Plan to bolster public services security in face of cyber threats
A new plan to protect public services from cyber threats will be published on Tuesday.
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The Government will set out measures to make online services more secure and give the public confidence that their data is protected when applying for benefits, paying taxes or accessing healthcare.
The cyber action plan, backed by £210 million, aims to highlight where risks lie across government and take joined-up action across departments as well as speeding up reactions to attacks.
It comes amid efforts to digitise services, which the Government hopes will reduce phone queues and paperwork and says could unlock up to £45 billion in savings.
Read more: Foreign Office falls victim to ‘Chinese cyber hacking gang’
Digital government minister Ian Murray said: “Cyber attacks can take vital public services offline in minutes – disrupting our digital services and our very way of life.
“This plan sets a new bar to bolster the defences of our public sector, putting cyber-criminals on warning that we are going further and faster to protect the UK’s businesses and public services alike.
“This is how we keep people safe, services running, and build a government the public can trust in the digital age.”
Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper recently warned of “an escalation in hybrid threats” across Europe, including cyber attacks and sabotage of critical infrastructure.
A hack of the Foreign Office last year is being investigated, though a minister insisted in December there was no suggestion visa applicants’ details were compromised.
The Government’s Cyber Security and Resilience Bill which will have its second reading in the House of Commons on Tuesday, is set to give regulators the power to fine companies if they fail to comply with cyber security rules.
Jaguar Land Rover, Marks & Spencer and Harrods were among British firms targeted for cyber attacks last year at great cost to the businesses.
New proposals introduced by the Home Office will mean businesses will have to notify the Government if they plan on paying a ransom to cyber criminals, and will also ban public sector bodies and operators of critical national infrastructure from paying ransom demands.