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AI has been one of the major frontiers of technology for the last 20 years. AI could revolutionise the ways we live and work, giving us more free time to spend with family, or learning new skills.
AI can be trained to do almost anything, as long as there is the data to train it and the connection or interface that allows the system to do what it&rsquo;s designed to do. This can apply to anything from driving cars to writing movies, with many businesses looking to save money by simply replacing massive amounts of their human workforce with AI algorithms, regardless of the quality of the scripts they churn out, or the amount of people they almost, or indeed do, hit with cars.
Of course, AI can be used to whatever ends it is programmed and trained to do, meaning it could destablise economies, impersonate politicians, and conduct disinformation campaigns.
When facing threats of this sophistication, ironically the only thing that can defend against malicious AI is AI designed to counter it.
There are many valid, and probably highly accurate, concerns that AI will lead to massive job losses around the world, with businesses not wanting to pay a human to do work that a computer could do for free.
When it comes to security and defence however, this replacement of the human factor could lead to many lives being saved. During combat, AI can make faster decisions, analyze new information at speed, and make predictions about how battles may play out. Humans simply cannot work to the same speed, and any loss of time can lead to loss of life.
Military tactics, countermeasures, and technologies are constantly changing and developing. AI needs to be utilised to maximise efficiency and effectiveness.
There are many ways that we will likely see AI applied to defence over the coming years, below are just some of the ways we expect AI to change the defence and security industries.
<h2>How AI will change the defence industry</h2>
<h3>Scenario Analysis</h3>
One of the most obvious ways that AI can help security is by analyzing scenarios for security weaknesses. Every entry point, every potential hiding place, these can be analysed by AI, running simulations to assess the likelihood of a problem in a certain area.
In any security situation, humans might overlook certain things, underestimate the likelihood of certain outcomes, or focus on something that might actually be a distraction. An AI can be trained on previous situations, factoring in variations, and create the most likely scenarios.
<h3>Training</h3>
AI can also speed up the time it takes to train security personnel. Of course, security and defence training is often extensive, given the nature of the work and the importance that it be carried out correctly. But AI can help create personalised training programmes for new recruits, and help experienced team members upskill as new methods, techniques, and technologies are created.
New training can be updated in real-time, when new tactics are developed to counter the enemy, they can be immediately sent out to all active field members.
<h3>Cybersecurity</h3>
Perhaps the biggest area where AI will transform security is cybersecurity. Humans can&rsquo;t think as fast as a computer, and can&rsquo;t react fast enough when a cyber attack is underway.
When a security team or defence force is hit by a cyber attack, it can be disastrous, leaving them vulnerable in the field, or having crucial data stolen from their servers which could put other lives at risk. It is vital to have the strongest defences possible against cyber warfare.
An AI can learn and adapt in real-time to emerging threats, and will handle each successive cyber attack better than the previous one, thanks to its ability to learn from past experience.
AI is going to change the world in a lot of ways, not all of it necessarily for the better. But when it comes to security and defence, given how much of the industry already relies on computers, having smarter, faster, more adaptable computers can help keep us safe from growing threats.
<h5>Read more about&nbsp;<a href="https://blog.v-hr.com/blog/how-ai-is-reshaping-the-defence-industry">how AI is changing defence</a>, or learn&nbsp;<a href="https://blog.v-hr.com/blog/5-skills-you-need-to-start-a-career-in-cyber-security">5 skills you need to begin a career in cyber security</a>.</h5>

How AI is Transforming the Security & Defence Industry

Cyber security is one of the best paid and most sought after jobs in the world, as almost every business now operates online, and so is vulnerable to cyber attacks. However, working in cyber security is not easy. You&rsquo;ll need top-notch technical knowledge, tenacity, and people skills to protect your organisation&rsquo;s data and make a career for yourself.&nbsp;
Having the right set of skills is crucial to getting hired, but also to build your reputation over time. So what are the most important skills to work in cyber security?
&nbsp;
<h2>5 Skills you need to work in cyber security</h2>
&nbsp;
<h3>Technical knowledge&nbsp;</h3>
Arguably the most important skill for working in cyber security is complete technical knowledge of the field. If you don&rsquo;t understand the ins and outs of the cyber security landscape, you won&rsquo;t be able to keep your business safe from attacks.
Intricate knowledge of coding and scripting is obviously necessary, as well as knowledge of cybersecurity frameworks.
There are also many types of security software you&rsquo;ll need to know how to use, such as intrusion detection software, security information and event management systems, and intrusion prevention systems.&nbsp;
You&rsquo;ll also need to ensure your knowledge is up to date as new threats are discussed and analysed across the industry.
&nbsp;
<h3>Proactivity</h3>
This is one career where you can&rsquo;t afford to get complacent. Cyber security is always changing, with new techniques and best practices being developed all the time, so you&rsquo;ll need to keep up to date with new concepts, new software, and any new viruses to defend against.
&nbsp;Cyber security specialists are often life-long learners, with many blogs, youtube channels, and podcasts dedicated to the field, so you can keep your knowledge sharp across your career by learning from the best.
&nbsp;
<h3>Analytical skills</h3>
Cyber security requires a large amount of analytic skill. Can you spot weaknesses in your system? Sometimes things aren&rsquo;t clear, and you&rsquo;ll need to analyse your network to understand how a breach might have occurred.
From there, you can begin to improve your defences by analysing likely attack points cyber criminals might target.&nbsp;&nbsp;
&nbsp;
<h3>The ability to work under pressure</h3>
As a cyber security expert, you&rsquo;ll need to be able to work under pressure.
Whether monitoring network activity for possible intrusions, or dealing with an active threat, you&rsquo;ll need to be able to prioritise actions, make decisions quickly, and maintain composure should anything go wrong.
In the event of a cyber attack, you&rsquo;ll need to be able to think through what&rsquo;s happening, assess the severity of threats, gauge the potential impact, and then start taking action.
&nbsp;
<h3>Communication skills</h3>
Last, but certainly not least, a soft skill that is often overlooked by cyber security professionals is people skills. Being able to effectively communicate what you&rsquo;re doing, and why, is a valuable skill. Can you explain things without relying on jargon or using overly technical language?
Both written and verbal communication play a key role in cybersecurity. You may need to write incident reports, where you&rsquo;ll have to document updates and recommendations clearly.
You may also need to collaborate with other teams within your company, such as legal, IT, or public relations, or share your findings with other organisations or the greater cybersecurity community, so being able to work with people is crucial.
&nbsp;There is a lot you need to be a great cyber security analyst, beyond just technical understanding. If you&rsquo;re able to work under pressure, keep up to date with best practice, and communicate with other team members, you&rsquo;ll excel in your cyber security career.
&nbsp;
Read more about&nbsp;<a href="https://blog.v-hr.com/blog/why-you-should-consider-a-career-in-computer-security">why you should consider a career in cyber security</a>, or learn about the&nbsp;<a href="https://blog.v-hr.com/blog/the-best-engineering-jobs-for-the-future">best engineering jobs for the future</a>.

