Cyber security skills and sectoral analysis 2027: privacy notice
Privacy notice explaining how we will use personal data when organisations respond to the cyber security skills and sectoral analysis research 2027.
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The Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) is conducting research on the UK cyber security labour market and sector to improve our understanding of the cyber security ecosystem in the UK.
The survey is being run on behalf of DCMS by Ipsos.
This privacy notice explains how we will use personal data when organisations respond to the survey.
Previous editions of this research can be found using the links below:
Background
The government is undertaking the latest in an annual survey about the UK cyber security labour market and sector. The research involves talking to the individuals responsible for cyber security in UK businesses, public sector organisations and charities, as well as the individuals running UK cyber security sector businesses, recruitment agents and investors in the sector. This research will help inform future policy and strategy.
Ipsos UK and Perspective Economics have been commissioned to carry out this important research on behalf of the Department for Digital, Culture, Media, and Sport (DCMS).
This research was previously commissioned by the former Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT). In July 2026, the parts of DSIT responsible for cyber security policy moved to DCMS.
Ipsos UK will be collecting data for this study using a combination of a survey and qualitative interviews.
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One part of the survey is asked to UK cyber security businesses and will help the government to understand and measure the UK cyber security sector, including growth, barriers and support needs.
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The other part of the survey is asked to UK businesses (including cyber security businesses), public sector organisations and charities to help understand the UK cyber security labour market, including how organisations approach employing and training cyber security professionals, and understanding the issues they face during this process.
Ipsos UK will also conduct 40 qualitative interviews with some of those who take part in the survey, as well as with other individuals, including those in cyber security roles, recruitment agents and investors in the cyber security sector.
The research will continue to inform government policy on the profile of the cyber security sector and labour market. You can view the report from the previous cyber sectoral survey and the report from the most recently published cyber skills survey.
Taking part
Survey fieldwork will be conducted by Ipsos UK and will take place online and by telephone from October 2026 to December 2026. During this period some organisations will be called by an Ipsos interviewer from Ipsos’ Edinburgh office inviting them to take part.
The survey will take around 15 to 20 minutes, depending on your answers.
The qualitative interviews will take place between October 2026 and January 2027 via Microsoft Teams or by telephone.
Each qualitative interview will last for around 45 to 60 minutes.
The government and Ipsos UK can give the following reassurances about the survey:
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taking part is totally confidential and anonymous for all individuals and organisations
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the survey is not technical and participants do not need any specific IT knowledge
Who is being invited to take part?
Ipsos UK is inviting the senior person within these organisations with the most knowledge or responsibility when it comes to cyber security to take part. In some organisations this might be a specific individual or Head of Department, while in other organisations it might be the business owner or one of the charity trustees. In cyber sector businesses, this will be a senior individual with oversight of the organisation’s recruitment and training needs.
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Private sector businesses have been selected at random from the Market Location business database.
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Public sector organisations across the UK have been selected at random from the government’s Inter-Departmental Business Register (IDBR).
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Charities have been selected from the UK’s three charity regulator databases: the Charity Commission in England and Wales, the Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator, and the Charity Commission for Northern Ireland.
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Cyber sector businesses have been selected from a list compiled by Perspective Economics from various commercial business databases and publicly available information.
For further information, please see the privacy notice attached above.