We are delighted to announce that Intercity has joined forces with Aston University in a Knowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP) to develop a ground-breaking AI-driven Cyber Assessment Framework (CAFAI), designed to bring enhanced cybersecurity capabilities to a wide range of businesses.
Through this project, we’re augmenting our award-winning Cyber Assessment Framework by integrating it into a generative AI model, helping us to equip businesses of all sizes, especially SMEs, with the ability to better understand and address their cybersecurity risks.
In collaboration with a team of researchers from Aston Business School, we are developing CAFAI to help businesses, particularly those in high-risk sectors, access a scalable and responsive cybersecurity assessment framework. This solution aims to transform how SMEs identify vulnerabilities, giving them the insights they need to invest where it matters most and build lasting resilience in a fast-changing threat landscape.
Lee Doughty, our Director of Security and Head of AI Strategy, explains: “At Intercity, we believe everyone should have access to the tools they need to safeguard their organisation, regardless of size or budget. By raising the cybersecurity bar across the board, we’re making it possible for more companies to stand strong against threats. CAFAI will be a game-changer, bringing cybersecurity out of the exclusive realm of technical experts and into the hands of many more who need it.”
Aston Business School’s extensive expertise in cybersecurity, AI, and organisational change has been essential to this initiative. Working with leading researchers, we’re developing CAFAI as an adaptable tool that learns and evolves to meet the challenges of today and tomorrow.
Professor Alexeis Garcia Perez (pictured above, left), of the Digital Business and Society at Aston Business School, added: “Our goal is to create a tool that continues to grow and adapt to changing environments and business needs, with AI-driven insights that can make a meaningful, long-term impact.”
This KTP project is part of a broader commitment to making cybersecurity accessible and actionable for more organisations. Innovate UK’s Knowledge Transfer Partnership programme, through which this project is funded, supports collaborations between businesses and academic institutions to harness knowledge, technology, and skills that drive innovation and growth. Aston University is one of the UK’s leading KTP providers, with a well-established track record in delivering impactful projects that empower businesses and foster cutting-edge solutions.
We’re really excited to take our Cyber Assessment Framework to the next level, and we can’t wait to see the fantastic impact this research will have on the wider landscape.