Last week, we were delighted to meet stakeholders, partners, and National Ambassadors at Cyber UK 2026 and reflect on progress and evidence impact as we shape the next phase of the Cyber Resilience Centre Network (CRC Network).
Joined by our CEO Alan Greig, the National Ambassador Programme and Cyber PATH teams, we explored:
- Our latest research and impact on SME engagement and behavioural change, enabled by the infrastructure we have developed to support the CRC Network at scale.
- How our tested solutions, co-designed with enterprise CISOs, are addressing the emerging challenge: the absence of multidimensional internal content planning, sign-off, and mass communication processes that reach the right SME supplier contacts at the right time.
- The status of the talent pipeline and skills crisis, and the tangible difference the Cyber PATH Programme is making to careers across the UK.
A particular highlight was welcoming Cyber PATH alums and hearing first-hand where their careers have taken them. We were especially proud to hear from a representative of DSIT, who shared that her time on Cyber PATH shaped and accelerated her career, crediting Abdullah Khan’s mentoring support. Reconnecting them in person made this a truly special moment.
From the CRC Network, Sapphire Little shared her research-led work with our marketing team in the Care Sector, which successfully onboarded several hundred care homes across England and Wales into CRC membership, demonstrating measurable behavioural change. This insight resonated strongly with colleagues from the Scottish Government Social Care Policy Team, who spent time discussing this with Sapphire.
We also spent time with Police Scotland and the Scottish Government Cyber Team, examining the CRC model’s proven ability to:
- Track and evidence SME behavioural change
- Support CISOs in establishing sustainable processes for supply chain cyber communications
- Support policing to scale cybercrime prevention
Our discussions were timely, aligning perfectly with the opening address by UK Security Minister Dan Jarvis, who announced a £90m package to accelerate Cyber Essentials adoption among UK SMEs.
Commenting on this significant announcement, Chair of City of London Police Authority Board and NCRCG Chair, Tijs Broeke said:
“The Government’s £90 million investment is a welcome and important step in strengthening cyber resilience across UK SMEs. It will help turn awareness into action, ensuring more small businesses are better protected against increasingly sophisticated and growing cyber threats.
“As Chair of the National Cyber Resilience Centre Group, I am proud that the City of London Corporation, working with City of London Police, continues to champion this critical agenda on cyber resilience and strengthening UK’s economic security.
“This builds on the City’s pioneering work, from Cyber Griffin in 2017 through to today’s national CRC Network, combining policing expertise, academic insight, and partnership with industries to deliver practical, accredited support for businesses.
“With over 30,000 SMEs already engaged, there is a real momentum in protecting businesses, strengthening supply chains, and reinforcing the UK’s position as a trusted and resilient global economy.”
We were fortunate to be joined by Dr Martin Wilson, Detective Inspector at the Cyber Resilience Centre for the North East, who shared findings from his PhD research supporting the CRC network. His insights demonstrated that targeted engagement strategies are already improving SME participation and that further sector-specific research can accelerate uptake further.
Lizzie Young, from the same police-led CRC, brought this to life by sharing real SME member feedback and outcomes. Demand was clear: every copy of our 2025–26 Impact Report was taken by stand visitors, with many more downloaded from our website as Lizzie explained how the CRC model supports small organisations and why it makes a difference to each of them.
Our CXO Joanna Goddard shared the research findings from working with enterprise CISOs on how to establish a robust internal process to enable effective supply chain communications on cyber, delivered through our National Ambassador Programme.
Our National Ambassadors continue to play a significant role, through funding, expertise, and resources, enabling us to test, measure, and refine approaches that maximise impact across supplier, customer, and member communities. We were delighted to spend time with representatives from Akamai, CGI, CyberSmart, Mastercard, and Trustify, and to thank them, their colleagues, and customers for their continued commitment.
A full report and development plan will be shared with stakeholders, ensuring the value of investment in attending CyberUK 2026, made possible with the support of our National Ambassadors and the Home Office, translates directly into stronger SME cyber resilience.
