Royal Holloway has been recognised as an Academic Centre of Excellence in Cyber Security Education (ACE-CSE) – Gold Award by the UK National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) and the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT). This top-tier recognition reflects the university’s extensive expertise and leadership in lifelong cyber security education and learning, both within the Information Security Group (ISG) and across the university.

The Gold Award highlights Royal Holloway’s long-standing commitment to excellence in research-informed teaching, hands-on practice, and community engagement. It sits alongside the university’s continuing designation as an Academic Centre of Excellence in Cyber Security Research (ACE-CSR), and complements the wide range of NCSC-certified undergraduate and postgraduate programmes taught by the ISG, including the renowned MSc Information and Cyber Security.

This achievement also builds on Royal Holloway being named Academic Partner of the Year 2025 by the Chartered Institute of Information Security (CIISec) for its contribution to the CyberEPQ, a Level 3 qualification aimed at developing early-stage cyber skills and inspiring future careers across the UK. 

Prof Keith Martin, ACE-CSE lead for Royal Holloway, said: “The ACE-CSE Gold Award is not only for delivering effective cyber security degree programmes at Royal Holloway, but is also recognition that Royal Holloway takes its own cyber security seriously and is a good 'cyber security citizen', supporting schools, community groups, industrial partners, the government and the wider public through an extensive range of cyber security initiatives. The ACE-CSE status rewards Royal Holloway for adhering to a principle that Royal Holloway's Information Security Group was founded upon: that cyber security should be practiced as well as taught and researched, and that cyber security academics have a professional and social duty to contribute beyond the academy itself.”

Prof Lizzie Coles-Kemp, Head of the Information Security Group, added: “I am delighted to see the ISG recognised for the contribution we make not only to Royal Holloway’s own cyber security but also to cyber security beyond the academy. The ISG is committed to lifelong cyber learning across society; it is an act of service that ISG members greatly enjoy, and I am delighted to see the ISG recognised for this commitment.”