War is raging on the battlefields, but we are fighting on a new battlefield at the same time, and that is cyberspace. Cyberspace is critical to the underlying health of our nation: the £50 billion in annual online consumer sales and purchases illustrate just how vital the new technology of cyberspace is to national prosperity.

Cyberspace offers extraordinary benefits and opportunities that underpin the business of government, work of organisations across all sectors, and activities of the general public. Yet we also must recognise that, balanced against these opportunities, are a number of real and rapidly evolving threats. Cyberspace is quickly becoming the new hunting ground for criminals and others who would seek to do us harm. 

Businesses, government and ordinary people are all at risk from a cyber attack. Because of its low cost and anonymous nature, cyberspace threats are attractive for malicious actors. Technology is ever changing, and criminals are using a range of different methods. Also, we must be aware that a number of actors have a level of intent and capability that amounts to a real threat to UK security and prosperity.

That is why the UK developed a hi-tech strategy to protect and strengthen our systems, so that millions of UK citizens who use the internet every day can feel safe and confident that their private information remains private.

New strategy and next steps
The new strategy will help to keep the UK safe by building on existing work; identifying gaps and overlaps in work areas; and putting in place two new organisations that will design, initiate and oversee a programme of work to address them.

The Cyber Security Strategy provides the strategic framework for doing this systematically, centred on clear, high-level objectives: reducing risk from the UK’s use of cyber space; and exploiting the opportunities that cyber space presents. 

To ensure progress towards the Strategy’s objectives, the initial establishment of a new Office of Cyber Security (OCS) will provide strategic leadership across Government. In addition a multi-agency Cyber Security Operations Centre in Cheltenham will actively monitor the health of cyberspace and co-ordinate incident response, enable better understanding of attacks against UK networks and users, and provide better advice and information about the risk to business and the public.

The UK’s first Cyber Security Strategy, published in June 2009, shouldn’t detract from the substantial amount of work that is already devoted to UK cyber security. This is a problem that the UK Government has been addressing for several years, to secure cyber space on a number of several different fronts, from government to private sectors.

All users of cyberspace have a part to play in safeguarding it: the onus is on Government and business to work together to provide secure products and services, to operate their information systems safely, and to protect individuals’ privacy. But the members of the public also have a responsibility to take simple security measures to protect themselves.

International engagement
Cyberspace is a transnational domain, as threat actors don’t respect international boundaries. The need for international co-ordination of cyber security efforts with our allies is self-evident. There are strong links already in place between the UK government organisations with a cyber security role and their counterparts overseas. Now we need to build on the existing links, bring greater coherence across them, and establish new ones where we identify gaps.

The OCS will lead work on the UK’s International Engagement on cyber security issues, co-ordinating the development and deployment of the UK’s key messages in key areas − this will bring greater coherence to the UK’s work with overseas partners and international organisations.

UK’s Cyber Security Minister builds on relationship
The UK’s Cyber Security Minister Lord West, Parliamentary Under-Secretary for Security and Counter-Terrorism, is in Washington, DC this week to discuss the UK’s new strategy and the relationship with the US on cyber security, discuss the shared existing work, ensure both the UK and US are plugged into the appropriate points and to build on the knowledge that has helped make Britain a world leader in cyberspace.

Lord West said: “We have to secure our position in cyberspace to give our people and businesses the confidence needed to operate safely in that environment. There is a lot to do, and we do not underestimate the scale of the task ahead – but with publication of the new strategy the UK has made real progress and built a solid foundation; now we have to maintain this momentum, and make sure it delivers.”

Notes for Editors

Digital Britain Report
Cyber Security Strategy

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