The new UK National Cyber Strategy represents a key moment in cyber policy and ambitions. Here, we reflect on what has changed over the last five years, what we have learnt in that time, and how the new strategy will drive the necessary evolutions in national cyber defence
The new UK National Cyber Strategy has been released. Following on from the Integrated Review, and five years on from the 2016 National Cyber Security Strategy and its associated investment programme, the new strategy builds on experience and reflects on current context, charting a new course for UK national cyber defence.
UK National Cyber Strategy:
BAE Systems Response
In this paper we reflect on what has changed over the last five years, what we have learnt in that time about the challenges of cybersecurity and the UK’s response.
We explore how the new strategy aims to implement the UK’s aspirations to be a global cyber power and a safer place to live and work online.
The new approach sets cyber in a very broad strategic context, and sets out ambitions in some key areas:
The new strategy places significantly more emphasis on the international dimension, with a separate international pillar and a clear statement of the more activist leadership role the UK will take on internationally to promote its vision for the Internet.
There is a strong emphasis on the “whole of society” approach to cyber. This emphasis on cyber as a team sport, depending not just on government but society as a whole, signals a welcome shift in approach. While the National Cyber Security Centre clearly remains at the centre of our national effort, the strategy also acknowledges the need for all parts of government, and the wider public sector and industry, to work together to address the cyber challenges facing the nation.
The strategy repositions the citizen as core to the national cyber defence mission. In the period since the launch of the previous strategy in 2016, cyber awareness amongst citizens and across industry has increased. However, the ever-present threat to citizens of cybercrime persists and responds rapidly to changes in context and opportunities presented by real world events. The strategy sets out the government's plan to keep citizens safe in cyberspace, protecting them against crime, fraud and state threats.
Greater leadership in international standards development is outlined in the strategy, reflecting a growing recognition international standards committees and global technologies have a significant role in global influence in cyberspace. Government also has a critical role to play in enabling the growth of key industries. Funding investment is one aspect, but understanding the UK economy and its tech sector is fundamental to enabling it to prosper.
