Investing in the future of cyber security

ECS students are developing their niche technology skills with generous support from Connectus, the specialist technology recruitment company.

The sponsorship from Connectus is part of their support of Electronics and Computer Science at the University of Southampton, and will help strengthen the aims and objectives of the Southampton University Cyber Security Society (SUCSS), which is run from ECS by Joel Clark, President and Co-Founder.

SUCSS is committed to improving its members' employability and understanding of the cyber security industry, as well as helping individuals to protect themselves online. The skills developed within this Society are crucial to modern businesses, with the global cyber security industry expected to grow at a rate of 10 per cent per year over the next five years (according to a recent report).

Investment into cyber security is essential; companies continue to store more of their own data and sensitive customer information online, and the regulations and threats are increasing. The skills developed within societies such as SUCSS are a vital first step for many to enter the cyber security industry. This is a key reason for Connectus's support of the Society, which includes the provision of new servers for Society members to use and increase their technical skills.

Joel Clark explains that Society meetings not only involve sharing new hacking techniques and embracing security challenges, but also help members become more aware of their personal online security. "After our session on hacking passwords, around 90 per cent of our members will change their password immediately”, he said. He described the different lengths of time it would take to hack passwords, purely based on the number of characters and mixture of numbers and letters used. It was recommended to have over eight mixed characters in a password, resulting in many members believing their passwords were inadequate protection.

Connectus commented: "Connectus is proud to sponsor the SUCSS. We are delighted that our investment has already given the Society more capabilities and look forward to supporting its members throughout their future cyber security careers." ____

For further information on this news story contact: Joyce Lewis (tel. 023 8059 5453; j.k.lewis@ecs.soton.ac.uk)