The government has launched a £12m project to bring research and development conducted by IT security firms in line with business and public sector needs.

The scheme, funded by the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), will draw on the expertise of industry, government and academia and inform a number of government security initiatives including eBorders and the national biometric ID card scheme.

By listening to the needs of IT users such as Aviva, BP, British Airways, the Home Office and the Ministry of Defence, it is also hoped the project will fuel growth in the UK IT security market.

The scheme, called the Cyber Security Knowledge Transfer Network (KTN), will receive an initial £1.8m in DTI funding and be managed by defence and security technology firm Qinetiq.

A further £10m in grants will be available to develop computer security products and for research into areas including the prevention of cyber crime, identity management and biometrics.

Science and innovation minister Lord Sainsbury says the scheme will harness the UK’s world-class information and network security expertise and focus on wealth creation.

‘This Knowledge Transfer Network should establish British industry as the world leader in this area and help in our collective goal of reducing cyber crime and making the digital economy a safer and more attractive proposition for investors,’ he said.

Paul Dorey, chief information security officer at BP and a member of the scheme’s steering committee, says the project will unite firms facing ‘real-world cyber security’ threats with researchers, engineers and developers.

‘Even applied research can often struggle to find its application, but the DTI network will give real context and direction to this work and other government investment,’ said Dorey.

Qinetiq’s Sadie Creese, director of the DTI Cyber Security KTN, says a web portal will be available to UK firms when the scheme officially launches in Ma y. It will include white papers, research and best practice case studies.

‘Businesses will get access to better security solutions focused on their needs.’ she said.

What do you think? Email us at: mailto:feedback@computing.co.uk