Ultra Intelligence & Communications has expanded its operations in the United Kingdom with the opening of a flagship facility in Maidenhead.
The Cyber Centre of Excellence facility will provide jobs for 250 engineers and support the U.K. National Cyber Security Centre’s CyberFirst program designed to encourage talented students to build a careers in the cybersecurity field. It features engineering, integration and testing capabilities, making the facility a hub for cyber technology development.
According to Richard Dingley, president of Ultra I&C’s cyber business, opening the Maidenhead facility strengthens the company’s commitment to developing the necessary skills and capabilities to ensure the U.K. and Ultra I&C partners are protected from future threats.
“Ultra I&C’s Maidenhead Cyber Centre of Excellence will support job growth in the engineering sector, which is critically needed to protect our national security,” the executive said in a statement.
Cyberattacks are among the biggest threats to various governments and industries. According to a Yahoo News report, the United Kingdom is expected to sanction individuals involved in Chinese-backed disruption of the U.K. democratic process and cyber incidents targeting the Electoral Commission and 43 individuals, including members of parliament.
The attacks on the Electoral Commission started in August 2021 but were only discovered in October 2022.
An increase in cyberattacks was also seen in the U.K.’s higher education institutions. Data from KnowBe4 security awareness training and simulated phishing platform indicated that cyber actors target British universities with research facilities to steal personal information and private research data.