The next iteration of the UK’s National Cyber Security Strategy is due to be published later this year and will focus on three main points, building on past successes from the 2016-2021 strategy.
The forthcoming National Cyber Strategy will contain components of the government’s recently published whitepaper “Global Britain in a competitive age”, which describes its vision for the UK over the next decade, according to Tracy Buckingham, deputy director of security and cyber security exports at the Department of International Trade, who spoke at an event in London today attended by IT Pro.
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The first is that sustaining strategic advantage through science and technology is key and that cyber policies will be a fundamental component of this, with the ambition to cement the UK’s position as a leading democratic and responsible cyber power.
Secondly, Buckingham said that the UK requires an industrial base that delivers innovative and effective cyber security products and services that help everyone stay safe in cyberspace.
Lastly, she underlined the importance of the long-standing cooperation between government, industry, and academia in the world of cyber security, highlighting that cyber power depends on the government pursuing a whole-of-nation network, bringing together industry and academia in partnership.
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“This will be reflected in the upcoming National Cyber strategy,” said Buckingham, adding that it will hopefully be published later in the year. “The next strategy will build on past successes as well as the vision set out by the integrated review [whitepaper]."
Buckingham mentioned some of the past successes of the latest National Cyber Strategy, such as the creation of the National Security Cyber Centre (NCSC), which managed over 720 major incidents last year, and the fact that over 300 UK cyber security companies have received support from the government through growth programmes, mentoring, networking, finance opportunities, and participation in international trade missions.
In August, five UK startups were selected to work with the NCSC to address the most serious national cyber threats faced by the UK. The programme is the successor to the organisation’s Cyber Accelerator programme which helped over 40 tech companies raise over £100 million of investment.
