MoD Backs Scheme To Retrain Vets As 'Cyber Warriors'

The Ministry of Defence is backing a project to retrain former forces personnel with cyber security skills.

As part of a scheme with a company called 'TechVets', the aim is to take veterans from any military background and retrained them to protect the UK's computer networks from attacks.

The government has been warning that the cyber threat is now on a par with conventional attacks on land, sea or air.

Tobias Ellwood, the Minister for Defence People and Veterans, said the skills and experiences that veterans have gained from their time in the armed forces can still benefit society.

"It’s fantastic that TechVets will provide opportunities for veterans to apply their considerable talents to the cyber security field, which is playing an increasingly vital role in keeping this country safe.”

In March, at the opening of a new Defence Cyber School at the Defence Academy, Shrivenham, the Armed Forces Minister, Mark Lancaster, said specialist skills and wider education was needed to combat this emerging threat.

"With threats from hostile states changing at pace, the UK faces a deliberate attempt to destabilise secured peace and prosperity."