5 Skills You Need To Start A Career In Cyber Security

With everyone working from home, 2020 saw a massive spike in cyber crime, as there were more vulnerable systems for criminals to take advantage of.&nbsp;&nbsp;
With so many people working from home on unsafe networks or unprotected devices, it was easy for cyber criminals to steal data, extort businesses, and get away with it. Sadly, businesses are now more at risk of becoming victims of cyber crime than ever before.&nbsp;&nbsp;
Phishing is the most common type of cyber threat, where cyber criminals pose as legitimate businesses or organisations in order to get unsuspecting victims to click on links or change passwords on fraudulent websites to gain access to their systems.
Other incidents experienced by small businesses include spyware and malware attacks, hacking, and denial of service attacks, all of which can majorly harm their day-to-day operations.
Keeping safe from cyber crime isn&rsquo;t as simple as buying some software or upgrading your computers. There are multiple different practices, all of which play a part in keeping you safe.
If you&rsquo;re a business owner wondering how to protect your business from cyber crime, these five tips are a great place to start.
&nbsp;
<h2>How to protect your business from cyber attacks</h2>
<h3>&nbsp;Secure your network</h3>
Firewalls and antivirus software are the first line of defence against cyber attacks. On top of this, don&rsquo;t forget to hide and password protect your wifi network, as this is one of the major weak points that is often exploited to gain access to systems. Once cybercriminals are on your network, it&rsquo;s only a matter of time until they start dealing serious damage, so keeping them out is the first step you need to take.
However, this won&rsquo;t guarantee the safety of your data, so make sure you back it up should the worst happen.
&nbsp;
<h3>Backup your data</h3>
Ransomware is a type of virus that locks every computer and device on the network. If this strikes your office, you won&rsquo;t be able to access any data saved on any computer.
Hackers often give businesses 24 hours to pay to get their data back. If the business doesn&rsquo;t pay, sometimes all that data is deleted. This can mean client lists, email databases, website designs, and all documentation, gone.
&nbsp;That can be avoided by backing up your data regularly, ensuring you&rsquo;re never left with nothing should the worst happen. This backup should be saved on a separate system so it can&rsquo;t be reached by any viruses.
You may have many hundreds of gigabytes of data, so understanding what&rsquo;s critical for your business to continue is an important step. Back up this data first, and regularly, to ensure you can handle any sudden data loss.
Additionally, under the 2018 UK GDPR and Data Protection Act, if your small business processes personal or sensitive data, you must take reasonable steps to safeguard it from a data breach, or be prosecuted should that data be stolen or compromised.&nbsp;&nbsp;
One of the most effective ways of keeping data safe is to encrypt it. Secure data is encrypted and decrypted using a secret key. Only authorised team members should have access to the key, meaning criminals will not be able to decipher the encrypted data if they&rsquo;re able to steal it, rendering it useless, and keeping you, and your clients and partners, safe.
&nbsp;
<h3>Keep all your IT systems updated</h3>
Updates are one of the best defences against cyberattacks. When systems aren&rsquo;t updated, they don&rsquo;t have the latest protection against new viruses, leaving them vulnerable to cyber attacks.&nbsp;
Updated systems are stronger, and less likely to be targeted as their weak points haven&rsquo;t been discovered yet. Sometimes the best way to stay safe from cyber attacks is simply to be slightly more work to break into than the next business, and keeping your software up to date is the easiest and cheapest way to do that.
<h3>&nbsp;</h3>
<h3>Have a disaster recovery plan</h3>
Hopefully you&rsquo;ll never need it, but should your business suffer a cyber attack, the fastest way for you to recover is to have a well-planned and effective recovery plan. This plan can have contingencies for during and after an attack, so you can minimise losses, protect yourselves, your partners, and your clients, and get up and running again as fast as possible.&nbsp;&nbsp;
&nbsp;
<h3>Train your team to be aware of best practices</h3>
&nbsp;This last tip may be the most important on this list. Ensuring your team knows the best practices for staying safe online is the best way to keep your business safe from cyber attacks.&nbsp;&nbsp;
While you can invest in antivirus software and top of the line equipment, your cybersecurity is really only as effective as your employees. They can spot suspicious emails, detect faults on the network, and raise the alarm if there is a security breach.
The most common element in all cyber attacks isn&rsquo;t a lack of firewalls, or old vulnerable systems, it&rsquo;s simple human error.
&nbsp;For your team to be an effective defense against cyber crime, they&rsquo;ll need consistent training, as threats are always changing. Create a culture around cybersecurity throughout your entire organisation, making sure that people know not to click links they don&rsquo;t recognise, not to send passwords through email, and not to download files they aren&rsquo;t sure about.&nbsp;&nbsp;
It can also help to have policies in place so your team knows what practices are unacceptable, and limiting the number of users who have admin privileges. This minimises the amount of programs they can download, in turn minimising the risk of downloading viruses.&nbsp;
While there are many threats out there, keeping your business safe doesn&rsquo;t require you to have technical knowledge, the best equipment, or a huge cybersecurity budget. Just adhering to these simple principles and consistently using best practices can help keep your business safe from cybercrime.
&nbsp;
Read more about&nbsp;<a href="https://blog.v-hr.com/blog/cybersecurity-trends-and-predictions-for-2022">cyber security</a>, or learn&nbsp;<a href="https://blog.v-hr.com/blog/how-security-leaders-can-close-the-cyber-skills-gap">how security leaders can close the cyber skills gap</a>.

5 Ways To Protect Your Business From Cyber Crime

New technology has always been used in war to gain the upper hand. Bows were replaced with crossbows which were replaced with guns. Horses were replaced with cars. War has even facilitated and sped up technologies being developed, with radar and computers being famous examples. New technology gives you an edge, and that edge might just be enough to win.&nbsp;
When it comes to defence, if you&rsquo;re working with old technology, you&rsquo;re vulnerable. That&rsquo;s why by the end of this year, the world will have collectively spent around 2 trillion dollars on defence. The war in Ukraine has made the case for upgrading arsenals and defences clear, prompting some EU countries, like Germany, to almost double their defence budget.
One of the biggest new developments on the horizon of defence technology is artificial intelligence, computer systems which, when given large amounts of data to analyse, are able to learn, becoming smarter, faster, and more efficient.
It&rsquo;s an emerging field, but by 2025, it&rsquo;s predicted the US Department of Defence will spend $19 billion on military AI research in a single year.&nbsp;
AI has played a role in business for years, and has huge implications for virtually every area of life, but when it comes to defence, AI is something no government is ignoring.&nbsp;&nbsp;
IBM, Ratheon, and Lockheed Martin are all working on AI technology for military use. It&rsquo;s not a question of if AI will be used in defence, it&rsquo;s a question of when.
It&rsquo;s important to understand that Artificial Intelligence is a technological improvement, not a revolutionary weapons system in itself. It requires humans to apply it to problems, use it properly, and ensure the benefits granted by AI are implemented effectively. If this is achieved, it has the potential to drastically change the future of defence.
&nbsp;
<h2>How AI is changing the defence industry</h2>
<h3>&nbsp;Data can be processed and analysed faster</h3>
Simulations and war games have been a part of warfare since the creation of the very first armies. Generals have studied the tactics of great leaders throughout history, trying to learn all they can about how to win.
AI can learn faster than any human ever could, able to analyse thousands of data points from past battles, incoming reports, and even live feeds of active war zones.
Unmanned systems like drones can carry out missions remotely and assist with threat monitoring. When combined with satellites, cameras, situation reports, and scanning systems, a complete picture of the battlefield is available to be analysed, studied, and learned from.
From here, it takes a human touch to apply these learnings correctly and increase effectiveness, efficiency, and safety in the field.
&nbsp;
<h3>Training</h3>
AI can also help improve training for soldiers and other members of the military. There are many different areas of combat, all of which require training to fully prepare for. Whether it&rsquo;s marksmanship, piloting aircraft, operating drones, or using specialist equipment, AI can help improve competency, and teach new skills. AI can be used in conjunction with virtual and augmented reality systems to create dynamic training scenarios and simulations, mirroring real-life missions, and complications which can be difficult to prepare for.
This augmented training is already being used in certain areas of the US army and navy, and will become more common as AI is developed and training in military strategy.
&nbsp;
<h3>Cybersecurity</h3>
Lastly, cyberwarfare is only going to become more common as smart systems, military commanders, and governments become increasingly connected. Cyberwarfare can lead to a total breakdown in communications, infrastructure disruption, or even hostile attacks on civilian systems.
AI and machine learning can anticipate these threats, and provide greater security against them. AI is so powerful when it comes to cybersecurity because it can autonomously protect networks on a continual basis, recording patterns of attack and creating its own countermeasures.
AI has already changed combat, and will continue to redefine it as we move forward with the technology. It will likely provide the edge to achieve victory that may well have been impossible without it. Personnel throughout the military and defence industries will need to understand the basics of AI, data science, and security, as we develop new suites of operational systems that can, in many ways, defend us from ourselves.
&nbsp;
Read about&nbsp;<a href="https://blog.v-hr.com/blog/how-security-leaders-can-close-the-cyber-skills-gap">how security leaders can close the cyber skills gap</a>, or learn about the&nbsp;<a href="https://blog.v-hr.com/blog/the-shift-to-a-partnership-approach-in-defence-and-security">shift to a partnership approach in defence</a>.

