A new mission has been assigned to Reserve Soldiers from Nottingham to help the UK combat emerging online threats.
Reservists from 887 Troop, of 64 Signal Squadron, combine core military skills with specialist IT and communication skills within the 37th Signal Regiment of the British Army’s Royal Corps of Signals.
However, these part-time Soldiers, who serve in their spare time alongside their civilian careers, have been tasked with developing a new cyber security capability, upskilling in areas such as cyber operations, data analysis, AI and machine learning.
“A new front line”
Cyber crime is estimated to cost the UK economy £27 billion per year. Such is the size and significance of the problem that Defence Minister Luke Pollard has described cyber space as “a new front line”.
In this new chapter of the unit’s history, 887 Troop, which trains out of the Army Reserve Centre in Lenton, Nottingham, aims to play a small but growing role alongside other Defence personnel in strengthening national cyber resilience.
Cyber is the Signal Troop’s secondary task; the Bowman communications system remains its primary focus.
As this new capability is not only in its infancy but also at a beginner level, recruits do not need to join with the skill set already; it will be developed during service.
Major Ollie Pearson is the Officer Commanding of 64 Signal Squadron, overseeing sites in Sheffield and Leeds, in addition to the Nottingham site.
He said: “Cyber security is a growing area. What we are doing is providing Defence with a pool of people who have a base level of knowledge and experience to draw upon if needed.
“This is a start for us, a nucleus. In the future, there could potentially be a bigger role for these Reservists as these threats aren’t going away; they are getting bigger.
“Our Soldiers are definitely really pleased with where we’ve got to and that we can start to contribute to national resilience. We don’t have an operational tasking yet, but we know if that comes, we are in a good position to support, which has really helped with that sense of pride.”
Simulated attacks
Every Reserve Soldier must complete an annual training camp as part of their minimum 27-day service commitment. Core military skills, such as weapon handling, are a part of this, as are specialist technical skills.
In September, to further develop their skills and capabilities, 64 Signal Squadron deployed to the Pennines for the regimental Exercise SHERDAL TOTAL.
The cyber specialists from 887 Troop put their newly developed skills into practise by countering vulnerabilities and threats from hostile actors to a simulated critical national infrastructure, representing a typical utilities or banking network.
Signaller Connor Hicks (pictured, below), of 887 Troop, said: “Our annual continuous training exercise focused on the Bowman communications system as well as cyber defence.
“In previous training camps, I’ve worked on fieldcraft or the Land Rover Bowman Detachments. To come in for the cyber operator side has been something very different.
“I’ve learnt things around Linux machines, cyber defence and blue team working that I never would have even considered looking at in civilian life.”
Next year, the Squadron will participate in a major multinational exercise with partners from around the globe, sharpening its own skills while enhancing the cyber resilience of other nations.
Building on their strengthened cyber security capabilities, the Squadron plans to develop and expand into artificial intelligence in the near future.
Joining the Reserves
Major Pearson said: “We recruit people from different backgrounds and walks of life, from cleaners, sales people and former Regular Soldiers to telecoms engineers and cyber security experts – as long as they are willing to learn.”
In return, the Army Reserves offers the chance to develop new skills, gain trade qualifications, play sport and engage in adventure training such as canoeing, climbing, and skiing around the world – all while being paid.
Signaller Hicks added: “There’s so much variety in the Army Reserves.
“Something that stands out for me for building personal resilience and team bonding skills is an opportunity I took to go canoeing in the Harz Mountains in Germany. It was an incredible trip and probably the standout point in my Reserves career.
“If someone was looking to join the Reserves, I would say just give it a go, there’s nothing to lose and everything to gain.”
