RHUL Cyber CDT Blog

From the training sessions in the first year, to the various industrial presentations and visits throughout, I found it invaluable to be exposed to a wide variety of areas within information security. Studying alongside peers focussed on a diverse set of interests---cryptography, systems security, programming language security, geopolitics and many others---provided an endless source of interesting discussions and viewpoints that, I believe, wouldn't have been available elsewhere. Another major benefit of the CDT, in hindsight, is the opportunity and, indeed, expectation to present one's work regularly, whether it be at the CDT Showcases, internal student seminars, or external events, such as conferences. Learning to shape presentations to diverse audiences has been invaluable following the conclusion of my PhD, where I have been required to present to a machine-learning expert one week and the Chief Technology Officer (CTO) the next. Frankly, I found presentations to be nerv...

Partnerships between industry and academia are key to plugging the digital skills gap, says Professor Keith Martin in this article that was produced for ' The New Statesman' in May 2020. It is well accepted that the UK, and indeed the world, is short of cyber security skills. This shortage applies to everyone, ranging from the everyday understanding and practice of cyber security by the general public through to the more sophisticated degree of cyber security awareness necessary for policymakers and business leaders. I hope the pandemic has reminded us that society cannot function without experts, and also that we are short of them. This was recognised early by the UK government, which included among the many initiatives it launched off the back of the 2011 National Cyber Security Strategy, funding for two Centres for Doctoral Training (CDTs) in cyber security, one of which we have been hosting at Royal Holloway, University of London, since 2013. So what are CDTs, and how do...