How AI Is Reshaping The Defence Industry

Defence and security teams haven&rsquo;t always worked with partnerships in mind. In the past, organisations and businesses wanted to prove they didn&rsquo;t need any help, that they could handle any situation by themselves.
Relationships were strictly transactional, or actively competitive. But a partnership approach brings several benefits that are becoming harder and harder to deny in a world that is growing more connected every day.
Working together helps keep everyone safer, allowing for a more effective and united response to any and all kinds of threats. In recent years, as threats become more diverse, there are many examples of governments, manufacturers, and private defence businesses partnering together for better security. This helps them, their clients, and the general public.
&nbsp;
<h2>&nbsp;Why the defence sector has switched to a partnership approach</h2>
There are common problems all over the world, and when defence organisations and companies come together, they share their resources, expertise, and experiences to overcome them in ways they might not be able to by themselves.
We&rsquo;re stronger together, and partnerships allow different countries and other organisations the ability to adapt to more threats by sharing resources and intelligence.
The UK has recently strengthened its military partnership with Australia, with a &pound;25 million package to support security in the Indo-Pacific region, focusing on maritime threats and cybersecurity.
Last year, the UK, USA, and Australia formed a defence partnership called AUKUS, a good example of how partnerships can benefit different countries with different concerns, resources, and priorities.
The most immediate benefit for Australia is the acquisition of nuclear-powered submarines for the Royal Australian Navy. Australia had been trying to upgrade and replace their current fleet of submarines for over a decade, and joining this partnership allows them to finally get a modern fleet.
What do the UK and US get out of this partnership? A strengthened western presence in the region may help deter China from expanding its influence. But they can also share intelligence, new strategies and tactics, and can help train or practice to ensure best performance in a variety of scenarios.
But it&rsquo;s not just politics, there are other advantages to partnerships that can have a big impact across the entire defence sector.
The UK and Australia have teamed up on a new composite materials development competition, awarding teams from both countries additional funding. This will go towards research into new composites, adhesives, and improving armour systems. The UK&rsquo;s Defence Science and Technology Laboratory and Australia&rsquo;s DST Group assessed the competition together, and will share results when new technology is developed. The programme is funded by the Australian Next Generation Technologies Fund and the UK Ministry of Defence Materials for Strategic Advantage programme. This shows how partnerships can help develop the next generation of materials and technology, with information being shared freely between two powers.
&nbsp;
<h2>Benefits of partnerships in defence</h2>
<h3>&nbsp;Shared intelligence</h3>
The most immediate benefit of partnerships when it comes to defence and security is shared intelligence. If you don&rsquo;t know what potential threats are, or where they&rsquo;re coming from, you can&rsquo;t defend against them.
&nbsp;If there&rsquo;s a missing link in your intel, a partner organisation may have access to information you don&rsquo;t, or can help get more accurate reports of an ongoing situation.
<h3>Faster response times</h3>
&nbsp;No military or security force can be everywhere at once. When it comes to physical deployment, partnerships allow for rapid response and insertion of agents on the ground.
This is shown best when local and national or international law enforcement work together, able to operate across a wider area, working in tandem to search or defend a location far greater than any one organisation could.
&nbsp;
<h3>More flexible and resilient options</h3>
&nbsp;Another benefit of having defence partnerships is it allows you more options when it comes to how you operate. Who do you send, where, and why? Are there other agents in the area, does your partner have access to hardware you don&rsquo;t have?
Partnerships allow for new strategies, which can be incredibly helpful if bad actors have come to expect certain tactics.&nbsp;
It&rsquo;s clear there are many benefits to defence partnerships. As new threats continue to develop, hopefully more agencies, businesses, and governments will come together to co-operate and share resources, to help keep us safe.
&nbsp;
Read about the&nbsp;<a href="https://blog.v-hr.com/blog/what-is-the-future-of-cyber-warfare">future of cyber warfare</a>, or learn why the&nbsp;<a href="https://blog.v-hr.com/blog/is-the-future-of-combat-non-nuclear">future of combat may be non-nuclear</a>.

The Shift to a Partnership Approach in Defence and Security

The pandemic forced the entire business world to pivot to online working and online business models. Digital infrastructure now supports every area of our lives, making things easier, faster, and more convenient. &nbsp;
But as everyone became more reliant on technology, cyberattacks increased, taking advantage of the lessened security of people working from home. &nbsp;&nbsp;
Cyber-attacks rose by more than 90% in the first half of 2021 compared to the same period in the year before, even more worrying considering that 2020 was the previous worst year on record for cyber-attacks. &nbsp;
This meant that cybersecurity experts became more valuable virtually overnight, increasing demand for their skills without an influx of new talent, leaving many businesses without anyone qualified to manage their security. &nbsp;&nbsp;
<h2>How bad is the cyber security skills gap?&nbsp;</h2>
The UK&rsquo;s cyber security skills shortage increased by a further 30% last year, despite the industry contributing over <a href="https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/1055565/Cyber_Sectoral_Analysis_2022_Report_V2.1.pdf">&pound;5 billion to the UK economy</a>. Cybersecurity is one of the most sought-after technical skills in the job market today, and 43% of digital leaders in a survey reported having a skills shortage in this area. &nbsp;&nbsp;
In 2021 the UK government published a report looking at the<a href="https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/973914/Ipsos_MORI_Cyber_Recruitment_Report_v1.pdf"> cybersecurity skills gap in the UK</a>. It found there is a shortfall in the recruitment pool of 100,000 people a year, meaning the cybersecurity skills gap is one of the biggest in any industry. &nbsp;
It&rsquo;s not just the UK that&rsquo;s in trouble. Globally, the <a href="https://www.isc2.org/Research/Workforce-Study">cybersecurity workforce is around 65% below what it needs to be</a>.&nbsp;
Given that many businesses are either looking to increase investment in technology or increase headcount, it&rsquo;s almost impossible for them to keep pace with hiring when it comes to security. This means it&rsquo;s likely that more and more of them will fall victim to cyber-attacks, as there simply aren&rsquo;t enough trained individuals to protect them. &nbsp;&nbsp;
<h2>How businesses can close the cyber skills gap&nbsp;</h2>
<h3>Offer apprenticeships&nbsp;</h3>
One of the best ways to close the skills gap and hire new workers is to make it easier for people to break into the industry. &nbsp;
Apprenticeships are a great way of ensuring new hires have the skills you need, as your existing cybersecurity team trains them on the job. Cybersecurity requires a vast amount of specialist knowledge, and a mix of education and practical skills can help create the next generation of security specialists. &nbsp;
Apprentices are often loyal to the company that trained them and may stay with you for many years. &nbsp;
<h3>Increase training on the job&nbsp;</h3>
It&rsquo;s not surprising that many businesses are choosing to train existing employees in similar fields instead of recruiting entirely new workers. Competition is simply too great given the wide variety of companies hiring for security.&nbsp;
There is now &pound;400 million of private funding being invested into cybersecurity in the UK. Much of this is being directed towards upskilling existing employees. The reason for this is two-fold. Firstly, these employees have already proven themselves competent. Secondly, investing in existing employees is one of the best ways for businesses to show them that they&rsquo;re valued, helping to reduce turnover. &nbsp;
Training is a great way to increase the overall skill level of a team without needing to bring in a new hire.&nbsp;&nbsp;
While technical knowledge is essential, there are other skills involved in cybersecurity that people may not immediately think of, like problem-solving, project management, curiosity, communication skills, and strategic thinking. This means employees without a traditional security background can still play crucial roles in security teams. &nbsp;
<h3>Focus on staff retention&nbsp;</h3>
It&rsquo;s not just about bringing in new staff. Because demand is so high for cyber security specialists, the job market is always competitive. Someone with years of experience can expect to be headhunted, so if you&rsquo;re not working hard to retain staff, you&rsquo;re virtually guaranteed to lose staff, possibly to direct competitors. &nbsp;
Despite businesses knowing how competitive the market is, relatively few reassessed their salary offers, other perks, or work culture, to increase retention. &nbsp;&nbsp;
Improving the working conditions of your team shows them they&rsquo;re valued, meaning your turnover should decrease. &nbsp;
Cybersecurity is growing fast, and businesses need to focus on attracting the best talent, keeping them happy at work, and training the next generation of cybersecurity experts, if they want to stay competitive in the new digital landscape. &nbsp;

