Events , Leadership & Executive Communication , RSA Conference

The Current Landscape for Cybersecurity Innovation

Despite recent unstable market conditions, the cybersecurity market is growing, said Saj Huq of Plexal, a cyber innovation accelerator based in the U.K. and innovation partner of the National Cyber Security Center, which is part of the U.K.'s intelligence, security and cyber agency, GCHQ.

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"A pretty safe prediction is that money is still going to keep being invested into cybersecurity," Huq said. But there is more scrutiny about investments in cybersecurity, particularly for early-stage businesses, which means entrepreneurs are going to have to work harder to break through the noise, he added.

Huq highlighted the need for U.K. and U.S. startups to collaborate. "The challenges are common, and we're all on the same team. Naturally, that means that we need to collaborate with the U.S. This week, we've been exploring partnership opportunities, with U.S.-based industry but significantly with the U.S. government."

In this video interview with Information Security Media Group at RSA Conference 2023, Huq discusses:

• The state of the U.K. cybersecurity ecosystem;
• Advice to cybersecurity startups in economically challenging times;
• The strengths and weaknesses of U.K. and U.S. collaboration in the startup space.

Huq leads Plexal's Innovation team and specializes in building collaborative ecosystems between startups, government, industry and academia to solve strategic challenges. He has extensive experience working with startups at the intersection of national security and emerging technologies, and leading high-profile global initiatives, including LORCA and the NCSC Innovation Partnership. He is a member of HMG's National Cyber Advisory Board, and his previous roles include a mix of consulting, startup and military experience.