The Government needs to do much more on cyber security, it’s claimed, as Cabinet Office Minister Francis Maude reported on the third anniversary of the UK’s national cyber security strategy.
The strategy, published in November 2011, set out how the Government planned to deliver the National Cyber Security Programme to 2015, including committing £650m to help secure UK consumers and businesses.
Richard Horne, PwC cyber security partner, said: “There’s no doubt that the national strategy has helped raise awareness of the risks of cyber security attacks. Increasingly we are seeing businesses asking for advice on how they can best protect themselves and develop the skills of their people.
“Much progress has been made and we are pleased to support initiatives such as the Cyber Security Challenge, which is helping to identify and develop the next generation of talented cyber security professionals. But much more needs to be done: cyber threats continue to evolve and no organisation can afford to stand still.
“The latest Global State of Information Security report by PwC found that 69 per cent of UK companies experienced a security incident in the past 12 months, compared to 59 per cent globally. Over a quarter of UK respondents say customer and employee records have been compromised. Over 22 per cent have suffered intellectual property theft, 20 per cent have suffered financial losses and in total 70 per cent say they experienced some down time as a result of security incidents this year. 59 per cent experienced up to 24 hours of down time.
“Businesses need to prepare their defences and respond to breaches in the face of increasing and incredibly sophisticated attacks. The next stage of the strategy needs to reflect the growing threat and vulnerability that organisations face.”
Francis Maude said that the Government has made significant strides towards its goals, namely:
making the UK one of the most secure places in the world to do business in cyberspace;
making the UK more resilient to cyber attack;
helping shape an open, vibrant and stable cyberspace that supports open societies; and
building the UK’s cyber security skills.
For the report visit the Cabinet Office website: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/national-cyber-security-strategy-2014-progress-and-forward-plans.
Francis Maude made a statement on the third annual progress report on objectives in the UK Cyber Security Strategy: visit https://www.gov.uk/government/speeches/uk-cyber-security-strategy-statement-on-progress-3-years-on.