How Security Leaders Can Close The Cyber Skills Gap

The fashion industry has long claimed that a look comes back every twenty years. Today, it rings true, both on the catwalk as well as the tech world.
In the eighties and nineties, tech firms were creating a variety of solutions,&nbsp;<a href="https://edition.cnn.com/2017/08/10/us/90s-technology-fads-trnd/index.html">some clunky</a>, some downright bizarre. Amid all that, there was the occasional, bright spark that was often&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pocket-lint.com/gadgets/news/148030-weird-and-wonderful-tech-concepts-that-were-before-their-time">ahead of its time</a>&nbsp;or worked so well they continue to be used almost three decades later.
Today, there are plenty of instances where the underlying infrastructure is still based on the advancements of the eighties and nineties. Surprisingly, this can be seen even in today&rsquo;s biggest technological focus &ndash; automation.
VHR&rsquo;s Technology and Cyber recruitment specialists take a closer look at how old technology has influenced new automation.
<h3>Cloud platforms are based on old protocols</h3>
Message Queuing Telemetry Transport (MQTT) was created as a low-overhead protocol that could accommodate the CPU and bandwidth limitations that plagued the early development of PCs and networking.
In short, it was designed to offer an effective and reliable communication path.
It was initially developed as a proprietary protocol to make communication easier with SCADE systems in the oil and gas industry. However, its ease of connectivity has led to it being the leading protocol for connecting IoT and IIoT devices.
This ease of use makes it simple to add value and easily bring new benefits to a myriad of industries including smart energy, smart manufacturing and more. The end result was a solution that eclipsed the normal end to end connection and created one that decoupled data users from data producers.
Compared to other protocols, MQTT has many advantages that make it well suited for cloud applications.
For instance, being event driven, MQTT clients only send data when specific conditions are met. Due to this, devices save on battery consumption and energy. Additionally, only one way communication is required for data transmissions.
MQTT also offers many to many communication. Thanks to this publish-subscribe model, machines are required to only create a connection with the broker and do not have to directly connect to each other, saving time on authentication. And with only the broker required to handle all communication, developers and businesses enjoy a more reliable data connection.
As with all things Internet, security is an important consideration and it&rsquo;s an aspect MQTT excels at. The protocol supports passwords and account names, helping prevent unauthorized users from connecting and subscribing. With additional support for TLS encryption, data transmissions are largely free of hacking worries.
<h3>The very concept of cloud computing</h3>
Long before &ldquo;cloud computing&rdquo; was a buzz, large scale organizations were already using big data, IoT and real time monitoring &ndash; albeit in comparatively primitive form.
Salesforce successfully integrated Cloud Computing in 1999, using the Internet to deliver software to buyers. This program could be downloaded by any user or business with Internet.
Three years later, Amazon debuted its&nbsp;<a href="https://techcrunch.com/2016/07/02/andy-jassys-brief-history-of-the-genesis-of-aws/">internet-based retail services</a>. Not only was Amazon&nbsp;<a href="https://www.theverge.com/2018/10/23/17970466/amazon-prime-shopping-behavior-streaming-alexa-minimum-wage">among the first</a>&nbsp;to step into that space but it was also at the forefront in solving the issue of using only 10% of their computing capacity. The Cloud Computing Infrastructure Model, although in its infancy, gave Amazon the flexibility in effectively maximizing computer capacity. This would be soon adopted by other large organizations and serve as a framework even in 2021.
The road for the future of automation has already been paved; today it&rsquo;s all about refining and developing the existing software and hardware to suit our requirements.
<a href="https://blog.v-hr.com/blog/the-future-of-automation">Find out more about the future of automation.</a>
<a href="https://blog.v-hr.com/engineering-jobs">Looking for a Technology or Cyber Security job? Take a look at VHR&rsquo;s openings.</a>

Back to the Future: How Old Technology is Inspiring Automation’s Future

The UK Government has recently announced its&nbsp;<a href="https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/746911/20180806-MOD_DI_Plan_A4_v14_Final-U.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Strategy for Diversity and Inclusion</a>&nbsp;until 2030. The plan outlines measures to bring in people from more diverse backgrounds, and explains why this would benefit the Defence sector and those who work within it.
<h1>Why Diversity Is Good For Defence</h1>
The defence sector inherently relies on the skills and experiences of those who work within it, a better team means better performance and security, and a deeper understanding of the people they&rsquo;re protecting.
Beyond that, Defence has a moral imperative to be as inclusive as possible, allowing people from all different backgrounds, races, religions, sexualities, and body types to work in the sector.
<h2>Benefits Diversity Brings To Defence:</h2>
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<h3>Inclusivity Brings A Broader Range Of Viewpoints</h3>
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One of the main benefits of having a more diverse organisation is that the decision makers will have different viewpoints, giving them a more solid foundation from which to make objective decisions. A team that can utilise their own experiences will be more prepared, and more able to deal with unexpected problems.
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<h3>More Wide-Ranging Experience</h3>
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Having people from different backgrounds means that your team has more total life experience than a team of people from similar backgrounds. If everyone on a team had the same experience, that team may as well be made up of one person. A team relies on having people from different walks of life, and as defence is a global concern, having a diverse team can help businesses and organisations work with others from around the world.
Diverse teams have higher levels of empathy and understanding, and will be more effective at resolving disputes, understanding the values at play for other cultures, and changing their tactics accordingly.
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<h3>Diversity Increases Productivity</h3>
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Teams and companies that have higher levels of diversity are able to solve problems faster, and will come up with more innovative solutions. In fact, diverse companies are 1.7 times more likely than non-diverse competitors to be innovative leaders in their markets, and are 70% more likely to capture new markets.
Increased diversity also means that you&rsquo;ll be more likely to have multi-lingual people in higher levels of the sector, allowing for more effective communication.
And lastly, companies with the highest levels of diversity bring in around 15 times more revenue than those with lowest levels of diversity.
<h2>Why Defence Workers Should Transition Into D&amp;I Roles:</h2>
People already working in the Defence sector are best positioned to move into D&amp;I schemes within the military, and other defence organisations and businesses. They understand the needs of the industry, the people that work in it, and the challenges it will have to face moving into the future.
<h3>Managing Diversity Is Rewarding</h3>
Managing diversity can be rewarding in an entirely new way for people used to Defence roles. Being involved in D&amp;I means dealing with people, and helping give opportunities to people who might never have had them before.
If you&rsquo;re interested in working in the Defence Industry or D&amp;I, contact&nbsp;<a href="https://www.v-hr.com/maxwell-davies" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Maxwell Davies</a>.
Read more about&nbsp;<a href="https://blog.v-hr.com/blog/7-reasons-people-dont-change-their-jobs" target="_blank" rel="noopener">why you should change your job</a>, or learn&nbsp;<a href="https://blog.v-hr.com/blog/what-do-recent-cyber-attacks-mean-for-uk-defence" target="_blank" rel="noopener">how the UK Defence Sector can defend itself against cyber-attacks</a>.

Why Diversity Makes Defence Stronger

The Aviation industry is used to physical threats. Storms, attacks and crash landings are studied and planned for, with rigid contingencies to keep passengers safe.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/quora/2018/03/22/air-travel-is-safer-than-ever-can-we-thank-the-tsa-or-improved-technology/#149bf8344caf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Air travel has recently become safer than ever</a>&nbsp;before, with&nbsp;<a href="https://blog.v-hr.com/blog/latest-aerospace-technology" target="_blank" rel="noopener">new technology</a>&nbsp;helping keep Aviation businesses organised and secure, which is good news because the number of airline passengers will double over the next 20 years.
However, there is a new threat to the Aviation industry, one that targets the very technology that has become so crucial to public wellbeing: cyber attacks.
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<h2>Cyber Attacks in the Aviation Industry</h2>
Many Aviation systems are hackable: reservation systems, flight traffic management systems, passport control, cloud storage, hazardous materials transportation management, cargo handling and shipping. Aircraft computers are also vulnerable &ndash; flight control, navigation and even aircraft fuel consumption systems.
Hacking costs the global economy half a trillion dollars annually. There are an estimated 300,000 professional hackers worldwide, watching and waiting for a chance to strike.
&nbsp;
<h2>Recent Aviation Cyber Attacks</h2>
One recent Aviation cyber attack involved the possible theft of data from&nbsp;<a href="https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/gadgets-and-tech/news/cathay-pacific-hack-customers-credit-card-passport-details-credit-card-numbers-a8599851.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">9.4 million customers</a>. Often data is the target of cyber incursions, not causing actual physical harm. Some airlines fend off an average of 1,000 Aviation cyber attacks a month. Both the UN and the EU have cyber security councils and committees specifically for the Aviation sector, designed to set industry standards for Defence.
Luckily the recent passenger data hack had no impact on flight safety as the database was on a different system to flight control systems. Compartmentalisation and maintaining disparate systems may be one way to reduce the effectiveness of Aviation cyber attacks, by increasing the amount of work it would take for Aviation hackers to access multiple different systems instead of just one.
In March&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/oliverwyman/2018/04/11/how-aviations-global-supply-chain-may-open-up-the-industry-to-cyberattack/#7aa8a4df3180" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Russian hackers</a>&nbsp;were identified to have infiltrated many different US infrastructure systems, one of which was Aviation. No sabotage was detected, but the hackers had access to information about those systems and how to potentially gain control of them.
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<h2>How to Fight Aviation Cybercrime</h2>
It&rsquo;s been argued that one of the most prudent ways of counter Aviation cybercrime is for airline companies to publicly disclose when an attack occurs. This allows other companies to study what happened and to implement their own strategies to protect themselves and their customers.
Prevention and detection are the two main defences against Aviation cyber attacks. The first stops attacks entirely by maintaining solid and secure firewalls. These firewalls will be analysed for any weaknesses, and if any are found, they will be exploited. That&rsquo;s when the second method of protection springs into action: detection. This deals with detecting an Aviation hack the second it begins, allowing reactive measures to be taken.
Aerospace &amp; Aviation companies are so attractive to hackers because of the supply chain: every business is connected to others, which gives hackers more to work with. Less than 10% of independent MROs have established security protocols, which could enable a weak link and an incredibly important chain. Login credentials to any Aviation network allow potential expansion across multiple connected networks, and so on.
The industry must establish a base level of Aviation security across all organisations to reduce the threat of Aviation cyber attacks. A holistic approach can help make the difference between total Aviation security and a potentially disastrous data breach.
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Read more about&nbsp;<a href="https://blog.v-hr.com/blog/what-do-recent-cyber-attacks-mean-for-uk-defence" target="_blank" rel="noopener">cyber attacks on the Defence industry</a>&nbsp;or find out more about how VHR&rsquo;s Aerospace &amp; Aviation recruitment specialists&nbsp;<a href="https://www.v-hr.com/case-studies/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">are helping businesses globally</a>.

