14 DAY TRIAL // Philip Dunne, UK’s Minister for Defence Equipment, Support and Technology has announced that the British government has established a “defence cyber protection partnership” with nine of its largest contractors.
The list includes British Telecom, BAE Systems, HP, Lockheed Martin, Rolls Royce, Selex ES, Thales, EADS and Logica (CGI). The role of the partnership is to strengthen the country’s defenses throughout the entire supply chain, the minister said.
“They have committed to: raising awareness of cyber security as an issue, both internally and amongst their sub-contracting supply chain; exchanging information on threats and vulnerabilities; and working with us to drive up the standards of cyber security throughout the supply chain,” Dunne said in a speech given at the QEII Conference Center on Wednesday.
The minister hopes that other key contractors will join the partnership in an effort to strengthen the United Kingdom’s cyber resilience.
“This is a clear demonstration that government and industry can work together, sharing information, experience and expertise, to make sure we do everything we can to safeguard these critical networks, ensuring that the business of defence is robustly protected,” Dunne noted.
According to the minister, the country is extending its National Cyber Security Programme by another year. It plans on investing an extra £210 million ($315 million /€244 million), in addition to the £650 million ($978 million / €758 million) provided in the Strategic Defence and Security Review made in 2010.
Dunne highlights the fact that the UK’s armed forces are among the most technologically advanced in the world. While this gives them an advantage over many other countries, it also means that most of their military capabilities are vulnerable to potential cyberattacks.
“Cyber has become a critical domain for our armed forces and they must learn to operate successfully within it,” he said in his speech.