The Department for International Trade has brought out a ‘cyber security export strategy’. It says that in priority markets DIT will act as a ‘trusted advisor’ to UK companies bidding to overseas governments and critical national infrastructure providers. DIT will curate bespoke offers for top buyers, running trade missions and pitching UK companies; and will showcase UK cyber security on great.gov.uk.
International Trade Secretary, Dr Liam Fox, said: “Recent events show that the UK faces a diverse range of threats from hostile state actors. So in an increasingly digital world, it’s vital that we improve our cyber capabilities, which are crucial for national security and prosperity. The strategy I am publishing today will support UK companies to export our world-leading cyber security expertise, which will help strengthen our capabilities, and protect our country and our allies from those who wish us harm.”
For the 20-page document visit the Department’s website. It covers cyber security and buying trends, and likely developments in the market for networked information systems; complex attacks by criminals, nation states and hacktivists; a short shelf-life for products, and a lack of dominant international standard or body of good practice.
Comments
At the defence trade body ADS, Chief Executive, Paul Everitt, said: “Public and private organisations in the UK and around the world are facing rapidly evolving cyber security threats. In the UK we have a diverse range of companies able to provide world-leading expertise and innovation to combat these threats. The UK’s cyber security exports are already worth £1.5bn a year and we expect this area of activity to continue offering the strongest export growth in the security sector in the years ahead. This new strategy announced today can help the sector continue to grow, make a greater contribution to national prosperity, and protect the UK and our allies from threats in cyberspace.”
Rob Norris, VP Head of Enterprise and Cyber Security EMEIA at Fujitsu said: “With events over the past year revealing just how enormous the potential cost – both reputationally and financially – of suffering a major security breach can be, the UK cannot afford not to take their data protection and cyber security seriously, or indeed make it a number one priority.
“In fact, with our latest report revealing that a fifth of the UK public believe cybercrime and hacking are the biggest challenges facing the UK today, the nation has an obligation to make data protection as much of a priority as the public, who are regularly asked to hand over financial and other personal data. Although organisational awareness is on the rise, those behind breaches are finding new and creative ways to dupe people into compromising sensitive their financial and personal data. This means that “unusual behaviour” is getting harder to detect and might not seem unusual at all.
“Because even the best-run company could suffer from a hack or data breach, it’s encouraging to see that steps are being taken to continue strengthening the UK’s cybersecurity capabilities. After all, cybercrime is not a probability, it is an inevitability and it will be the way in which we prepare for it that can make all the difference.”
And Rob Wilkinson, Corporate Security Specialist at web security firm Smoothwall, says: “The Government’s new Cyber Security Export Strategy sends out a message in no uncertain terms that security is and will remain top of the agenda. With heightening tensions between foreign nations and an increasing risk of threat actors sabotaging businesses, governments, hospitals and schools, the UK has an opportunity to lead by example and grow an already burgeoning sector. But it smacks, too, of a country trying to rebuild its reputation following major breaches including WannaCry in the NHS, Petya and businesses like Wonga. A lot of work has to be done to keep organisations safe in this country as well as countries abroad.
“Cyber crime cost UK businesses £29billion in 2016 and is one of the biggest concerns affecting both small and large enterprises today. SMEs are particularly easy targets for hackers; they are often part of larger companies’ supply chains and so act as a direct route into those businesses with huge amounts of sensitive consumer and financial data that can be extracted. Whether a small or large business, healthcare institution or government, the advice is always the same: ensure that a layered defence is set up which spans encryption, firewalls, web filtering and ongoing threat monitoring. Papering over cracks is no longer an option for any business serious about protecting its data and staying ahead of the cyber curve. Businesses’ reputations, as well as the country’s, is at stake.”
