Academics from the University of Oxford, Saïd Business School are collaborating with Sygnia, global experts in cyber readiness and response, in preparing future leaders.
The University of Oxford has introduced its first cyber resilience elective, as part of the MBA programme at Oxford Saïd. The course addresses the growing threat of increasingly sophisticated cyber-attacks, and the need for business leaders to be involved in strengthening the cyber-resilience of their organisations.
Against the backdrop of shifting geopolitical alliances, increasingly sophisticated attackers and fast-paced digitisation of all domains of social life, the course will provide a firm foundation for leaders navigating the growing complexity of the cyber threats their organisations face.
Coincidentally coming at the same time as the UK's high street is under threat by sophisticated cyber attacks, the elective builds on research by Oxford Saïd's Professor Michael Smets and Dr Manuel Hepfer. Their work represented the most in-depth, global study of CEOs and their approaches to cybersecurity ever undertaken.
They found:
- Business leaders lack knowledge of cyber and are uncomfortable making decisions on cybersecurity, especially when their organisations are under attack.
This course will:
- Equip business leaders and future business leaders with the necessary skills and leadership confidence on cyber-resilience.
A unique feature of the course is a collaboration with Sygnia, one of the world’s foremost cyber response and readiness teams, which helps Fortune 100 companies beat attackers and stay secure. They are delivering an interactive live simulation of a cyber-attack, the first to take place at Saïd Business School. This unique opportunity provides students with hands-on experience of the complexities, uncertainties, and pressures of managing a cyberattack.
