Report urges extending scope of cyber security measures

Image source: istock.com/Orhan Turan

The next Government has been urged to extend the Cyber Griffin programme and ensure that the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) steps up the sharing of threat intelligence and reporting of cyber attacks.

The measures are among a series of recommendations in a report, The McPartland Review of Cyber Security and Economic Growth, published shortly before the dissolution of Parliament in the run-up to the general election.

Chaired by Stephen McPartland, the review was backed by the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology and involved consultation with professional bodies, trade associations, research institutions, businesses and individuals.

It has produced 16 recommendations, including that the Cyber Griffin programme – led by the City of London Police to provide free cyber security services to businesses and individuals within its boundaries – should be made more widely available.

“The Government should work with the police to extend this offer, ugrading the national network of cyber resilience centres to help raise cyber awareness and resilience nationwide,” the report says.

Sharing intelligence

It adds that the NCSC should work with industry for better sharing of cyber intelligence, regularly publishing comprehensive data and metrics on how incidents affect businesses. It says this will help to demonstrate the value of relevant investments and provide data for analysis of the impact of cyber attacks.

The role of the UK Cyber Security Council comes under the spotlight with a proposal that the Government should help it become fully independent, industry led and self-funded.

There are also recommendations for enhancing cyber security education as part of the computing curriculum in schools and increasing public awareness campaigns on cyber security.

Other proposals include a review into the cyber security skills gap, that large ograinsations should include details of their measures for cyber resilience and governing digital risk in their annual reports, and that Companies House and GOV.UK providing guidance on how companies can become cyber secure when they are set up.

Technological superpower

“It is clear there is a great opportunity for the UK to become a cyber security technological superpower and take the lead in sustainable green cyber,” the report says.

“The demand as we increasingly digitise our economy is evident. Education, training and awareness are key to building both a cyber skilled technical workforce and a more cyber resilient economy.

“This will require sustained leadership from government and larger companies embedding cyber into all aspects of their services, while supporting their supply chain partners to evolve into cyber resilient companies.

“From utilising the purchasing power of public sector bodies, by including cyber resilience in all frameworks and grants, to embedding education, training and awareness at every level from schools to the Boardroom. It is clear a whole of society approach is needed.”