A Global Centre for Cyber Security Capacity Building will be based in Oxford Martin School at University of Oxford.
The Centre will seek to understand how to achieve effective cyber security, and will work with the UK and other countries to deliver a safer cyber space. This announcement comes ahead of a G8 Foreign Ministers meeting on April 10 and 11. Professor of Cyber Security Sadie Creese will be heading the new centre.
The UK Government argues that in cyberspace, we are all interdependent and often only as secure as the weakest link. Foreign Secretary William Hague, pictured, said: “The new Global Centre for Cyber Security and Capacity Building in Oxford University’s Martin School will coordinate global work on cyber threats and cyber policies which will help protect the UK’s security. We are dedicating £500,000 per year to this centre to be a beacon of expertise and put the UK at the forefront of cyber policy development. There is wide international agreement that we need to increase global efforts to raise cyber security. To support this, the UK has committed a £2m fund per year from the National Cyber Security Programme. The establishment of the Global Centre for Cyber-Security Capacity Building is a key element of the UK contribution to these international efforts. Its research will help define global priorities for capacity building and it will work with a wide range of partners including other Governments, international organisations, and the private sector, to ensure increased and more effective efforts against the wide range of cyber issues and threats.”
IT security figures welcomed the centre. Graeme Stewart, Director of Public Sector Strategy, McAfee, said: “With cybercrime becoming increasingly global in nature, it’s great to see the launch of this initiative which will combat cyber crime collaboratively, on a worldwide scale. McAfee is highly supportive of The Global Centre for Cyber Security and Capacity Building, but we would certainly encourage stronger support for the wider SME community in the UK, to be delivered in a digestible format. This sector makes up the supply chains of large corporate and government organisations, and therefore a substantial portion of their risk comes from this supply chain being naïve to the threats posed by suspicious cyber activity.”
Wieland Alge, General Manager EMEA, Barracuda Networks said: “The Government announcement that a global centre for cybersecurity will be opened at Oxford University shows that cyber threats are a clear and present danger not only on home shores but the world over.
“The Global Centre for Cyber Security will create a collaborative bank of knowledge giving countries a greater understanding of past attacks and the present threat landscape. The sharing of attacks, vulnerabilities and damage is essential to develop countermeasures to protect critical infrastructure and keep the good guys a step ahead.
“As the number of cyber threats increase it will become even more important for countries, as well as the public and private sector to protect themselves adequately from attacks which can leave businesses paralysed. Teaching business’ workforces the necessary skills and technology to tackle online threats will prevent data from being found in the wrong hands.”
Paul Davis, VP of Europe at FireEye
“As the Government looks for ways to protect our national interests against the escalating cyber threat, plans to increase collaboration and intelligence sharing are certainly a positive step in simultaneously combating the threat at a national level, and also aiding the international war on cybercrime.
“We are finally beginning to see significant action being taken at Government level to deal with the immense level of cyber attack facing Britain today. The threat is severe to say the least, and is only likely to worsen as cyber criminals continue to become more adept and sophisticated in their methods of attack. Today’s hackers are armed with highly advanced malware and are becoming increasingly targeted in their methods of launching attacks. With big businesses and even nations now facing a greater risk than ever before, as attackers turn their attention to large enterprises in order to steal valuable data and Intellectual Property, and with nation-state attacks on the rise – take for instance the recent attacks on South Korean banks and broadcasters – proactive security must now be a priority across the board. The fact is that traditional defences are quite simply obsolete as standalone systems and organisations must be investing in defending networks with the best available tools and processes and with continued education around the growing threat landscape.”
Ross Brewer, vice president and managing director for international markets at LogRhythm
“The UK government has long been thought to shy away from the issue of cyber security. Our own research
“That said, while government funding, collaboration exercises and formal initiatives are certainly to be welcomed, businesses themselves must also be aware of the evolving cyber threat, and do all that they can to protect themselves from attacks on an organisational level. As we become increasingly connected and as data volumes grow, the potential for intellectual property or other critical information to get compromised grows exponentially. To combat this, businesses must shift their mindset – and security policies – towards proactive, continuous monitoring of IT networks to ensure a 360 degree view that can detect even the smallest intrusion or anomaly before it becomes a bigger problem for all. Only then will initiatives such as the Global Centre for Cyber Security and Capacity Building be effective rather than ‘embarrassing’ – after all, you can only help those who are willing to help themselves.”
Ian Goldin, Director of the Oxford Martin School and Professor of Globalisation and Development at the University of Oxford said: “The Oxford Martin School’s purpose is to address critical challenges of the future. We are convinced that integrated thinking on cyber security is required to address these challenges. We are delighted to have the opportunity to host the Cyber Capacity Centre within our interdisciplinary community at the University of Oxford.”
Francis Maude, Minister for Cyber Security in the Cabinet Office, said: ‘Capacity’ includes having comprehensive national programmes and the policies, cooperation, skills and workforce, technology and expertise to tackle online threats and reduce harm, while ensuring cyberspace supports innovation, economic growth and social benefits. The range and depth of capacity required here and in other countries is considerable.”
Martin Borrett, Director of the IBM Institute for Advanced Security Europe, said: “The Cyber Security Capacity Centre initiative is an exceptionally timely and important contribution to the activities of the global community seeking to secure cyberspace. The IBM Institute for Advanced Security Europe and our international operations look forward to working with Oxford and their partners to ensure a safe and sustainable cyberspace for all.”
