent. Simon Hember, director of recruitment firm Acumin, argues that the move could leave the cybersecurity industry even more strapped for talent

The Home Secretary's plan to slash EU immigration by 80 per cent will have a significant impact on the already concerning skills-gap facing the UK cyber security industry. In the fight against cyber criminals and nation state cyber threats businesses are struggling to recruit security professionals, with the issue exacerbated in the public sector which struggles to attract highly-paid talent.

The UK talent drought means that some companies can search for months to fill vacant security posts. In the meantime, the lack of resources leaves them vulnerable to cyber-attack. Most technology companies are extremely reliant on recruiting international talent and will be left in an even more difficult position as freedom of movement is curtailed. One of the biggest issues in recruiting is the free movement of skilled workers; defined as earning £30,000 per annum. In the public sector especially, essential roles such as security analysts earn at this level or below so it is concerning that skill is based on an arguably arbitrary measurement.

Even if an EU worker is eligible to work here, the UK will be a less attractive choice of country to build a career. The UK already loses out to several other countries on the highly competitive global security market, and if we cut or loosen ties with EU agencies such as Europol, we risk losing further influence. Global collaboration is extremely important in the fight against international cybercrime, and we may risk our position as a leading force in the battle."

The current cyber skills shortage, set to be compounded by the Home Secretary's attack on EU immigration isn't just a worry for technology vendors themselves, but also the reseller community that focuses on solutions for the end-users. In short, without the UK-based talent to understand and implement these solutions the opportunities for distributors to engage with senior security staff will lessen. That may result in a squeezed market without the understanding of the need for innovative cyber solutions. It's likely that international businesses will simply move cyber security operations abroad, managing the UK from talent-friendly geographies. We've seen this in the banking sector and it's highly likely we will see the same impact on the technology and cybersecurity industries once these measures are implemented."

Simon Hember is director at Acumin, a specialist cyber security recruitment consultancy