Championing Global Collaboration on Cyber Security Workforce Professionalisation

24 April 2025 
By Russell Faulkner, Digital Communications Manager

The professionalisation of the cyber security workforce is becoming an increasingly vital topic across governments, industry, and the practitioner community. As more nations turn their attention to developing robust and resilient cyber capabilities, conversations are intensifying, and the perspectives are as diverse as the countries involved.

Recently, a joint international statement was released to signal a shared commitment to harmonising approaches to cyber security workforce development. Signatories to this forward-looking statement include Canada, the Government of Dubai, Ghana, Japan, Singapore, and the United Kingdom, among others who contributed to the collaborative effort.

At CREST, we were proud to attend and contribute to a series of discussions coordinated by the International Coalition on Cyber Security Workforces (ICCSW), the group behind this important joint statement. The objectives outlined strongly align with our own mission and values. As the statement clearly states:

“A high-quality and diverse cyber security workforce is essential for our nations’ efforts to ensure we maintain resilience against cyber threats, safeguard national security, and protect economic growth in our digital economies. The development of the cyber security workforce is a global issue, with personnel shortages and capability gaps reported across the world.

“To address this sustainably requires clear and consistent identification of the knowledge and skills needed by the cyber security workforce and the tasks for which this workforce is responsible across the range of cyber security roles… The dialogue highlighted the value that a coalition of countries can bring to supporting a common language for the cyber security workforce ecosystem.”

You can read the full joint statement here:
International Coalition on Cyber Security Workforces – GOV.UK

Sustaining a high-quality cyber workforce: the path ahead

The September 2024 ICCSW meeting report, Securing Technology – Sustaining a High-Quality Cyber Security Workforce, outlines a practical roadmap for progress. Here are three key action areas in the report that we strongly support:

• Setting a common baseline for the minimum quality standards for cyber security professionals.
• Establishing interoperability between national frameworks and standards.
• Encouraging global participation in the professionalisation process, while tracking progress toward shared goals.

Read the full meeting report here:
Securing_Technology_-_Sustaining_a_High_Quality_Cyber_Security_Workforce.pdf

Why harmonisation matters

To understand the importance of a unified approach, it is important to consider the findings of the accompanying research report:
Bridging the Gap – Harmonizing Cyber Security Qualifications and Frameworks Across Nations.

This report highlights the disparate and often fragmented approaches currently being taken in 10 different jurisdictions. It underlines the challenges practitioners and employers face when navigating global standards—and the urgent need for alignment.

📄 Access the report here:
Bridging_the_Gap_-Harmonizing_Cyber security_Qualifications_and_Frameworks_Across_Nations__Final_Report.pdf

At CREST, we have been actively involved in initiatives to build a robust cyber security workforce, emphasising the importance of attracting diverse talent, providing mentorship and training programs, and ensuring rigorous assessments to maintain high standards in the industry, through efforts like the ICCSW and look forward to continued collaboration with our partners around the world.

If you are interested in learning more about how we are contributing to these initiatives or how your organisation can get involved, please get in touch.