Reading time: between 3-15, up to you.
While the USA and Israel have enjoyed the spotlight of cybersecurity’s hall of fame for over a decade, it appears that the new kid on the block has been working diligently to catch up and enjoy some of that market share. This is of course, the UK.
The Israeli cybersecurity ecosystem consists of roughly 400 cybersecurity companies. The human and technological resources provided by the Israel Defence Forces to grow and nurture cyber talent has no equivalent, and was considered the only place in the world that can give the entrenched Silicon Valley a run for their money.
However, over the past few years a new cybersecurity cluster has been growing, startups from the UK and abroad are finding a warm home for their innovations, in London. "You wouldn't necessarily think an Israeli business would decide to come to London given the strength Israel has in this space, but actually there are things that London can offer that they couldn't get in Israel." Grace Cassy, one of CyLon's founders told WIRED.
This is why as good marketers, we decided to look around at the supporting cybersecurity UK eco-system and naturally, the first place to look is content. We’ve put together some of the best UK cybersecurity blogs we could find, if you know others reach out to us, we’d love to have look.
This site is more than a blog, it is a one stop shop for anything and everything related to cyber security in the UK, including; news, publications, articles and information on a wide variety of topics from cyber tools to career advice.
Running since 2008, founder and top contributor Dave Whitelegg has gained nearly 9,000 Twitter followers with plenty of reader reactions and re-tweeting to boot. As a certified Computer Hacking Forensic Investigator and a former Cisco Certified Security Professional, there is much that can be gained from his years of expertise.
In case he does need an intro -- Graham Cluley is a public speaker and independent computer security analyst who actually wrote one of the first anti-viruses for Windows back in the early 1990s. His website has become a major hub of knowledge, with over 85,000 followers on Twitter, Facebook, a large email list and a YouTube channel. In fact, his YouTube channel has received nearly 250,000 views.
This is the place to visit for ideas and information on the latest malware, the consequences of having a typo in your IP address or how even his Twitter account was hacked, while he was offline on a plane. The range of information and solutions is wonderful, so go on and take a look.
Sophos has been a longtime player going back over 30 years and it should come as no surprise that they continue to lead the field in firewalls, web and email gateways, and secure Wi-Fi. They have over 65,000 followers on various social media websites with high levels of engagement and feedback.
The blogs are fun because they often challenge and entice the reader with straightforward or suggestive questions that get you thinking and encourages engagement. An example RSA Conference 2017: Did our predictions come true? Wouldn’t you click on that title? This style of writing is important as it lures the reader into wanting the answer.
4. BAE Systems - Inspired Work
Based in the UK, BAE Systems is a renown worldwide company with over 88,000 employees, offering a wide range of services including, advanced electronics, cybersecurity and intelligence for corporations and militaries worldwide.
Their twitter and Facebook accounts boast for a combined 150,000 followers with plenty of engagement. Perhaps part of their success in the blogging sphere is due to their eye catching titles like "Cyber defense: know when to hold and fold em" and the inclusion of thought leadership pieces like "A united front is the key to effective cyber defense". Sometimes, just take a step back and watch the pros.
5. Wandera
With headquarters in the UK and the US, Wandera is making its mark by focusing on mobile threat vulnerabilities. The company was recently added to the Cybersecurity 500 list.
Wandera are establishing themselves as thought leaders with frequently updated content on a variety of topics and categories, addressing questions such as “Will blocking mobile content upset your employees?”. If you want to stay up to date, they have a Trends section covering, “5 reasons why large companies buy software from small vendors”. Wandera are attacking content from several different angles!
6. DarkTrace
Founded in 2013, DarkTrace uses AI to detect emerging cyberthreats. The company is trailblazing with over 360 employees, 50 awards and products deployed in 60 countries. With nearly 15k followers on Twitter and LinkedIn and consistent interaction, shows they are on social media fire.
The best thing about their blogs, is the great humor they attach to their very serious and informative content. A rare and welcome relief!
7. Boldon James
While, the blog has yet to pick up much traction on the social networks, this is the place to turn to learn about data classification. These guys and gals are appealing to governments and large corporations and their content covers issues of cybersecurity related legislation across the globe and the EU’s GDPR, as well as hot tips such as, “5 steps to effective data classification”.
8. Forcepoint
Although established as recently as 2016, Forcepoint is a powerhouse in new technologies that enables organizations to provide unobstructed access to critical data and IP, while reducing security risk. This is the lovechild of, “Raytheon Cyber Products, Websense and Stonesoft organizations, integrating the user protection, data security and cloud expertise of Websense with the insider threat and analytics technology of Raytheon, along with the next-generation network protection capabilities of Stonesoft”.
With nearly 130k social media followers and solid, consistent reader interaction, they are doing excellent work. Forcepoint blogs are updated almost weekly and are filled with interesting, fun and informative information. They have a great combination of industry news and trends as well as noteworthy company updates.
9. Kevin Townsend’s IT security
This blog goes out of it’s way NOT to endorse any product releases or company promotions. Kevin and his team of bloggers do provide a no nonsense review of the subject matter at hand -- from zero day exploits and the cost of a breach, to the future of gaming. The blog is refreshingly not shy of exposing internet shams… such as, what makes people successful.
Social media is not a strong card here, so you’re best going the old fashioned route of RSS feed.
Signing off
We couldn’t cover them all, but this list is plenty to get you onto the right path of knowledge about the UK cybersecurity scene. If you’re looking for more industry news, info or guidance on cybersecurity and how marketing fits into this ecosystem, check out our blog.