How Likely Is Aviation Cyber Crime?

In 1945, at the end of the Second World War,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.royalnavy.mod.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">the Royal Navy</a>&nbsp;had around 900 warships and 1 million people in active service. Now this number has dropped to 72 vessels, and just over 33,000 service personnel. Navy staff numbers are expected to further decrease by 2020.
A reduction in Navy employees can be attributed to the UK&rsquo;s current state of relative peace. With scattered engagements throughout the world, there is less need for a persistently large and expensive naval fleet. Technology has changed how battles are fought, with the government opting to use a more long-range, and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2018/jan/08/civilian-deaths-from-airstrikes-almost-double-year" target="_blank" rel="noopener">instantly forgettable push of a button</a>, instead of a lengthy exchange of missiles and bullets.
But the fundamental nature of the Royal Navy has also changed, moving from an expansive and aggressive force to a peacekeeping organisation, used for reconnaissance and rapid response rather than direct incursions. For instance, the Navy operates a Response Force Task Group which responds to natural disaster relief efforts and evacuation operations.
<h1>&nbsp;</h1>
<h2>5 Ways the Navy Has Changed Since World War II</h2>
<h3>1.&nbsp;Fewer Navy Personnel</h3>
Since World War II, technology has permanently altered combat at sea, on land, and in the air. This has brought positive elements, such as fewer human operatives engaged in active duty in the field, but has also led to a widespread downscaling of Navy personnel. With one pilot able to operate many different machines, there is less need for a high volume of staff on a vessel or stationed at a naval base.
Some Navy personnel have had to become more flexible and able to handle many different roles and responsibilities.
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<h3>2.&nbsp;Submarines</h3>
Submarines have changed a lot since World War II, both in terms of design and the role they play in naval strategy. Whilst originally used for stealth and recon, submarines were vital for tracking enemy movement, as well as the strategic removal of key enemy ships.
Since the 1950&rsquo;s, submarines have been used as continuously roaming nuclear deterrents. There are four UK nuclear submarines in operation today, under the famous Trident programme, each of which carry 16 missiles.
There are just seven countries with active nuclear submarines: the USA, Russia, the UK, France, China, India and North Korea.
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<h3>3.&nbsp;Aircraft Carriers</h3>
The first plane to land on a moving ship touched down on the HMS Furious in 1917. Traditional aircraft carriers as we know them have been used in naval combat since the 1920&rsquo;s. A landmark development in warfare, the aircraft carrier allows for the fusion of naval and air forces to work together to complete objectives. Operating as a mobile base, refuelling station, and warship, aircraft carriers are vital to any naval fleet.
Aircraft carriers are widely used by the Navy, being able to form blockades as well as acting as long-range launch points for ballistic bombardments.
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<h3>4.&nbsp;Stealth Technology</h3>
Stealth technology uses design, materials and advanced technology to ensure that a warship avoids detection by electronic systems. This means becoming &lsquo;invisible&rsquo; to sonar, radar and infrared. Stealth technology has been used by aircraft since the 1980&rsquo;s, but it is harder to apply to ships due to their surroundings. However, the guiding principles remain the same.
Stealth technology has led to rapid advancements for the Royal Navy since World War II. Radar absorbing material, honeycomb or &lsquo;tumblehome&rsquo; designs and modifications in aerodynamic construction help to disguise a ship to an enemy&rsquo;s radar systems. When it comes to sonar, stealth technology consists primarily of reducing a vessel&rsquo;s acoustic signature. Hiding from infrared requires the ship&rsquo;s heat to be masked, hiding it from hostile scanning systems.
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<h3>5.&nbsp;Unmanned Marine Vehicles</h3>
The last way the Navy has changed since World War II is its use of unmanned Marine vehicles. No industry is immune to the future, and the future will see more and more use of unmanned technology. Even the Navy will likely see an&nbsp;<a href="https://www.royalnavy.mod.uk/news-and-latest-activity/news/2016/october/14/161014-royal-navy-tests-unmanned-fleet-of-the-future" target="_blank" rel="noopener">unmanned fleet.</a>&nbsp;Unmanned minesweepers will make the seas safer for Royal Navy ships without risking human lives.
The Defence Innovation Initiative is a new fund of &pound;800 million designed to encourage innovation and change how we use technology for defence.
&nbsp;
Learn more about&nbsp;<a href="https://blog.v-hr.com/blog/what-is-the-future-of-the-fighter-jet" target="_blank" rel="noopener">the future of Defence</a>, or&nbsp;<a href="https://blog.v-hr.com/blog/why-military-weapons-are-vulnerable-to-cyber-attacks-and-what-to-do-about-it" target="_blank" rel="noopener">why certain military weapons are vulnerable to cyber attacks.</a>

How the Royal Navy Changed After WWII

While the UK is still reeling from&nbsp;<a href="https://blog.v-hr.com/blog/what-do-recent-cyber-attacks-mean-for-uk-defence" target="_blank" rel="noopener">cyber attacks</a>, it was recently revealed that a shocking amount of&nbsp;<a href="https://theintercept.com/2018/10/09/government-report-an-entire-generation-of-american-weapons-is-wide-open-to-hackers/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">US military weaponry</a>&nbsp;is easily accessible, hackable, and potentially controllable due to poor security practices.
Military vulnerability to cyber attacks is worrying for obvious reasons: weapons are dangerous, and those working in the military at this level are the highest-ranking Defence staff who are most qualified to protect the public. Yet, through underinvestment, lack of awareness, rapid technological advancements in hacking software and any number of factors, cyber attacks on military weapons are an increasingly prevalent threat.
A&nbsp;<a href="https://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-19-128" target="_blank" rel="noopener">recent report</a>&nbsp;from the United States Government Accountability Office reveals an increased risk of cyber attacks on the military, but provides no details about what types of weapons were tested, other than &lsquo;nine major defence acquisition programmes.&rsquo; No comment was offered on whether these programmes were nuclear in nature.
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<h2>What the Report Says About US Military Cyber-Defence</h2>
The report states that many of the weapons or systems that control them are vulnerable to some form of cyber attack. These attacks may be able to take place without the military teams in control of weapons being aware of them. These weaknesses were designated as &lsquo;mission-critical cyber vulnerabilities.&rsquo; Over five years, Department of Defence testers routinely found these vulnerabilities in nearly all weapon systems that were under development or in circulation.
This is possible by a great many advanced weapons systems being developed by private companies, thus having factory-set passwords upon arrival. These passwords were left unchanged, allowing them to be easily found online. It was discovered that routine cyber-safety tests were not carried out, due to department heads stating that they &lsquo;did not believe that cybersecurity applied to weapon systems.&rsquo;
In some cases, hackers would be able to sit inside a system and watch an operator&rsquo;s every move and take over completely in less than a day if they wanted to. Because so many systems are networked together, hackers only need to get into one system and can then move like a virus through the whole network.
Vulnerabilities found within the military systems included being able to turn a weapon on or off, affect missile targeting, adjust oxygen levels or manipulate what controllers see on their computer screens. All would be devastating within a live combat operation and could result in loss of life.
Test attackers were even able to reach in and download data remotely, then delete it from the server. This could cripple defence networks, or completely remove functionality from certain weapons.
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<h3>What This Means for Defence Agencies Around the World</h3>
The recent oversight could suggest that other Defence and government bodies have also been overestimating their levels of military security. This may embolden certain hacking groups to take more risks and launch cyber campaigns in places they never would have dared attack previously.
Secondly, the military cyber attacks report highlights an imbalance in global cyber security. America is entirely dependent on networks of information and communication. In the event of all-out cyber warfare, the US has a huge geographical area to cover, to anticipate and to control. Having built a formidable offensive arsenal, cyber attacks could leave the US military vulnerable with reduced protection.
One could argue that the USA&rsquo;s best choice would be to limit possible damage in the event of a cyber attack by compartmentalising their networks, splitting things up, dispersing control and decentralising their chain of command. However, this would be counterintuitive to hundreds of years of military strategy.
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<h3>Preventing Military Cyber Attacks</h3>
To prevent further military cyber attacks, the US can build up its defences. All military institutions and defence agencies will have to ensure they&rsquo;re fully safeguarded against cyber incursions. This may require retraining and the reimplementation of security protocols from the ground up. A large portion of risk can be identified with undertrained or unqualified individuals who have access to systems needing stronger security; in one case, an assessment found 19 of 20 vulnerabilities unearthed in a previous assessment had not been fixed.
Making sure security is up-to-date is time-consuming, requiring constant research and testing. But the alternative is to ignore it, leaving yourself vulnerable and poorly-equipped to deal with an attack that is certain to come.
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The best practice is to implement a robust system, operated by a highly educated security team.
To recruit&nbsp;<a href="https://www.v-hr.com/engineering-defence/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">the best Defence</a> staff, request a call back below.

