The government has put together a dedicated team to deal with large-scale cyber-attacks.
The UK Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-UK) will be tasked with keeping the country’s industries, universities and government secure against the threats posed by hackers.
90% of businesses affected in 2013 According to Cabinet Office Minister Francis Maude, more than 90 per cent of large businesses were attacked by cyber-criminals in 2013, with the incidents costing an average of £450,000 - £850,000. At the launch event, he also claimed that one firm had lost £800 million worth of revenue after a major breach.
Mr Maude was quoted by telegraph.co.uk as saying: "Cyber threats to the UK are diffuse, unpredictable and generally anonymous. They could come from organised criminals based in another continent; or they could come from a teenage computer hacker closer to home."
"The cyber hacker needs to succeed only once, but those protecting us must be successful all the time; around the clock, day after day, week after week. And of course, nothing in the digital world ever stands still."
Advice service for businesses While CERT-UK was launched this week, the project has been in development for a number of months. At the end of 2013, the team appointed cyber-crime expert Chris Gibson to lead the team.
It is thought that the government has set £860 million aside to work on the UK’s cyber-defences, although it hasn’t said exactly how much is going to CERT-UK specifically.
The team, which will be based in London, is set to comprise 55 people and will also offer an advice service for businesses.
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Understand more about the Cyber Security Assessment service which is based on the UK governments top 10 recommendations. |
