New Blueprint to protect UK from Cyber Threats

A new National Cyber Strategy has been announced, setting out how we will protect and promote UK interests in rapidly evolving online world.

Marking the first major milestone following the publication of the Government’s Integrated Review earlier this year, the strategy builds on the significant progress made on cyber over the last five years which has seen the UK cyber security sector grow rapidly, with over 1,400 businesses generating revenues of £8.9 billion last year, supporting 46,700 skilled jobs, and attracting significant overseas investment.

Through the strategy, the government is calling on all parts of society to play their part in reinforcing the UK’s economic and strategic strengths in cyber space - this means more diversity in the workforce, levelling up the cyber sector across all UK regions, expanding our offensive and defensive cyber capabilities and prioritising cyber security in the workplace, boardrooms and digital supply chains.

The strategy also sets out the government’s plan to keep citizens safe in cyberspace and stamp out cyber crime by: bolstering law enforcement with significant funding so that they can ramp up their targeting of criminals; increasing investment in the National Cyber Force which represents the UK’s offensive capability to counter, disrupt, degrade and contest those who would do harm to the UK and its allies; and expanding GCHQ’s National Cyber Security Centre’s research capabilities, including the new applied research hub in Manchester.

Priti Patel, the Home Secretary, said: “Cyber crime ruins lives and facilitates further crimes such as fraud, stalking, and domestic abuse. Billions of pounds are lost each year to cybercriminals who steal or hold personal data to ransom and who disrupt key public services or vital sectors of the national economy.

“This strategy will significantly improve the government’s response to the ever-changing threat from cybercrime and strengthen law enforcement’s response in partnership with NCSC and the National Cyber Force. We all have a part to play in protecting ourselves from cybercrime. It is important that as a society, we take this threat seriously.”

The government is also announcing a new Cyber Explorers”online training platform which will teach young people cyber skills in classrooms, and is taking steps to improve diversity in the cyber workforce through a new adult scheme which will ensure that people from all backgrounds have access to these high skill, high priority jobs.