Why Military Weapons Are Vulnerable to Cyber Attacks (And What to Do About It)

Since the inception of the RAF 100 years ago, the fighter plane has been a staple of the air service. Used in militaries around the world, fighters have evolved and redefined how battles are fought.
But are fighter jets in danger of being made obsolete by new technology?
Recently,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-45688255" target="_blank" rel="noopener">an F-35 fighter crashed in the US</a>, prompting the UK Ministry of Defence to halt their order on more models, and to ground their fleet of 16 planes. The full fleet is scheduled to be made up of 138 F-35 &lsquo;Lightning II&rsquo; planes.
The production of these planes has been plagued by setbacks. Original design and manufacture began back in 2001, and they were scheduled to fly for the US military in 2012. They didn&rsquo;t actually enter active service until four years later. The complete cost of development and production rose from $233 billion in 2001 to $379 billion this year.
The F-35 is equipped with stealth technology to evade radar, prompting Donald Trump to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2017/nov/23/trump-invisible-plane-coast-guard-f-35" target="_blank" rel="noopener">describe the plane as &ldquo;invisible&rdquo;</a>. In November last year, he said:
&ldquo;You can&rsquo;t see it. You literally can&rsquo;t see it.&rdquo;
This is of course untrue. The plane is less likely to be detected on radar sweeps due to its smaller size. It also has jamming technology that could potentially allow it to fly in enemy airspace undetected.
But with new technology emerging at a faster pace than ever before, how much longer will we realistically need planes of the type, and this cost?
The future of aerial warfare may soon come to depend more on the accompanying systems than on the actual plane itself. Data and intel are more valuable in long-term military strategy, so a focus on upgrading sensors, imaging technology, and facial recognition is likely to be a higher priority than newer models of planes.
New planes would fall under the categorisation of &lsquo;sixth&rsquo; generation fighters. It's still unclear what capabilities a sixth-generation fighter would have. Some have speculated it could have travel at hypersonic speeds, be able to switch between a manned and an unmanned aircraft, or even&nbsp;<a href="blob:https://www.defensenews.com/e9b4c4f0-e869-4869-a042-29d51bac4ff9">shoot lasers.</a>
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<h1>How Fighter Jets Will Change in The Future</h1>
<h3>1. Fighter Jets Will Become More Versatile</h3>
Hyperconnectivity will play a vital role in engagements in the future. The ability to receive live updates, understand where everyone is on the battlefield, and to control any unmanned aircraft all in one space will make the fighter jet a more versatile weapon.
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<h3>2. Stealth Will Become Even More Important</h3>
As scanning and tracking technology becomes more refined, the ability to move through restricted space undetected will become more difficult. Jamming technology already exists, but the ability to maintain it over a wide range will be imperative to win conflicts in the future. Today&rsquo;s advanced aircraft carry electro-optical/infrared and synthetic aperture radar imaging capabilities. Emerging capabilities include &ldquo;cognitive&rdquo; electromagnetic weapons and defences which autonomously find ways to detect enemies.
&nbsp;
<h3>3. Speed</h3>
Sixth-generation fighter jets are expected to fly at anywhere between Mach 2.2 and Mach 2.5. Higher speed at a lower cost will mean fighters are more capable and efficient.
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Learn more about <a href="https://blog.v-hr.com/blog/latest-aerospace-technology" target="_blank" rel="noopener">new Aerospace technology</a>, or about how&nbsp;<a href="https://blog.v-hr.com/blog/how-100-years-of-the-raf-changed-aviation" target="_blank" rel="noopener">100 years of the RAF has changed Aviation</a>.

What Is the Future of The Fighter Jet?

Military operations are now expanding across five different domains: land, sea, air, space and cyberspace. In recent years, the UK has come under attack several times by hacker groups, previously thought to have been independent entities.
Hackers responsible for recent global cyber attacks have been identified from&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-45746837" target="_blank" rel="noopener">GRU's Unit 26165</a>: the Russian Main Intelligence directorate, Russia&rsquo;s largest foreign intelligence agency, also known as APT 28. These are the same hackers believed to have influenced the US presidential election by&nbsp;<a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/news/uk-exposes-russian-cyber-attacks" target="_blank" rel="noopener">hacking The Democratic National Committee</a>.
At one point, it was believed the UK has suffered 49&nbsp;<a href="https://www.zdnet.com/article/uk-hit-by-49-cyberattacks-from-russian-groups-in-six-months-says-amber-rudd/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">cyber attacks by the GRU</a>&nbsp;in just six months. With recent attacks revealing the UK&rsquo;s vulnerability to cyber crime, what do the recent cyber attacks mean for UK Defence?
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<h2>How Can The UK Stop Cyber Attacks?</h2>
<h3>1. Cyber Defences Must Become More Flexible</h3>
A&nbsp;<a href="https://eandt.theiet.org/content/articles/2018/06/uk-military-underfunded-and-vulnerable-to-cyber-attacks-report-finds/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">report from the Commons Defence Committee</a>&nbsp;suggests that GRU forces possess more adaptability than their UK counterparts, able to operate independently of higher command in the event of a communications blackout.
If this is the case, current UK cyber defences may be inadequate in the event of foreign disruption. More dynamic contingencies will allow for faster reactions. Splitting networks into smaller, self-contained systems is one way to protect UK Defence and businesses from losing everything in the event of a cyber hack.
&nbsp;
<h3>2. The UK Will Increase Spending on Cyber Security</h3>
The UK government has invested &pound;1.9 billion to attempt to achieve complete security by 2021. This strategy is designed to protect people, businesses, and assets such as the NHS,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nao.org.uk/report/investigation-wannacry-cyber-attack-and-the-nhs/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">which was attacked</a>&nbsp;back in 2017. The National Cyber Security Centre has also been opened to compliment GCHQ in defending the UK against cyber threats.
Since its work began in October 2016, the NCSC has responded to over 800 incidents and its Active Cyber Defence has prevented the sending of 54million malicious emails imitating government communications.
But as cyber warfare becomes more common, the UK must continuously invest in cyber defences to match the rising capabilities of weaponised technology.
&nbsp;
<h3>3. The UK Must Train and Employ More Cyber Security Specialists</h3>
UK Defence will need to hire more cyber security specialists across all fields and sectors. The average cost of&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ft.com/content/56dae748-af79-11e7-8076-0a4bdda92ca2" target="_blank" rel="noopener">malicious data breaches</a>&nbsp;is around $11 million, and data breaches will only become more likely and more expensive. Governments and businesses alike will need strong defences to keep their data safe. This will mean an influx of specialists, and it will be more important than ever to ensure they&rsquo;re as qualified as they say they are. Hiring only the best cyber security specialists will be the difference between fending off a hack and suffering a data breach.
&nbsp;
VHR won the Queen&rsquo;s Award for International trade in April 2018 &ndash; Find out more about our&nbsp;<a href="https://www.v-hr.com/award-winning-recruitment" target="_blank" rel="noopener">award-winning recruitment services</a>.
Read more about&nbsp;<a href="https://www.v-hr.com/engineering-defence/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">working in the Defence sector</a> and how you can help to protect businesses and government organisations from hacks.

