The short answer is yes. Why?

Let’s put this question in context: Open any online or offline news publication on any given day, and chances are you’ll find at least one story linked to a form of cyber crime: a phishing scam to rob people of hard-earned money; a case of hacking into the database of a company; or a malware attack that paralysed an organisation’s network. The damage ranges from a ‘simple’ system breakdown to losses worth millions of dollars.

Then of course, there is the issue of compliance. In addition to the embarrassment and tarnished reputation of losing personal or sensitive data, a company’s failure to comply with current regulations will incur significant penalties.

Here’s the thing: the digital revolution, and with it our growing dependence on cyberspace, is irreversible. And the more we embrace the benefits it offers – instant cross-border communication and transactions – the greater the spread and risk of an attack. The solution is two-fold:

1. Computer user awareness on the one hand, to help users spot all the red flags in fraudulent emails, links and websites, and
2. Specialised training for IT professionals on the other hand, to help them develop a security infrastructure and respective policies, especially in terms of incident response and damage control.

So it is not surprising that the demand for awareness as well as technical training is growing faster than ever before. However, given the gravity and impact of a cyber attack, serious companies seeking to invest in training their staff or expanding their security team cannot afford to take a chance – and therefore look for NCSC certified courses and professionals. In other words, a certified security professional has a much greater chance of being the candidate of choice for any position.

What makes the NCSC certified training such a reliable scheme?

The summary on their website puts it in a nutshell: “The National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) provides cyber security guidance and support helping to make the UK the safest place to live and work online.”

Their rigorous assessment process of training programmes designed to deliver cyber security skills and technical knowledge, provides assurance that students or organisations are investing in training that is accredited and will pay back in terms of an individual’s employability and an employee’s performance.