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“Supporting the eco-system through cyber awareness and training”
We are delighted that Surrey Cyber Security Cluster (SCSC) is now partnering with the eLearning Marketplace to sell their innovative ‘Escape Room (Cyber Security Virtual Office Experience)’ online training. To find out more about the organisation and its mission to ‘support the eco-system through cyber awareness and training’, I caught up with Beverley Lewis, the company’s cyber security co-ordinator.
I started by asking Beverley how the Surrey Cyber Security Cluster got started. She told me that “the organisation was formed by the Surrey County Council and is one of 18 cyber security clusters located around the UK. It falls under the UKC3, which is a national, non-profit organisation. The UKC3 offers a single point of access to the valuable work of cyber clusters. They connect interested individuals and organisations with the right clusters, fostering collaboration and growth across the entire UK cyber security landscape”.
Uniting Partners to Lead Cybersecurity Innovation
“Uniting academia, industry, and public partners to make Surrey a leader in cyber security innovation.” Surrey Cyber Security Cluster Vision
Beverley was proud to tell me of their growing partnerships, particularly with CyberFirst and Women in Cyber Unlimited (WICU). She pointed out that “cybersecurity is one of the fastest-growing industries in the world, yet women remain underrepresented. Together, SCSC and WICU aim to build stronger communities, open doors for women and allies in cybersecurity, and create lasting change in how the industry supports diversity and inclusion”.
“We’ve also appointed two Brand Ambassadors from local universities to support our events and outreach, ensuring that students play an active role in shaping Surrey’s cyber future.”
Tackling the Cyber Skills Gap
Cybersecurity is an industry-wide challenge, and businesses across all sectors are being targeted. The Cyber Resilience Bill will be published by the Department for Science, Industry and Technology (DSIT) in the first quarter of 2026, and Directors of businesses will be responsible for ensuring that their employees have adequate training.
When asked about SCSC’s training support for businesses, Beverley stressed that “the need for practical cybersecurity training has never been greater. We are stepping up to meet that challenge head-on with not just our school’s programme and by hosting in-person technical events and Capture the Flag (CTF) competitions for both professionals and students, but also our ‘Escape Room’ online training.
The ‘Escape Room’ is an immersive online training solution for employees in the workplace to educate them about cyber attacks. As a learner, you enter a virtual, but entirely recognisable, office environment. You play the character of Alex, a regular office worker focused on getting the day’s job done.
You’ll receive some training in the Knowledge Hub, where you will receive awareness training on common cyber-attacks, such as:
- Phishing for theft of information or installation of malware
- Ransomware
- MFA attacks
- Brute Force MFA attacks, and more.
Then you’ll receive some best practice guidance on protecting yourself, such as the use of strong passwords, recognising red flags, secure browsing and the importance of software updates. There is guidance on what to do and who to turn to if something goes wrong. Then back to your desk for the first in a series of scenarios, some of which are indeed cyber-attacks, but some are just business as usual.
You’ll work through a sequence of 27 scenarios, mixing cyber-attacks with some harmless business-as-usual situations. Interacting with your colleagues, your boss, visitors, telephone and video conference calls, and emails, of course, on your desktop and mobile device.
You’ll receive feedback on all decisions; if you made the wrong choice, you’ll get guidance on what you might do differently next time and why. And if you made a good choice, that will be explained to. Your responses will be tracked, resulting in an overall score that you will receive at the end.
The Surrey Cyber Security Cluster is helping to build a stronger, smarter, and safer digital future, and the eLearning Marketplace is proud to be among their partners.
Author: Carolyn Lewis, Head of Business Development