What Do High Level Cyber Attacks Mean for UK Defence?

Biometrics is the measurement and statistical analysis of the unique physical and behavioural characteristics of individuals. The growth of biometrics has led to fantastic changes in sport by allowing athletes to control more aspects of their jobs and careers and continually enhance performance.
<h2>How Biometric Data Is Helping Sailors Improve Yacht Racing Performance:</h2>
<h3>Improving Sailing Performance</h3>
Data analysts are increasingly using&nbsp;<a href="https://medicalxpress.com/news/2017-01-ethics-tracking-athletes-biometric.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">biometric data</a>&nbsp;in sport to work closely with athletes. By investing considerable time in understanding what questions to ask of the data and then identifying the most important data points to remove guesswork, assumptions or hypothesis, biometric data monitors athletic performance and prevents potential injuries with the goal of continuously improving teamwork and overall sporting success.
Because professional sailing teams use the same boats, technology and equipment each year, yacht racing teams rely on the performance of their individual sailors and racing teams to win at competition stage.
Biometric data helps yacht racing teams to collect data even when sailors are the middle of nowhere. Sailors must navigate all kinds of weather and ocean conditions. If mental fatigue reduces performance, physical decline is a major risk factor in losing a yacht race. Seasickness, skin infections, poor sleep patterns, wasting muscles and a lack of proper food can be identified by biometric data, which can then guide treatment options to prevent illness.
&nbsp;
<h3>Biometric Data in the Volvo Ocean Race</h3>
Yacht racing teams such as&nbsp;<a href="https://www.teamakzonobel.com/article/speed-from-the-heart-sailing-worlds-article-on-the-biometric-edge-project-from-team-akzonobel-and-sap" target="_blank" rel="noopener">AzkoNobel</a>&nbsp;in the Volvo Ocean Race are using software to track sailors&rsquo; individual performance through biometric data from wearable devices. The performance manager can verify athletes&rsquo; vitals 24 hours a day, analyze their physical conditions and correlate with sailing results.
Biometric data is also helping teams to use sleep to increase racing performance. Yacht racing crew members usually get a maximum of 4-6 hours of sleep a night. With biometric data, the performance manager can verify that each sailor meets their sleep goals and assess the impact of time-zone changes or sleep during daylight hours, so the team can adjust according to the trend.
The&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/sap/2018/07/10/bringing-high-tech-to-the-high-seas-offshore-racing-gets-a-digital-makeover/#48add43215ff" target="_blank" rel="noopener">next step</a> for biometric data in the Marine industry will be to include weather data so that teams can see how weather affects crew performance.
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<h3>Biometric Data Tracking: Ethical Issues</h3>
Whether sharing medical information, on- and off-season testing for performance enhancers or obtaining permission for off-season activities, athletes are used to surrendering some privacy rights. However, new biometric tracking technologies are going even further: they can continuously collect data for long periods of time, and this data is typically uploaded to an external or cloud server where it can be accessed by multiple people. Some argue that biometric data&rsquo;s precise and objective outputs reduce the power and ability of sailors to speak for themselves when it comes to personal capabilities.
In the EU and Canada, a person maintains ownership of his or her biodata. In the UK, the GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation) and the Data Protection Bill protect all athletes. However, in the US biometric data is owned by the company or team that acquires it, and even outside of America some racing clubs are finding loopholes that breach confidentiality to enable further research.
Whilst legality around biometric data is still being resolved, many yacht racing teams are already adopting the use of data in an ethical way and finding real performance success.
&nbsp;
Read more about&nbsp;<a href="https://blog.v-hr.com/blog/how-technology-is-changing-the-oil-industry" target="_blank" rel="noopener">how technology is changing the Marine sector</a>, or read about&nbsp;<a href="https://blog.v-hr.com/blog/new-marine-trends-to-watch-in-2019" target="_blank" rel="noopener">upcoming marine trends</a> to watch.&nbsp;

Marine Technology: Biometric Data Empowering Sailors

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Some Of The Aerospace &amp; Aviation Roles We Recruit For Include:&nbsp;

VHR provides contract and permanent recruitment, with staffing solutions tailored to suit requirements, to the Aerospace &amp; Aviation industry internationally.

We work with global Airlines and world-leading Maintenance Repair Organisations (MROs), Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) and other Aviation-related organisations to source and deliver engineering and technical staff across the world.Led by qualified aerospace engineers together with recruitment industry professionals, VHR’s Aerospace &amp; Aviation expertise guarantees the technical understanding, service excellence and on-time delivery required for business growth and success.

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Specialisms

VHR have won global awards. Take a look at some of our highlights.

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Get the Lastest Industry Insights and Updates Across our Sectors and More.

Get the latest industry insights and updates across our sectors and more.

VHR is an international technical recruitment organisation providing solutions to the Aerospace &amp; Aviation, F1 &amp; Automotive, Engineering &amp; Manufacturing, Science &amp; Technology, Defence &amp; Security, Renewables &amp; Energy, Civils &amp; Infrastructure and Marine Industries around the world.To protect our candidates, VHR works within the countries where we recruit. Our employees personally visit each country to perform welfare checks, assess candidates and ensure a positive experience for our contractors.

VHR is a global technical recruitment organisation offering tailored solutions to the Aerospace &amp; Aviation, F1 &amp; Automotive, Engineering &amp; Manufacturing, Defence &amp; Security, Renewables &amp; Energy, Civils &amp; Infrastructure, and Marine industries worldwide.
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To safeguard our candidates, VHR operates within the countries where we recruit. Our team personally conducts welfare checks, evaluates candidates, and ensures a positive experience for our contractors in each country. Additionally, in certain instances, VHR deploys dedicated Onsite Coordinators at client sites to provide ongoing support throughout the job.

Created in 2003 by former technical engineers and experienced recruitment consultants, VHR delivers a partner-orientated and consultative approach to technical recruitment.Our team is led by former industry practitioners, including a world champion sailor and British Airways Engineer. VHR's industry experts truly understand the markets we work within and the needs of businesses and candidates.

Created in 2003 by former technical engineers and experienced recruitment consultants, VHR delivers a partner-orientated and consultative approach to technical recruitment.&nbsp;
&nbsp;
Our team is led by former industry practitioners, including America's Cup sailors, British Airways engineers, and construction managers, our team ensures comprehensive knowledge across all levels, from the board to junior management. VHR's industry experts truly understand the markets we work within and the needs of businesses and candidates.

VHR is a specialist international organisation providing recruitment and training solutions to the Aerospace &amp; Aviation markets. We provide online training in collaboration with our EASA Part 147 Training Partner. We provide training in the following:

VHR is a specialist international organisation providing recruitment and training solutions to the Aerospace &amp; Aviation markets. We provide online training in collaboration with our EASA Part 147 Training Partner. We provide training in the following:
<ul>
<li>Airside Safety</li>
<li>EWIS</li>
<li>Fuel Tank Safety</li>
<li>Human Factors</li>
</ul>

VHR's specialist technical divisions use industry experts to provide international technical recruitment across the following industries.

At VHR, we connect job seekers with contract and permanent positions across 57 countries globally. Our team of specialised technical recruitment consultants are fluent in up to 22 languages, ensuring we match you with the ideal job opportunity.

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Read about our strategic recruitment solutions and the measurable impact on our clients' businesses.

Case Study

Some Of The Civils &amp; Infrastructure Roles We Recruit For Include:&nbsp;

VHR provides skilled technical staff in permanent, contract and temporary positions from entry to Executive level.

Named the Best Construction &amp; Engineering Staffing Agency of 2020 &amp; 2021 (Talint International Recruitment Awards), VHR provides business-critical workforces for leading Civil and Infrastructure companies around the world.Our teams of former engineering professionals recruit specialists to support the entire engineering process. Our 21 years’ industry experience enables us to closely partner global companies working across Utilities, Civil Engineering, Rail, Construction &amp; Built Environment.&nbsp;

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VHR tailors each recruitment service to the individual client. Some of our popular services include:

Experts in technical recruitment, with specialised industry knowledge spanning our sectors, to deliver tailored solutions that meet your unique requirements.

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<h2>Upload Vacancy</h2>Leave us your details and we will call you back to discuss your needs.

At VHR we don’t just source talent, but we create it through a combination of recruitment, training and relocation. We work in partnership with our clients to understand their business problems and provide innovative talent solutions that truly makes a difference to our clients' success.

At VHR, we're a multi-award-winning recruitment agency honoured with approval by the late Her Majesty The Queen. Our team comprises industry professionals, not just recruiters, ensuring a genuine technical understanding of our sectors.

