We are happy to report that the Cyber Security Research Group at the University of Strathclyde, StrathCyber has gained Academic Centre of Excellence status from the UK Government.

The status has been conferred by the Government’s National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) and EPSRC, in recognition of the quality of the Strathclyde centre’s research and impact.

Evaluation process

Strathclyde is now one of only 21 UK universities to have an Academic Centre of Excellence in Cyber Security Research. The title of Academic Centre of Excellence in Cyber Security Research (ACE-CSR) has been awarded following a rigorous evaluation process of the research conducted by 17 members of academic staff across Strathclyde’s four faculties.

StrathCyber’s research is characterised by an interdisciplinary focus on resilience and digital harms. It has considerable depth and breadth of expertise in human factors, infrastructure security, privacy and regulation, system security, and formal methods.

Dr Daniel Thomas, of Strathclyde’s Department of Computer and Information Sciences, will lead the new ACE-CSR, with support from Professor Wendy Moncur, leader of the Cyber Security Research Group, and Professor Fiona Strens, Director of the Strathclyde Security and Resilience Research Centre.

Dr Thomas said:

“This is a significant achievement. Strathclyde is only the second university in Scotland to be awarded this status, and it makes us part of an elite grouping of cyber research teams across the UK.

“It is a testament to the quality of the research of the academics and other staff who contributed across all four faculties. We look forward to continuing to collaborate with government, industry, and academic partners to deliver impactful cyber security research and are delighted at this recognition.”

Professor Moncur said:

“At StrathCyber, we aim to build resilience for future societies in cybersecurity contexts. This goes beyond mere ‘tech’ solutions. We take problem-driven approaches, working to understand people and organisations – their behaviours, experiences, and challenges online – in the face of current and future threats to identity, privacy, and security.

Safely and securely

“We strive to design solutions that enable legitimate citizens and organisations to operate safely and securely online to achieve their desired goals, and to protect them from online harms. It’s terrific news that our research has been recognised.”

Professor Strens said:

“I am delighted to have worked with Daniel and the whole StrathCyber team to secure this recognition of Strathclyde’s leading interdisciplinary approach to cyber security from the UK’s National Technical Authority, and to building cyber resilience across the whole of society.”

Strathclyde has made significant investments in Cyber Security in recent years, with more than 40 members of the StrathCyber group across the university, including researchers and PhD students.

Chris Ensor, Deputy Director Cyber Growth with NCSC, said:

“I’m delighted that 21 universities have been recognised as Academic Centres of Excellence in Cyber Security Research, including four who have received the award for the first time.

“These recognitions are testament to the dedication of academics, support staff and senior management who have ensured that cyber security remains high on the university’s agenda. And they demonstrate that the UK has a growing number of world-class universities carrying out cutting-edge research into all areas of cyber security. We very much look forward to working with them over the coming years to tackle the most difficult cyber security challenges.”