Three UK universities have been recognised as academic centres of excellence in cybersecurity, taking the total to 17 across the country.
The University of Kent, King's College London and the University of Cardiff have been identified as having first-rate research facilities by the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) and the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (ESPRC).
The three universities join a list of 14 other institutions in a scheme forming part of the government's National Cyber Security Strategy, which aims to make the UK a world leader in cybersecurity and help support the country's thriving digital economy.
"These universities are doing fantastic research in cybersecurity and they are rightly being recognised for their pioneering work," said Minister for Digital, Margot James.
"We have some of the best minds in the world working in the field and thanks to this scheme they can now help shape our National Cyber Security Strategy and develop the talent and services of tomorrow."
The scheme aims to create a better understanding of the strength of the UK's academic capability in cybersecurity and identify areas where there are research opportunities or technology gaps.
It makes collaboration between academia, business and government easier and helps make sure cutting-edge research is turned into practical products and services. This includes developing tools to tackle mass marketing fraud online and better understand cybercriminals.
The universities will now have the opportunity to bid for funding to develop cutting-edge research in cybersecurity, including at the Doctoral level, as well as attend annual conferences and workshops.
Cardiff University said it was proud to be the first Welsh university to be recognised by the NSCS for its cyber research capability. Its core identity is the interdisciplinary fusion of artificial intelligence and cybersecurity, a concept it calls Cyber Security Analytics.
"We are delighted to receive this recognition as it evidences our long track-record of research excellence in cybersecurity," said Pete Burnap, professor of data science and cybersecurity at Cardiff University.
"AI is at the heart of the UK government's industrial strategy and our aim is to innovate with AI to improve automated cyber threat intelligence and support decision making and policy responses to make the UK more secure for individuals, business and the government."
