UK Cyber Security Council has launched a new entry-level professional title aimed at tackling the UK’s cyber skills gap, as retailers face growing pressure following a wave of high-profile attacks.

The Associate Cyber Security Professional title, which opened for applications on 13 April, is the first government-backed standard of its kind and is designed to support early-career entrants while giving employers a clearer benchmark for hiring.

The launch follows a challenging period for the retail sector, with last year’s cyber breaches at Marks and Spencer, Co-op and Harrods highlighting vulnerabilities across retail systems and third-party networks.

The title forms part of the government’s Cyber Resilience Action Plan and aligns with national frameworks, offering HR teams a recognised standard for entry-level recruitment.

The new scheme comes as, according to recent data, 50% of UK businesses face a basic cyber skills gap, while 49 per cent of cyber firms have struggled to fill technical roles in the past year.

The Council said the new qualification is designed to address the “experience paradox”, where candidates struggle to secure roles without prior experience while being unable to demonstrate capability without a first job.

UK Cyber Security Council CEO Giles Grant said: “There are so many people who have the skills and drive for a career in cyber security but struggle to prove it to employers.

“The Associate title changes that. It gives individuals a credible, government-backed way to demonstrate their readiness for their first cyber role, while giving employers the confidence to hire them.

“This is a hugely important step in closing the cyber skills gap and ensuring the UK has the pipeline of cyber security professionals it needs”.

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