The British Prime Minister has announced new measures to protect the UK from the growing threats to security from cyber space.

Speaking at the launch of the UK’s first Cyber Security Strategy, the Prime Minister said: “Just as in the nineteenth century we had to secure the seas for our national safety and prosperity, and in the twentieth century we had to secure the air, in the twenty first century we also have to secure our position in cyber space in order to give people and businesses the confidence they need to operate safely there. That is why today I am announcing - alongside our updated National Security Strategy - the UK’s first strategy for cyber security”.

A dedicated Office of Cyber Security will drive forward a cross-government programme of work and a new multi-agency Cyber Security Operations Centre in Cheltenham will provide the co-ordinated protection of the UK’s critical IT systems.

Additional funding will enhance the UK’s ability to detect attacks, ensure government and business have a shared picture of the risks, and provide better systems for sharing vital intelligence about threats and attacks securely.

Key priorities for implementing the strategy are:
- Developing a cyber industrial strategy, with opportunities for high tech businesses in the UK;
- A cyber security skills strategy to plug skills gaps in government and industry;
- Making critical systems in the public and private sectors more resilient;
- Providing better advice to business and citizens about the nature of the risks and the protection they should take;
- Working with other countries to develop international law in this area;
- Tackling the use of cyber space by criminals and terrorists in line with the Association of Chief Police Officers’ forthcoming strategy for law enforcement on cyber crime;
- Establishing a new ethics advisory group to make sure government activity on cyber security is consistent with personal freedoms to use cyber space;
- Stepping up emergency exercise planning for attacks and analysing cyber related threats in the Cyber Security Operations Centre.

•Date: 26th June 2009• Region: UK •Type: Article •Topic: Terrorism
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