Government figures suggest the UK cybersecurity sector is thriving, employing more than 43,000 individuals and estimated to be worth £8.3 billion.

With new regulations forcing companies to invest more in cybersecurity and consumers becoming increasingly aware of the dangers of the digital society, the conditions are right for the sector to thrive. As this is an area which has largely been ignored to date, this is an open opportunity for the aggressive to capture, and it seems the UK has been very successful in doing so.

“It’s great to see our cyber security sector going from strength to strength. It plays a vital role in protecting the country’s thriving digital economy and keeping people safe online,” said Digital Minister Matt Warman.

“We are committed to seeing it grow and are investing £1.9bn over five years through our National Cyber Security Strategy to make sure we lead the way in cyber innovation, develop and attract the best talent.”

Annual revenues for the sector are estimated to have grown 46% over the last two years to £8.3 billion, with the number of cybersecurity firms increasing by 44% to more than 1,200 at the end of 2019. The total number of full-time employees, 43%, has increased by 37% during the same period, with revenue-per-employee reaching an average of £193,500 a year.

Looking at the industry, demand for cybersecurity services is certainly on the rise. A recent report from IDC suggests worldwide spending on security-related hardware, software, and services will be $106.6 billion in 2019, an increase of 10.7% year-on-year. Managed security services, integration services, consulting services, and IT education and training, will see some of the biggest growth, though software, such as identity and digital trust products or security analytics, will also see a significant surge.

With new regulations threatening some very steep fines, GDPR punishments could be as much as €20 million or 3% of global revenues, attitudes are changing as wallets become threatened. For those who are aggressive and innovative enough, there are certainly profits to be made.

One question which some might ask is why the cybersecurity sector is thriving in the UK? There will of course be numerous contributing reasons, but a simple answer might be that the UK is an excellent incubator for start-ups and SMEs.

The UK is often cited as one of the most attractive nations for start-ups in Europe, but also worldwide. Various factors contribute to this image, such as access to a good workforce (both experienced and graduates), excellent transport links, the 6th largest economy in the world, good communications infrastructure and a thriving professional services industry. But in London, businesses have access to one of the worlds most prominent financial centres.

Roughly 30% of Europe’s venture capitalists are based in the UK, accounting for a significant amount of investment funds across the bloc. According to PitchBook, the UK and Ireland accounted for 44.4% of total European fundraising volume through to the end of the third quarter. This accessibility to cash is critical in the early days of a business.

The cybersecurity sector is one which is primed for disruption and start-ups could well find themselves scaling very quickly. Not only is there more regulatory pressure, such as GDPR, to enhance security, but the consumer is becoming increasingly aware of the risks posed by the digital economy. It might not be mainstream yet, but digital security might be factored into buying decisions in the future; businesses will have to invest in this underappreciated sector before too long.