The visit by the Prime Minister to Washington to discuss global security issues with President Obama saw a number of UK security firms attend and brief David Cameron.
With cyber security high on the discussion agenda and in a bid to win more British business for the growing sector, 12 UK cyber security firms travelled to Washington to meet a host of US businesses.
Those companies involved were: RepKnight, Digital Shadows, DarkTrace, Cambridge Intelligence, Deep-Secure, Ripjar, Garrison Technology, Panaseer, Titania, Certivox, Surevine and Cyblytic. Also joining the official delegation during the trip was Intercede, a cyber security software company with offices in the UK and US.
Cameron said: “The UK is already leading the way in cyber security and this government is committed to ensuring it continues to be a leader in this multi-billion dollar industry.
“We need to make sure the UK remains one of the most cyber secure places in the world to do business. It is great news that even more companies have signed up to our Cyber Essentials Scheme to keep themselves safe and we will continue to invest in supporting companies of all sizes with their cyber security.”
Darktrace CEO Nicole Eagan, said: “We are seeing a global demand for Darktrace’s Enterprise Immune System approach to address the increasing challenges faced by companies in the United States and elsewhere, as hostile agents develop increasingly stealthy and sophisticated attacks on valued data and IP.
“Last year we saw the damage that these threats can cause to hard earned reputations and how they undermine the trust consumers have in a company and its products. Traditional methods of security are no longer enough and it is time for a new machine learning approach that can identify cyber incidents in real time before they turn into a crisis.”
Alastair Paterson, CEO of Digital Shadows comments: “The US represents a massive opportunity for Digital Shadows. The time is now right for us to expand our reach outside of the UK and provide some of our multinational clients with a local presence in the US.
“The UKTI mission is a great springboard for the company and we look forward to meeting with some of the most respected individuals within the global cyber security and investment community whilst in Washington DC.”
Titania CEO, Ian Whiting said: “The cyber security industry is expanding at a very fast-pace currently and it is coming to represent a strong segment in British international trade.
“The Malvern Cluster has been a true support line for many of the technological businesses in the Worcestershire area by offering a coordinated collaboration, a free flow of ideas and a supportive voice for SMEs in the Government. We were very pleased to see the delegation included one more Malvern Cluster member, Deep-Secure, which is another expanding company in the cyber security landscape of the Severn valley.”
Elsewhere, the UK Government announced funding for a new cyber security “Pre-Accelerator” programme to support early stage cyber security start-up firms and fast track them to success, and funding for a second US-UK Cyber Security Innovation Summit to showcase UK cyber companies, increase collaboration with US partners and support innovation.
Also, Washington-based cyber security specialist private equity firm Paladin Capital Group is helping to grow the UK cyber security market by opening a new Europe
an Office in London and Lockheed Martin is investing £250,000 in a cyber security Virtual Technology Cluster, bringing together industry, academia and the investment community, in partnership with London-based Restoration Partners.
This will offer 2,500 UK tech innovators the opportunity to become involved in 5 cyber security contracts which could support a further 250 jobs in the UK.
