Britain's Cyber Force Toughens Up
Uploaded on 2021-03-24 in GOVERNMENT-Defence, FREE TO VIEW
Britain's new National Cyber Force (NCF) will be deployed to ‘detect, disrupt and deter’ adversaries and will feature among a number of ‘priority actions’ contained in a new fully-formed cyber strategy, to be published soon, according to Prime Minister Boris Johnson. A ‘cyber corridor’ in the north of England is set to become home of to the NCF, as Britain transitions towards more of an offensive security posture against terrorists, hostile states and criminal gangs.
The location of the NCF is a key element of the plans with the government hoping to drive further growth in the digital tech and defence sectors outside of London and foster wider government partnerships within the industry and universities around the region.
The NCF is recruiting through existing members of the armed forces and from GCHQ, MI6 and also the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory. MI6 officers might be involved if activity is taking place overseas or to work on the human aspect of an operation. The ambition is to grow the force to about 3,000 in the next decade.
The UK is committed to using its cyber capabilities in a responsible way and in line with British and international law.
Past and future cyber operations have and will continue to operate under existing laws, including those granted by the relevant legislation in the Intelligence Services Act and the Investigatory Powers Act. This ensures UK cyber operations are responsible, targeted and proportionate, unlike those of some of our adversaries.
The National Cyber Security Centre, which is part of the GCHQ spy agency, was first established in 2016 to help critical organisations, businesses and the general public protect themselves. However the change in tack is in line with an upsurge of global ransomware and espionage attacks carried out in recent years, which have disrupted businesses and life in the UK.
A new cyber strategy will be announced to create a cyber ecosystem fit for the future
The NCF was created last year to transform the UK’s capacity to conduct targeted offensive cyber operations against terrorists, hostile states and criminal gangs. It draws together personnel from both defence and the intelligence agencies under one unified command for the first time. The kinds of operations the NCF is able to carry out include:
- Interfering with a mobile phone to prevent a terrorist being able to communicate with their contacts
- Helping to prevent cyberspace from being used as a global platform for serious crimes, including the sexual abuse of children
- Keeping UK military aircraft safe from targeting by weapons systems
The Government’s new cyber strategy is intended to support companies developing dual-use and consumer technology to ensure the UK is a cyber power in every sense.
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