In the wake of the recent cyber-attack it experienced, the Co-op has today (16 July) announced a new strategic partnership with The Hacking Games, a UK-based social impact business, to help prevent cybercrime by identifying young cyber talent and channelling their skills into positive, ethical careers.
The announcement follows an interview on BBC Breakfast this morning with Co-op CEO, Shirine Khoury-Haq, who admitted that information from all 6.5m of the group’s members had been affected or stolen during the attack.
Globally, cybercrime is expected to cost £12 trillion this year, and with 69% of European teenagers having committed some form of cybercrime or online offence, the initiative is part of Co-op’s long-term response to its own cyber-attack where the growing threat of cybercrime became a reality.
This new partnership will combine Co-op’s reach into every post code area of the UK, community expertise, 38 Co-op Academy schools and their 6.5 million member base with The Hacking Games’ extensive knowledge and expertise in cybercrime.
The cyber threat landscape is evolving at an alarming rate and the need for skilled cybersecurity professionals has never been greater. Already valued at £13.2 billion, the Government has identified cybersecurity as a key frontier industry with an exceptional potential for growth.
Yet tens of thousands of cybersecurity jobs in the UK remain vacant. Around the world, 4.8 million cybersecurity roles remain unfilled posing significant risk to individuals, businesses, and governments.
There is an urgent need to engage Gen Z and inspire them to pursue careers in cybersecurity, Co-op adds, better putting their cyber skills to ethical use as hackers for good, rather than being drawn down a more nefarious route that can cause real disruption to victims.
The partnership, a long-term initiative with ambitions to develop into a large scale national movement, activated through a wide scale, multi-channel approach, begins with an independent research study led by Professor Lusthaus of University of Oxford, a leading expert on the social dimensions of cybercrime and hacking.
Shirine Khoury-Haq, group CEO of Co-op, said: “We know first-hand what it feels like to be targeted by cybercrime. The disruption it causes, the pressure it puts on colleagues, and the impact it has on the people and communities we serve.
“We can’t just stand back and hope it doesn’t happen again - to us or to others. Our members expect us to find a cooperative means of tackling the cause, not just the symptom. Our partnership with The Hacking Games lets us reach talented young people early, guide their skills toward protection rather than harm, and open real paths into ethical work. When we expand opportunity we reduce risk, while having a positive impact on society.”
Security Minister Dan Jarvis added: “Cybercrime destroys lives. The criminals carrying out these acts put the public and the economy at risk, and that’s why we’re continuing to take the decisive action necessary to keep UK jobs and businesses safe.”
No comments yet