Ex-footballer Strengthens Defensive Wall in Cybersecurity
SureCloud Partners with PSM Group to Bridge the Cyber Skills Gap
SureCloud, the world’s first GRC Capability Company has partnered with Phoenix, Sport & Media (PSM) Group on a ‘Cyber Stars Program’ to help train professional sports players in cybersecurity. The graduation ceremony was recently held at Liverpool Football Club.
PSM specialises in helping sports professionals to upskill so that they can find more opportunities in the business world, either alongside or following their sports careers.
With a report by the ISC2 finding that the world is lacking around three million cybersecurity professionals, and a recent UK government survey finding that 51% of private sector organisations in the UK don’t even have basic cyber skills, PSM wanted to bridge this gap.
As part of its new ‘Cyber Stars Program’ it sought industry partners to help enrich the training with real-world expertise and approached SureCloud to collaborate. The inaugural Cyber Stars program has now been completed with its graduates transformed from sports players into qualified cybersecurity professionals. They received their qualifications at a recent graduation ceremony at Liverpool Football Club.
SureCloud supported Ciaren Jones, the former U23 captain of Norwich City FC, through the programme and he is now a key part of its consulting team. Ciaren said of his experience, “I didn’t expect to enjoy it as much as I have done, as all I have ever known is football. I definitely went out of my comfort zone but have discovered a new passion for cyber. The support from SureCloud along the way has been amazing. I’m now looking forward to working my way up the ladder, learning more about areas of ‘hacking’ that excite me, and to earn further qualifications. And I’ll keep kicking a ball, part-time of course!”
Ben Jepson, VP at SureCloud, commented: “At SureCloud, helping the next generation of cybersecurity professionals is something that we feel very passionate about. The shortage of cyber skills in the UK can’t go on and it’s on us as an industry to demonstrate how exciting and rewarding a career in the digital space can be.”
Carly S. Barnes, CEO at PSM Group, said: “We are so proud to see Ciaren going from strength to strength and delighted to be working with SureCloud on the Cyber Stars project. SureCloud already does great work in the sports sector, so is the perfect fit for our young sporting graduates. I would like to personally thank all involved at SureCloud for embracing this opportunity and helping to turn it into a real success.”
For more information, visit www.surecloud.com.
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Ellie Howarth
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About SureCloud
SureCloud is the world’s first GRC Capability company. We help businesses achieve desired GRC and Cyber Security outcomes faster and with more confidence to better compete in today’s fast-changing risk landscape. Our capabilities bring together the right combination of Gartner-recognized GRC software, world-class cyber and risk expertise, and authoritative industry content in one place to provide a smarter solution to business-critical challenges, including IT Risk, Compliance, Data Privacy, Vendor Risk, and more. At SureCloud, we are committed to challenging the status quo and helping businesses around the world to deliver desired outcomes, differently. To learn more, visit www.surecloud.com or connect on LinkedIn, Twitter, YouTube, and our Podcast.
About PSM Cyber Stars
PSM Cyber Stars is a cutting-edge program to help sports professionals access new and exciting careers in the cyber security industry. It is the first program to focus on developing sporting talent to enter tech jobs. PSM Cyber Stars is the brainchild of Phoenix Sport and Media Group, an independent company co-founded by premier league players to help the next generation of sports stars. Headquartered at Silverstone circuit, PSM Cyber Stars is the UK’s premier IT and cyber security training for sports professionals.
Contact:
www.psm-cyberstars.co.uk
@PSMCyber