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UK Government has classed UK data centres as ‘Critical National Infrastructure’.
Technology Secretary Peter Kyle said: “Data centres are the engines of modern life, they power the digital economy and keep our most personal information safe. Bringing data centres into the Critical National Infrastructure regime will allow better coordination and cooperation with the government against cyber criminals and unexpected events.”
DSIT (the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology) pointed to the Crowd Strike incident in July, which affected GP practices with disruption to software holding patients’ appointment details, prescriptions, and health records as an example of the impact of IT outages and cyber threats on lives and business. The CNI designation includes the physical data centres, and the cloud operators that use them to supply services such as iCloud on iPhones, by such tech companies such as Microsoft, Amazon and Google.
Meanwhile as trailed in the King’s Speech in July, Labour proposes to bring in a Cyber Security and Resilience Bill. The UK official National Cyber Security Centre commented that ‘the scale, pace and complexity of the threat to the critical national infrastructure (CNI) underpinning these vital services is rising. Alongside the threat from ransomware actors we now also see a rise in state and state-aligned groups interested in targeting our CNI’.
Comments
Shankar Haridas, UK head of business development at ManageEngine, which hosts data centres in the UK and Ireland, said: “Data centres need to be reliable, resilient and efficient. They are the backbone of our digital economy. And crucial to powering the everyday digital services our society relies on – from omnipresent connectivity to cloud services and GenAI. The Government’s recognition of data centres as a critical national priority, will go a long way in safeguarding the physical infrastructure that underpins our digital world.
“It will help ensure digital services are secure, reliable and scalable. Not to mention unlocking additional investment that enables continued growth and innovation in the digital space.”
Chris Grove, Director, Cybersecurity Strategy at Nozomi Networks, described it as a significant step forward in UK cyber security efforts. “This move not only highlights the vital role these centres play in our economy and society, but also reinforces the government’s commitment to protecting them from potential threats.
“In line with this, the proposed Cyber Security and Resilience Bill, which focuses on supply chain protection, is another crucial initiative that aims to address the growing risk to the UK’s critical infrastructure. The bill recognises the increasing focus of state-sponsored threat actors on UK consumers and businesses, and takes proactive measures to counteract this threat.
“However, while the CNI designation and the proposed bill are indeed commendable steps, it is important to acknowledge that cyber criminals are persistent and continuously evolving. Their interest in CNI will likely remain high due to the potential impact of successful attacks. Therefore, continuous vigilance, regular updates to security protocols, and strong public-private partnerships are essential to effectively deter these threats and safeguard our critical infrastructure. Overall, these measures signal a positive shift towards a more secure digital future for the UK, with the government and private sector working hand-in-hand to protect our most vital assets.”
