13^th December 2021, LONDON - Proofpoint, a leading cybersecurity and compliance company, today announced that it is participating with the National Cyber Security Centre’s (NCSC) CyberFirst initiative, which aims to help young people explore their passion for technology by introducing them to the fast-paced world of cyber security at a young age.

By being chosen as an official industry member of the programme, Proofpoint is able to engage with undergraduate and apprentice-level cyber talent who have joined the CyberFirst initiative and offer them the opportunity to gain experience and develop their knowledge at an innovative cybersecurity company, giving them a taste of the dynamic industry.

Proofpoint will be offering both summer and year-in industry undergraduate placements for UK students as well as exploring various other initiatives offered through the programme, such as supporting the NCSC’s annual CyberFirst Girls Competition and CyberFirst Schools.

“We are delighted to partner with CyberFirst to help develop the next generation of cyber security experts,” says Peter Carthew, Director, Public Sector, EMEA at Proofpoint. “The cyberthreat landscape is evolving at an exponential rate – and the ongoing development of the cybersecurity talent pool must keep pace.”

“At Proofpoint, we strongly believe that a diverse security team is vital in combatting today’s ever-sophisticated cyberthreats and are committed to ensuring this is reflective in our workforce,” he continues. “We very much look forward to engaging with CyberFirst’s talented students to give them an opportunity to experience work on the cyber front-line for the first time and hopefully encourage them to garner a future career in the industry.”

Launched in 2016, and inspired and led by the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC), a part of GCHQ, CyberFirst began as a programme of opportunities helping young people explore their passion for the technology industry. CyberFirst now covers a broad range of activities: comprehensive undergraduate bursary and apprenticeship schemes; a girls-only competition and a series of summer and autumn development courses either online or at UK universities. Each initiative is designed to seek out people and schools with potential, offering the support, skills, experience and exposure needed to be the future first line of defence in a CyberFirst world.

“The NCSC is committed to offering young people opportunities to excel in cyber security, and our work with industry plays a vital role in this,” says Chris Ensor, NCSC Deputy Director for Cyber Growth. “We are pleased to welcome Proofpoint to our community of more than 130 organisations that support the CyberFirst programme and its ambition to close the UK’s cyber skills gap.”

CyberFirst’s span across the UK allows Proofpoint to offer opportunities in both its Reading and Belfast offices.

To find out more about Proofpoint’s internship programme, please visit: https://www.proofpoint.com/us/corporate-responsibility/internship-program

ENDS

Proofpoint is a registered trademark or tradename of Proofpoint, Inc. in the U.S. and/or other countries. All other trademarks contained herein are the property of their respective owners. 

About Proofpoint, Inc. 

Proofpoint, Inc. is a leading cybersecurity and compliance company that protects organisations’ greatest assets and biggest risks: their people. With an integrated suite of cloud-based solutions, Proofpoint helps companies around the world stop targeted threats, safeguard their data, and make their users more resilient against cyberattacks. Leading organisations of all sizes, including more than half of the Fortune 1000, rely on Proofpoint for people-centric security and compliance solutions that mitigate their most critical risks across email, the cloud, social media, and the web. More information is available at www.proofpoint.com. 

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