INTELLIGENT BRANDS // Enterprise Security
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Cybersecurity funding evaluation
reveals trends and threats for 2019
and beyond
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C
rossword Cybersecurity plc,
the cybersecurity technology
commercialisation company, has
released insights from its global review of
academic cybersecurity research. The new
database looked at nearly 1,200 current
and past research projects from academic
institutions in the United Kingdom, United
States, Europe, Australia and Africa. It
reaffirmed the value of the cybersecurity
research market, with reported funding of EU
projects at over €1 billion.
The database identified several global trends
by comparing the periods January 2008 to
June 2013 with July 2013 to December 2018.
• Cyber Physical Systems (CPS) – Over
100 projects were found in this area
alone, a significant figure. The United
States appears to be the most active in
CPS research, with a focus on securing
critical infrastructure
• Privacy – Projects related to privacy have
increased by 183% in recent years
• Internet of Things (IoT) – Projects
with an IoT element have increased by
123% lately, with around 14% of current
projects having this characteristic
• Cryptography – With the promise of
quantum computing on the horizon,
there has been an influx of new projects
that apply the technology to the future
of cryptography, with a 227% increase in
this area of research (albeit this was from
a low base)
Significant differences can also be seen
between regions. For instance, the EU appears
distinctly focused on minimising Small and
Medium Enterprises’ (SME) exposure to
cybersecurity risk. Conversely, when compared
with other regions, the US has a greater focus
on the human component of cybersecurity.
UK invests in securing the
physical world
In the UK, the leading research verticals
are critical infrastructure and securing the
health sector (with 11 current projects
each). Current funding across UK projects
exceeds £70 million, with quantum and
IoT-related projects both more than
doubling over five years. There are currently
nine new UK projects with a focus on Cyber
Physical Systems.
The four UK projects with the greatest
funding are in the fields of Safe and
Trustworthy Robotics, Big Data Security,
Cybercrime in the Cloud and Quantum
Technology for Secure Communications.
The most notable UK decline was in Big Data
projects, which have dropped by 85%.
Cryptography remains strong
There are currently 52 global projects with a
cryptographic focus and at least 39 current
live EU projects featuring a cryptographic
element. In the UK, this area has been
consistently strong over the last 10 years,
with 18 projects starting between 2008 and
mid-2013, and 19 projects from mid-2013
to now.
Tom Ilube, CEO at Crossword Cybersecurity
plc, said of the analysis: “The need to
protect critical infrastructure has never
been stronger as technology becomes more
deeply embedded in every aspect of our
daily lives. However, one apparent omission
is research solely focused on the application
of AI techniques to complex cybersecurity
problems. We hope to see more of that
in the future as the industry works to
stay ahead of the constantly evolving
cybersecurity landscape.”
The Crossword Cybersecurity database will
be periodically updated to deliver ongoing
insight into the most prevalent cybersecurity
research trends and investment areas. n
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