The reasons why candidates don’t apply are varied and complex, but I want to concentrate here on why diversity is so important in cyber security work. I mean “diversity” in its fullest and most fundamental sense: people contributing from different backgrounds, different viewpoints, different abilities, different ethnicities, different cultural backgrounds, different gender identities, and different ways of thinking.

Cyber criminals don’t follow traditional patterns when attacking an organisation. They don’t reference a rulebook or only come from STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths) backgrounds. They haven’t all got the same upbringing or journey through the educational system and society.

So, if our adversaries are thinking differently about how they can execute an attack against the NHS, then so must we. And one way to improve our chances of doing this is recruiting people with diverse experiences and skills. A diverse team can help us see the same problem through a variety of lenses. We can challenge our thinking and ensure we aren’t all approaching a problem in the same way. We can stay a step ahead.

In terms of educational background, some of the best people I’ve worked with have been from non-STEM backgrounds. I’ve worked with people from marketing, criminology, finance, and other areas who have all been extremely effective.

Cyber isn’t one job. It isn’t, as the stereotypes have it, sitting in front of a screen in the dark with a blinking green cursor requesting a password. It isn’t running around with alarms going off because you’re being ‘hacked’.

Technical skills have a very important place, but this work is also about building relationships, having great communication and listening skills, and being able to think creatively, see new problems and solve them in new ways.

My message to potential candidates who want to contribute is to take a leap of faith and apply. Don’t be put off a rewarding and incredibly important career just because you don’t have a degree in the field or don’t feel you will “fit the mould”. If you’re passionate about protecting the NHS and are willing to challenge traditional ways of thinking, we want to hear from you.