Cyber security specialist Rob Kneller has become the third Director of the East Midlands Cyber Security Cluster.
He joins Dr Ismini Vasielou and David Nicholls in leading the Community Interest Company, which supports regional economic growth by helping organisations to protect their digital assets from cyber threats.
Rob has spent more than 15 years in the cyber security industry and is currently the Director of KIT365 Ltd, a Cyber Security Managed Service Provider and Consultants.
He is vastly experienced in assessing organisations for Cyber Essentials and Cyber Essentials Plus certification and is also a Cyber Scheme Team Member (CSTM), Cyber Essentials Plus Lead Assessor, and NCSC-approved Cyber Advisor.
Rob joins EMCSC in committing to help organisations of all sizes achieve robust cyber security. He provides practical solutions to cyber security challenges faced by businesses today.
“My approach is to communicate complex technical concepts to non-technical audiences and businesses looking to improve their cyber security posture,” Rob said.
“Getting involved with EMCSC is a great way to raise awareness of cyber security across the East Midlands and the UK.
“In meeting new people from diverse fields – both in and out of the cyber security sector – I will be looking to share insights and ideas, offer advice to both the private and public sectors, and widen my own understanding of how cyber security contributes to the improvement of people’s lives.”
EMCSC was founded by Dr Ismini Vasielou, Associate Professor in Information Systems at De Montfort University, in 2023.
Its purpose is to develop opportunities for networking, knowledge exchange, sharing of best practice, and identification of opportunity. Fellow Director David Nicholls is Managing Director and founder of Leicestershire-based IT company Better-IT.
Dr Vasielou said: “It’s fantastic that someone of Rob’s experience has joined Dave and I and we are really pleased to have him on board for some of the big plans we have in the pipeline for the next 12 months.”
EMCSC works across public and private sectors, as well as academia, promoting business cyber-resilience and cyber security careers, with partners including the national UKC3 cyber cluster network and the Cyber Resilience Centre for the East Midlands.
