Greater Manchester - a global digital influence in cyber

Greater Manchester has a £5 billion digital economy and is the biggest creative and digital cluster outside London. The pandemic had a huge impact, it has driven digital transformation at a scale and pace we’ve not seen before. Through an increase in remote working and businesses and services moving online, all vital to survival and growth, we know the risk and incidents of cyber-crime have increased – that sector has grown and remains economically significant with the UK’s cyber security industry worth an estimated £8.3bn to the economy.

Greater Manchester is already recognised as a centre for cyber and digital ethics, trust and security and is home to the UK’s national security agency GCHQ the recent announcement of a new North West based home for the National Cyber Force only cements the region’s position as the cyber centre of the UK. Greater Manchester is positioning itself as an internationally recognised centre of digital innovation, research and practice.

This session will explore the steps being taken by Greater Manchester to position itself at the epicentre of cyber security in the UK and internationally.

Speakers

• Neil Jones - Managing Director, North West Cyber Resilience Centre
• Beverly Craig - GMCA Lead for Digital, Education, Skills, Work and Apprenticeships (Leader of Manchester City Council)
• Victoria Knight - Strategic Campaigns Director, BAE Systems / Co-Chair Greater Manchester Cyber Security Advisory Group
• Ruby Motabhoy - Innovation Lead, Plexal