The government wants to do things right, which is why it's delaying the launch

Oct 16, 2013 13:19 GMT  ·  By

The United Kingdom has postponed the launch of a national Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT). The country already has a CERT, but it’s focused only on government-run systems.

The new national CERT is part of the National Cyber Security Strategy and it will be tasked with coordinating cybercrime and cyberattack response on a national level for both the public and private sectors.

Initially, the CERT-UK team was supposed to be functional by the end of this year. However, SC Magazine has learned that the scheme has been delayed to early 2014, when it will be launched only on a phased approach.

Government representatives have argued that the launch of the national CERT has been delayed because they want to “do it properly.”

“In our discussions with industry and across the board we've seen the importance of having a UK national CERT - and it's important that we get it right. Our priority has been in making sure we have something that is credible with our partners in industry, academia, across the board,” a government spokesman told SC.