The new Security Operations Centre at Burnley College was officially unveiled by Abena Oppong-Asare, the Parliamentary Secretary at the Cabinet Office. The centre aims to help students and professionals in Lancashire gain the necessary skills to tackle security challenges. In addition, the college has been awarded Gold CyberFirst status, recognizing its dedication to nurturing young talent in cybersecurity.
During her visit, Ms Oppong-Asare was given a tour of the facility by Burnley College principal, Karen Buchanan. She also had the opportunity to participate in training exercises focused on personal, national, and commercial security, including identifying virtual spam emails, allocating security budgets, and tracking simulated hackers online.
Ms Oppong-Asare also attended a Cybersecurity Skills Carousel at Burnley College, where she learned about the importance of cybersecurity in the North West’s curriculum. She expressed her delight at opening the new Security Operations Centre, emphasizing its role in training the next generation of cybersecurity professionals to ensure the future security of Lancashire and the UK as a whole.
Principal Ms Buchanan highlighted the college’s commitment to fostering innovative solutions and training cybersecurity professionals. She emphasized the importance of collaboration with companies of all sizes to train their employees for a more secure future. The new facility was described as a beacon of innovation and partnership.