BT announces cybersecurity recruitment drive

BT will take on an additional 900 people for its security business in 2016, with 170 posts being handed to graduates who will be trained at the company's Security Academy.

By taking on such a high volume of security experts, BT is attempting to combat the growing security threats faced by consumers, business and the government, while also addressing demand for cybersecurity experts to take on the digital skills shortage.

"A number of high-profile security and data breaches have dominated the headlines in recent months, and this has led to a surge in interest from both consumers and IT departments wanting to know how best they can protect themselves in the digital world," said Mark Hughes, president of BT Security.

Graduates entering the BT Security Academy will be taught a number of skills across the entire security spectrum, including physical security, penetration testing, threat intelligence, risk management, security operations and sales.

The delegates will be recruited from a number of leading UK universities, while others will be selected from hackathon-style competitions including Cyber Security Challenge UK and the international Cambridge 2 Cambridge cyber security challenge.

"BT plans to remain at the forefront, innovating in cybersecurity, by hiring some of the best talent while training up the next generation of experts at our BT Security Academy," Hughes continued.

BT already employs 2,500 people in security-related roles across the world and it is a rapidly growing part of its business, the company said. Its annual revenues are growing at a double digit rate and includes products such as antivirus and parental controls that protect families, plus managed security solutions used by multinational companies.