As with all national security activity, it is vital that Government powers are used proportionately and in a way that is consistent with individual liberty. The UK's Cyber Security Strategy sets out in unambiguous terms the need to preserve and protect the rights to which we are accustomed, and to build a strong ethical foundation for activity to provide security in and through cyber space. As part of the cross-Government programme of cyber security work announced on 25 June 2009, the Government will establish an Ethics Advisory Committee to advise on this issue and the House will be updated on its membership.
The Cyber Security Operations Centre (CSOC) will be established to bring together existing multi-agency efforts to provide situational awareness, analysis and incident response co-ordination in the cyber security field. It will co-ordinate its activities internationally with appropriate allied organisations and, where appropriate, enable the enhancement of existing departmental linkages.
The United Kingdom is fully supportive of this Estonian-hosted Cyber Defence initiative and their endeavours in this important area. As a NATO accredited entity, the MOD has acted as the UK's interface to the NATO Cooperative Cyber Defence Centre of Excellence, providing participation in events sponsored by the Centre and specific mutually beneficial workstreams.
(2) how he plans to reduce the impact of cyber operations on UK interests;
(3) how he plans to reduce the vulnerability of UK interests to cyber warfare operations;
(4) how he plans to reduce the likelihood of potential adversaries launching a cyber attack against the UK;
(5) what steps he plans to take to involve (a) members of the public, (b) business and (c) international partners in the cyber security strategy;
(6) what recent discussions he had with cyber security experts from higher education institutions on implementing the cyber security strategy.
The Government’s Cyber Security Strategy, published last month, announced new governance structures and a cross-Government programme of work in pursuit of the UK’s strategic cyber security objectives. These objectives include reducing the risks and exploiting the opportunities from our use of cyber space through improving knowledge, capabilities and decision-making.
These objectives will be delivered through eight new workstreams, overseen by the Office of Cyber Security and supported by the Cyber Security Operations Centre:
Workstream 1: Safe, secure and Resilient Systems
Workstream 2: Policy, Doctrine, Legal and Regulatory Issues
Workstream 3: Awareness and Culture Change
Workstream 4: Skills and Education
Workstream 5: Technical Capabilities and Research and Development
Workstream 6: Exploitation
Workstream 7: International Engagement
Workstream 8: Governance, Roles and Responsibilities
These workstreams will build on existing work to take forward the Government’s plans for reducing the impact on and vulnerability of the UK’s interests from cyber attacks. They also describe how the Government would improve knowledge and awareness of the issues and the range of stakeholders who will be involved in the process, including the public.
As the Strategy makes clear, this programme will be delivered through a partnership approach comprising Government, organisations across all sectors, and the public.