The UK unveils plans to become a global cyber superpower

14th January 2022

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The UK government unveiled its new plans to become a global cybersecurity power by 2030. The plan was announced by the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) on the 15th of December 2021.

British policymakers said that they hope to generate significant advancements in cybersecurity within the nation and the workforce, using the new strategy.

What are the key developments in the new national cybersecurity strategy?

The UK government outlined a new national cybersecurity strategy to balance the economic benefits of online technology alongside the proactive management of cyber risks.

The strategy is quite ambitious; it seeks to expand cybersecurity by focusing on key areas: expanding skills through collaboration between government, academia, and industry, expanding cyber resilience, and reducing cyber risk while enhancing national cybersecurity and countering threats.

Under the strategy, cybersecurity will no longer be the sole responsibility of IT and cybersecurity professionals but the responsibility of the workforce as a whole.

The strategy further proposed expanding powers to tackle ransomware and cybercrime targeting the UK's national security.

The strategy also proposes the formation of a new national cyber advisory board to test critical industrial technologies and build expertise in emerging technologies, such as 5G, 6G, blockchain, and even AI.

How will these developments affect healthcare, finance, and other key industries?

The strategy reveals that the government is now looking to expand cybersecurity to improve protection and security in the future.

It highlights the importance of cybersecurity in the coming years. With over 1000 businesses generating over £8.9 billion in revenue within the last year, cybersecurity is proving to be a valuable component of the UK economy for the protection of business data.

Under the new strategy, we can expect employees in healthcare and finance to be more involved in cybersecurity, particularly with an over £2.6 billion investment set aside by the government for training.

We can also expect cybersecurity to be far more proactive as it makes deep forays into emerging technologies, in contrast to previous technology, such as cryptocurrency, where cybersecurity concerns were highlighted well into its use.

Organisations can also expect to devote more resources to cybersecurity as the government intends to incentivise good cybersecurity practices and ameliorate security standards by raising corporate reporting requirements. This means investors and shareholders get better insight into how organisations are expecting to mitigate risks to their businesses.

What will cybersecurity look like in the future?

The pandemic triggered a domino effect where cybercriminals became more aggressive in their attacks, which highlights the importance of expansive and interconnected cybersecurity that optimises its technical platforms and personnel to prevent data breaches.

The national cybersecurity strategy gives a clear direction of what cybersecurity will look like in 2022 and beyond, breaking down the silos that turned security from an isolated profession into a more expansive, collaborative exercise.