The armed forces are to fast-track recruitment of “cyber warriors” after Britain faced more than 90,000 online attacks in the last two years.
Specialist recruits will see their basic training cut from 10 weeks to a month and be offered starting salaries of £40,000, one of the highest in the armed forces, as the UK looks to boost its cyber defences.
They will then undergo three months of specialist training at the Defence Cyber Academy in Shrivenham, Oxfordshire, and be placed in operational roles by the end of the year.
Launching the scheme on Thursday, armed forces minister Luke Pollard said the UK faced “a new era of threat” where cyberspace was “a new front line”.
He added: “With more than 90,000 cyberattacks on UK military networks over the last two years, it is essential that we step up our cyber defence, fast-tracking the brightest and the best cyber specialists to help protect the UK and our allies.”
The initial pilot scheme is expected to recruit around 32 specialists in 2025, with numbers being increased in future years.
Thursday’s announcement follows increasing warnings about the threat to the UK posed by criminals and foreign states in cyberspace.
In December, the head of the National Cyber Security Centre, Richard Horne, said the threat was “getting broader and in some parts deeper”, while MI5 director general Sir Ken McCallum has warned that cyberspace is becoming “ever more important” to Russia as it seeks to test western defences.
The new specialists will be tasked with either securing military networks and services at the armed forces’ digital headquarters in Corsham, Wiltshire, or as part of the National Cyber Force.
A joint venture between GCHQ and the Ministry of Defence, the National Cyber Force aims to disrupt online threats to the UK.
Defence Secretary John Healey said: “Fast-tracking cyber warriors into our military will help ensure our armed forces are better equipped to face our adversaries in the 21st century and defend the country from the changing threats we face.
“After years of hollowing out, our Government is making Britain secure at home and strong abroad, delivering on our Plan for Change and the hardworking British people.”
The cyber roles will initially be part of the Royal Navy and Royal Air Force, with the Army joining subsequent recruitment campaigns for 2026 and beyond.