Some Of The Energy &amp; Renewables Roles We Recruit For Include:&nbsp;

VHR delivers bespoke recruitment solutions for the Renewables and Energy industries across the world.

As a fast-growing staffing agency with ethics and compliance at the heart of everything we do, we are proud to partner businesses around the world that are creating a more sustainable future.Our team of recruitment consultants include former technical specialists with first-hand experience across our sectors. We utilise our 21 years’ experience and in-depth technical knowledge to deliver the highest quality staff for every stage of new project implementation and renovations.

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Some Of The Engineering &amp; Manufacturing Roles We Recruit For Include:&nbsp;

VHR provides tailored contract and permanent staffing solutions to the Engineering and Manufacturing industry internationally. 

Named the Best Engineering Recruitment Agency of 2019 (Recruiter Awards 2019) &amp;&nbsp;Best Technical, Construction &amp; Engineering Recruitment Company 2021 (Talint International Recruitment Awards 2021), VHR provides business-critical staff for large blue-chip organisations to start-up and SME businesses around the world.Our teams of former engineering professionals recruit specialists to support the entire engineering and manufacturing process, from design, procurement, quality, and R&amp;D through the supply chain to manufacturing and production. VHR’s direct industry experience and in-depth knowledge spans 21 years enabling us to deliver niche skills to short timescales and exacting requirements.

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Some Of The F1 &amp; Automotive Roles We Recruit For Include:&nbsp;

VHR provides contract and permanent recruitment, with staffing solutions tailored to suit requirements, to the F1, Motorsport &amp; Automotive industries internationally.

VHR work with global Formula One and Motorsport teams, world-leading OEMs, Tier 1 and 2 suppliers and other Automotive-related organisations to source and deliver engineering and technical staff across the world. With an industry-leading fill rate, VHR’s F1 &amp; Automotive division is growing as rapidly as the amazing vehicles we help design and build. Led by specialist Automotive recruitment consultants with over 30 years’ experience, VHR’s F1 &amp; Automotive recruitment team supply expertise from prototype to final build.

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Delivering a partner-orientated and consultative approach to your executive searches for talent.

Created in 2003 by technical engineers and experienced recruiters, VHR delivers a partner-orientated approach. We are passionate about the industries where we operate, the career-enhancing support we provide and the people with whom we work.
Whether one permanent vacancy or a team of contract specialists, VHR strives to deliver the best possible global staffing solutions.

At VHR we work in partnership with our clients finding and creating talent to onboard high-quality workers. Our technical industry experts truly understand the markets we work within and our success stories speak for themselves.

We source, recruit and onboard high quality contract and permanent workers to short time scales, high volumes and specific requirements.

Discover our latest job opportunities from across the world.

Find exceptional talent across the global market.

<h2>Looking to kickstart your career?</h2> VHR is always on the hunt for the best talent.

<h2>Upload Vacancy</h2>Leave us your details and we will call you back to discuss your needs.

<h2>Looking to kickstart your career?</h2>VHR is always on the hunt for the best talent.

Please note – The concept of IR35 status for tax and national insurance is not changing, but how the IR35 status determination decision is made and how the rules applicable to that status are then applied is changing. IR35 was due to come into practice last year in April 2020 but due to the COVID-19 pandemic this was extended until April 2021. Video's may mention older dates but information remains the same.

Contact VHR's Award-Winning Recruitment Team

We're ready to help your business find a unique solution to your staffing and recruitment challenges.Simply fill in the form and we'll give you a call as soon as possible. We look forward to hearing from you.

Discover the key changes brought about by IR35 in 2020 for Employers and Contractors alike.

Email our IR35 specialists Michael Lawanson for more information.

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Looking to kickstart your career? VHR is continually seeking out top talent to work with us.

Discover diverse opportunities across various skill levels within the technical and engineering sectors. Ready to advance your career? Explore our latest job listings now.

Some Of The Marine Roles We Recruit For Include:&nbsp;

VHR’s Marine Recruitment division provides a range of recruitment and logistic services across the race boat, performance yacht and superyacht industries. 

VHR work with luxury superyacht and performance yacht manufacturers, mainstream motor and sail craft providers and other Marine-related organisations to source and deliver engineering and technical staff across the world. Led by former Marine engineers together with recruitment industry professionals, VHR’s global superyacht shipyard network combined with our 30 years of international experience firmly positions us a leader in bespoke Marine recruitment and service management.

Is your business&nbsp;experiencing a shortage of engineers or technicians?

At VHR, our teams are spearheaded by industry specialists, including an MBE &amp; IoD Award-Winning CEO and COO. Our leaders feature a World Champion Sailor, a British Airways Engineer, and seasoned Technical Recruiters.

Discover VHR's Global News and Updates

VHR Workforce Solutions enables businesses to discover the best global talent whilst reducing administrative overhead and accessing best practice methodologies. Our industry experts manage resourcing and recruitment functions to deliver measurable and sustainable improvements to your business.Our team work in partnership with your HR and Procurement departments to develop bespoke services that match your exact requirements. VHR Workforce Solutions empowers your business with an end-to-end staffing solution that recruits and manages high volumes of quality staff, as and when you need them.

reduction in time to hire by using recruitment process outsourcing.

VHR's Global Technical Recruitment specialists operate across 57 countries around the globe. Wherever you are in the world, we're here to help.

Some Of The Defence &amp; Security Roles We Recruit For Include:&nbsp;

VHR provides tailored permanent, contract and temporary recruitment services to the Defence and Security industries internationally. 

VHR work with Governmental organisations including NATO in addition to advanced technology providers and world-leading Defence, arms, cyber security firms to source and deliver the best technical staff across the world.Our Defence &amp; Engineering recruitment specialists are qualified former professionals with direct industry experience and first-hand understanding of emerging and established technologies. VHR’s direct industry experience and in-depth knowledge spans 21 years and empowers us to deliver the niche skills to short timescales and exacting requirements.

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Request our Formula One &amp; Automotive brochure

VHR provides contract and permanent recruitment, with staffing solutions tailored to suit requirements, to the F1, Motorsport &amp; Automotive industry internationally.

We work with global Formula One and Motorsport teams, world-leading OEMs, Tier 1 and 2 suppliers and other Automotive-related organisations to source and deliver engineering and technical staff across the world. With an industry-leading fill rate, VHR&rsquo;s F1 &amp; Automotive division is growing as rapidly as the amazing vehicles we help design and build. Led by specialist Automotive recruitment consultants with over 30 years&rsquo; experience, VHR&rsquo;s F1 &amp; Automotive recruitment team supply expertise from prototype to final build.

For two decades, VHR has been a leading provider of Executive Search solutions for the Aviation and MRO industries on a global scale. Our services span across 57 countries worldwide, and our specialist technical recruitment consultants can communicate in up to 22 different languages from our 11 global offices.
At VHR Executive, we pride ourselves on delivering a partner-orientated and consultative approach to your executive searches for talent.

Want to know more about our award-winning Executive Search?

At VHR Executive, we pride ourselves on delivering a partner-orientated and consultative approach to your executive searches for talent.

Find specialised premium talent through our global tailored searchs

Build a Successful and Rewarding Career – Become a Trainee Recruitment Consultant with VHR's Academy.VHR recruit 8 individuals into our revolutionary 13-week Academy Training Programme. The VHR Academy will give you the skills and guidance to become highly successful in your recruitment career, with the ability to earn commission from Day One of your Training.

Unlock Your Potential in International Recruitment

Headquartered in London, UK, VHR boasts a network of nine additional offices spanning Manchester, Birmingham, Abu Dhabi, Greensboro, Nicosia, Prague, Dublin, Leipzig, and Bologna. Interested in working with us? Download our brochure to learn more.&nbsp;

VHR is an ambitious, fast-growing recruitment agency, and we are looking for dynamic, driven individuals to work at VHR and join our company. We keep our values at the heart of our business which is why we are looking for people that demonstrate these.
<ul>
<li>Doing recruitment right</li>
<li>Teamwork &amp; honesty</li>
<li>Industry specialists</li>
</ul>

VHR is continually seeking out top talent.

Investing in people: fostering talent, nurturing growth, and shaping fulfilling careers.

Tailored to your every need, our Managed Services Programme includes:

Bespoke Managed Service Programmes to seamlessly deliver your recruitment needs globally.

<h3>Whether you want more control over your recruitment supply chain, are looking for cost reduction and increased time efficiency, or are going through a period of rapid growth, VHR Workforce Solutions can tailor the right solution for your business’ needs.</h3>