Rob Black is the Director of the UK Cyber Leaders Challenge, a competition aimed at nurturing new cyber talent in university students, an Honorary Professor of Systems and Software Security at the University of Manchester, senior advisor to KPMG’s International Information Integrity Institute (i-4) and an Associate Programme Director at Wilton Park (part of the UK FCDO), an events host for RANT, host of the College of National Security’s Declassified podcast and the Director of the Global Institute of Cyber Deception.
 
Rob was also the Deputy Director of the UK National Cyber Deception Laboratory from its launch in 2019 to 2022 as well as a Lecturer in Information Activities at the UK Defence Academy teaching on the classified Cyber Masters Programme up until 2024. This followed over a decade working for the British government in a range of different roles across defence and national security and the last few years of which were in direct support of cyber operations. He originally joined DSTL in 2003, and has spent time supporting counter-piracy operations, conducting strategic risk assessments for the London 2012 Olympics, and was seconded into GCHQ where he supported the development of the Human Sciences capability in support of operations and worked as a cyber advisor to the FCDO as well.
 
In 2024, he was awarded UK Cyber Citizen of the Year for being incredibly passionate cyber citizen in the UK and well respected by so many within the community, especially when advocating for the next generation of cyber security professionals coming through.