After 28 years in policing, Beverly Bowles of ScotlandIS made the leap into cyber security. Read on to discover how Bev, with no technical background but a strong desire to learn, found the journey and how it opened the door to an incredible community and a new purpose.
Can you share an overview of your career journey and how you came into the field of cyber security?
After 28 years in policing, working across everything from frontline response to community engagement and project work, I made a move into cyber security. I joined Police Scotland’s Cybercrime Harm Prevention Team with no prior technical experience but a real appetite to learn. I am so glad I made the leap as I found myself in the heart of a welcoming, knowledgeable and collaborative cyber community here in Scotland.
From there, I went on to join the Cyber Strategy Implementation Team, helping shape the very first cyber strategy for Police Scotland. My focus was on prevention—working with the Home Office to develop a strategy aimed at identifying and supporting young people at risk of becoming involved in cybercrime and instead guiding them towards education, training and employment opportunities.
After retiring, I was offered a role at ScotlandIS to lead a project working with Managed Service Providers. We created the UK’s first Best Practice Standards Charter for MSPs—a community-driven initiative focused on securing the supply chain and promoting cyber resilience. Off the back of that, I was offered the role of Head of Cyber at ScotlandIS.
What motivated you to be involved with ScotlandIS?
No two days are ever the same at ScotlandIS. With a small team of 10, we juggle everything from running national clusters (Cyber, Data, MSP) to supporting startups, building the digital skills pipeline and delivering major events like ScotSoft and the Digital Tech Awards. It’s busy, but I genuinely love what I do and the people I get to work with.
Can you provide an example of a significant project or initiative you’ve led that had a substantial impact on your region’s ecosystem?
I’m especially proud of the charter work and of launching Cyber Pathways—a pilot project connecting students with real-life cyber roles and helping them visualise a future in this space. It’s now being rolled out more widely, creating direct links between education and industry.
What skills or knowledge areas do you think are key to being such a fantastic ambassador for ScotlandIS?
If there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s that building strong relationships is key—Scotland’s tech community is small, but formidable. Knowing our members, their capabilities and helping connect the dots is how we continue to grow a thriving, resilient sector.
What are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced working in such a fast growing organisation?
The biggest challenge? Time. There’s so much happening, so many opportunities and never quite enough hours in the day. But with great support from partners like UKC3 and an incredible digital tech community, we keep moving forward.
