What Does the New National Cyber Security Centre Mean for UK Business?

The Government has just announced its new five-year plan to tackle the growing issue of cyber security on a national level, pledging to invest £1.9 billion in funding. The crux of this plan comes in the form of the National Cyber Security Centre, which aims to serve as a single point of information and authority for businesses and public services, as well as helping to protect the UKs digital infrastructure as a whole. It has been suggested that the Centre's first port of call will be to work alongside the Bank of England to thoroughly assess the current state of cyber security within the financial sector, and come up with an effective management strategy. As well as informing the entire business community and public sector about emerging threats, the NCSC aims to provide ongoing support when attacks happen as well as educating everyone on how best to stay safe online. This holistic approach intends to address all aspects of cyber security from prevention to crisis management, whilst overseeing the landscape on a national level. Part of the funding will go towards sourcing top talent and cutting edge technology whose combined force will galvanise the UKs cyber defences. It has taken numerous large-scale attacks and threats to trigger the realisation of just how prevalent the issue of cyber security really is. Only now are governments realising the need to invest in this sphere, for the good of their nations and individual citizens all of which are becoming increasingly connected. For UK businesses, the existence of the NCSC should only be a good thing. It is a clear message of a government now willing to take responsibility rather than leaving relatively defenceless companies to deal with attacks that could affect the wider economy. As is the case with any kind of security threat, solidarity is key in warding off potential dangers, with communication playing a central role. The NCSC aims to facilitate both of these things whilst acting as an authoritative voice on information security.