We are excited to learn that Cyber PATH student Sophie Powell, has been named a finalist in The Cyber Student of the Year 2023 at the prestigious National Cyber Awards.
The National Cyber Awards are the premier awards celebrating those committed to cyber innovation, cybercrime reduction and protecting citizens online. When commenting on last year’s awards, the UK Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak, said: “The National Cyber Awards are a wonderful way to reward, celebrate and showcase the work of those committed to keeping us safe. Please pass on my warmest congratulations to the winners who inspire everyone across the sector who wish to protect others.” So, being named a finalist in 2023 is a fantastic achievement worthy of celebration.
Sophie Powell, who graduated from the University of Warwick this year, joined the Cyber PATH programme in 2022 and worked with West Midlands Cyber Resilience Centre. Speaking about her time on the programme, Sophie commented: “At the time I joined the Cyber PATH programme, I was extremely new to Cyber, especially surrounding the more technical concepts and the only real experience I had that could be related to the job was some public speaking. Despite this, I was accepted for the position, and I can safely say the knowledge and expertise I gained was reflected in my work and degree work.”
We congratulate Sophie on her success and wish her well on what promises to be a great night at the glittering awards ceremony. The National Cyber Awards® is being held at the London Novotel West on Monday 25th September 2023.
About the Cyber PATH programme
Each of the nine Cyber Resilience Centres (CRCs) across England and Wales works closely with local universities to handpick a unique and talented cadre of students who work alongside senior Cyber Security Practitioners and police officers to deliver high-quality and tailored cyber resilience services to smaller organisations.
Cybercrime is fluid; it keeps changing and advancing as technology evolves. That is why we are bringing in the brightest and the best young people from academia to develop a second-to-none Talent Pipeline for policing and the private sector.
In NCRCG, we have a platform to lead the charge to strengthen our national cyber resilience and ultimately benefit the UK economy, protect our national assets, and make the UK a more attractive place to work in, invest in and deal with. Escalating and expanding our nation’s legacy talent pipeline in the cyberspace ensures we are putting our best foot forward in this changing landscape of crime and staying ahead of the curve, both now and for the future.
Furthermore, our nation’s smaller organisations want to reinforce cyber resilience but aren’t always sure where to begin. So, rather than overwhelming them with advice and recommendations inappropriate to their size and resource, our students are finding and explaining solutions to complex challenges in ways that are straightforward and accessible.
In doing so, they are developing their understanding of how smaller organisations operate, the pressures they face and what is required to build cyber resilience against threats specific to their locality. At the same time, each student is gaining the essential skills, knowledge and on-the-job training they need to succeed in the workplace.
Follow our Cyber PATH page on LinkedIn to keep up-to-date with the latest developments.