Deputy Prime Minister speech on cyber operations
The Deputy Prime Minister delivered a speech on cyber operations.
Of all the risks that this country faces鈥� there are none that are evolving more rapidly than those in the cyber domain.
More actors鈥�
Have more sophisticated tools鈥�
To target more people鈥�
Than ever.
Protecting the public from cyber attack is a matter of the聽utmost聽importance.
Let鈥檚 be clear what鈥檚 being targeted here.
The critical services that government delivers:
Our public finances鈥β�
Our roads and railways鈥β�
Our schools鈥�
Our health service鈥�
Our armed forces鈥β�
Even the heart of central government itself.
Of all the vaults that cyber criminals are desperate to crack into鈥�
鈥� this one contains some of the greatest rewards.
That鈥檚 why we see so many attempts to breach our digital defences.
Last year, 40 per cent of the attacks addressed by the National Cyber Security Centre were against the public sector.
In a world where the new frontline is聽online鈥�
鈥he people in this room are manning the barricades to keep us safe and secure鈥�
鈥� and for that I want to say thank you.
Despite the challenges we face, our cyber defences are stronger than ever.聽
Since it was published two years ago, the Government Cyber Security Strategy has been a game-changer.聽
Work is well underway to ensure that government鈥檚 most critical functions are significantly hardened to cyber attack.
And we have established ambitious targets that will see聽all聽government organisations made resilient to聽known聽vulnerabilities and common attack methods.
Through GovAssure - which I launched in April - we have transformed the oversight of governmental cybersecurity鈥�
And the new 鈥楪overnment Cyber Coordination Centre鈥� - better known as 鈥楪C3鈥� is bringing together a community of cyber defenders from across government鈥β�
鈥haring best practice鈥�
鈥� and showing that a 鈥渨hole of government approach鈥� is not a slogan, it鈥檚 a reality.聽
Working together with the National Cyber Advisory Board鈥� (which I Chair)鈥�
鈥nd of course the National Cyber Security Centre.
All of you play a crucial role in iterating the strategy鈥�
鈥� and ensuring it is implemented right across Government.
Your work never stops鈥� because the risk of attack never stops.
The threats we face are increasing and the nature of those threats is evolving.
Technologies are developing at an exponential rate鈥�
鈥nd have lowered the bar for hostile actors 鈥� states and criminals.
The biggest cyber threats are not just to our public services but the democratic means by which we deliver them.
Some states are likely to be harnessing significantly more sophisticated technology to sow聽confusion聽and聽dissension聽and聽chaos聽in our society.聽
Malicious actors continue to target high profile people within the political process.聽
This is not an abstract possibility. We have already seen it鈥β�
In Ukraine - with deep-fakes of President Zelensky鈥�
In the US - where聽Iranian聽hackers have been indicted for undermining voter confidence and sowing discord鈥�
And here in the UK - with our Electoral Commission targeted by a complex cyber attack.
As I warned聽at CYBERUK in Belfast in April鈥�
鈥he greatest risks still emanate from the 鈥渦sual suspects鈥濃��
鈥hina, Iran, North Korea, and Russia.聽
But they are increasingly using 鈥榃agner-style鈥� sub-state hackers to do their dirty work.聽
Today in concert with our Five Eyes and Euro-Atlantic partners鈥�.
I can tell you that a unit within the Russian Federal Security Service, known as Centre 18, has been behind sustained hostile cyber operations鈥�
鈥imed at interfering in parts of the UK鈥檚 democratic processes鈥�
This has included targeting members of parliament鈥�
鈥ivil servants, think tanks, journalists, and NGOs鈥�
鈥hrough a group commonly known as Star Blizzard.聽
This group, operated by FSB officers, has also selectively leaked and amplified information designed to undermined trust in politics, both in the UK and in like minded states.
A senior representative of the Russian government has been summoned to the Foreign Office this morning and appropriate sanctions have been levelled.
Our political processes and institutions will continue to endure in spite of these attacks.
But they serve to prove that the cyber threat posed by the Russian Intelligence Services is real and serious.聽
It is a stark reminder that鈥�
as we in government develop聽our聽capabilities鈥�
鈥o do our adversaries, and those who do their bidding.
We are in a聽cyberspace race鈥�
鈥hem 鈥� to develop the tools to do us harm鈥�
鈥s 鈥� to build the defences needed to protect against their attacks.聽
Next year, 3 billion people in 40 countries will head to the polls 鈥�
鈥� and it is a聽fact聽that hostile state actors will continue to seek to undermine these collective expressions of democracy鈥�
鈥ecause they fear the freedoms they represent.
We must - all of us - do all we can to resist.
There are two main ways in which we can get ahead:
Strengthening our cyber security systems鈥�
鈥nd improving our skills.聽
First, our systems.聽聽
It wasn鈥檛 that long ago that the government was still using fax machines.聽
I worked for the administration that helped to bring Whitehall into the digital age鈥�
鈥nd made our services 鈥渄igital by default鈥�.
The challenge is to make those digital systems 鈥渟ecure by design鈥濃�nd to embed effective cyber security practices into our digital delivery.
That鈥檚 why I am announcing today that we will make security聽everyone鈥檚聽responsibility鈥�
鈥nd make 鈥渟ecure by design鈥澛爉andatory聽for central government organisations.
This approach is already inspiring our partners around the world鈥�
鈥nd, like our earlier digital revolution, is likely to be聽emulated聽around the world.聽
Your role in embedding this approach at home will be crucial.
Then there is the question of skills.聽聽
In this room we have a wealth of deep technical expertise鈥�
鈥nd we have the ability to share and collaborate with our international partners.聽
But we need the聽experts聽of the future to be coming up, through that pipeline, to meet the聽challenges聽of the future.
In the UK, as around the world, the shortage of cyber skills affects both the public and private sectors.聽
It is estimated that we have a shortfall of around 14,000 professionals鈥�.
鈥nd that shortfall is particularly stark in the public sector.
As one of the largest employers of cyber security experts, the government鈥檚 actions can make a real difference to the makeup of the national profession.
So we have launched apprenticeship and fast stream programmes focused specifically on finding and developing聽 cyber talent.
This is the new frontline.聽
And we must form a united front鈥�
鈥overnment, business, academia, individuals, all coming together to pre-empt and ward off these risks.
Not just 鈥渨hole of government鈥� - but 鈥渨hole of society鈥�.聽
It is what聽we聽have that our adversaries and their agents lack:聽unity.聽
And there are huge opportunities in that鈥�
鈥articularly for our entrepreneurs and innovators.
They聽will develop the defensive technologies that will protect not just this country鈥� but the world.聽
Britain has the opportunity to lead 鈥� in tech, in AI and in cyber鈥�
鈥ecause the聽best聽place in the world to do business must also be the聽safest聽place in the world to do business鈥�
鈥nd together we can make that a reality.聽
Thank you.