Government Responses: Security Prevention in the UK and US

Source: The Telegraph

After 9/11, American and British governments enhanced security to prevent further attacks. Though, before this attack security was still posed as an issue with the growing advancements in cyber space. In fact in 2000, Microsoft fell victim to a computer attack which gained access to the company's internal network. Rapidly, this sparked fear of further cyber attacks because if cyber criminals were able to attack Microsoft, the Centre for Strategic and International Studies considered anyone a potential victim open to an attack (Raghavan, 2003: 298). In the years since, this fear did not prove to be mistaken, criminals have managed to cause disruption amongst governments and companies across the globe.

In 2010, the UK government put in place a strategic defence and security review, which dedicated £650 million to a four-year National Cyber Security Programme (NCSP), in respond to cyber threats (2014: 24). Greater spending is being placed to fight cyber terrorism as the issue continues to rise with the population becoming more accustomed to the internet, therefore the same can be said for those threatening the UK. Furthermore, a government report was published in 2011 regarding the 'UK Cyber Security Strategy', the aim of the report was to express the concerns of cyber attacks and terrorism that pose a threat to the UK. The report states the likelihood of further attacks if 'terrorists believe that our national infrastructure may be vulnerable' (2011: 14).

Source: Homeland Security

In 2011, David Cameron also met various large companies from different sectors in the UK economy, where they discussed the cyber threat and how to respond effectively. The government shortly after that built a new approach which involved a joint 'hub' with the public and private sectors. This was designed to identify government and private threat information and then distribute it to 'nodes' in key business sectors, which is then used to provide a framework for identifying the best solution to potential threats (GOV, 2011).

In 2013, it was reported that Scotland Yard expanded its specialist E-Crime unit after multiple MPs warned that cybercrime is now a Tier One threat to the country, along with international terrorism. Terrorists were considered to be increasingly targeting computer systems and the government regarded this as a threat to British security. Scotland Yard first set up their crime team in the early 1980s, over the last few decades it has expanded to meet the latest issues concerning cybercrime. In 2008, the Home Office created a modernised unit in order to focus specifically on investigating more serious attacks and threats that face the UK (The Telegraph, 2013). Since then it has only increased along with the government fear they could be targeted in an attack from terrorist organisation across the globe, however these policies and security advancements are also used to prevent hackers in general (the difference between the two is often misunderstood). Any threat to government security in the form of hacking or cyber terrorism is important to prevent to limit the national security threat that could result if certain information were to be leaked.

According to the Home Office policy paper 2010 - 2015, the UK have collaborated with the US in regards to cyber security and cyber defence matters in order address and manage these threats. The MI5 and GCHQ (UK) are working with the National Security Agency and the FBI (US), who are instituting a joint cyber cell to enable more information regarding these threats to be shared more quickly amongst the agencies in each country (Home Office, 2015).

The UK  have taken necessarily steps to ensure the safety of the country within the realm of cyberspace because without it we can expect to be hit, not just by cyber terrorists, but by anyone. It appears that making our networks and information as secure as possible is a vital step in securing out nation security.

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References:

GOV. (2011). Protecting and promoting the UK in a digital world. Available: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/protecting-and-promoting-the-uk-in-a-digital-world--3. Last accessed 1 November 2015.

Home Office. (2015). 2010 to 2015 government policy: cyber security.Available: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/2010-to-2015-government-policy-cyber-security/2010-to-2015-government-policy-cyber-security. Last accessed 27 September 2015.

Raghavan, T. (2003). IN FEAR OF CYBERTERRORISM: AN ANALYSIS OF THE CONGRESSIONAL RESPONSE . Journal of Law, Technology and Policy. 2 (1), 297-300.

The Telegraph. (2013). Scotland Yard cyber crime unit to dramatically expand. Available: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/crime/10437237/Scotland-Yard-cyber-crime-unit-to-dramatically-expand.html. Last accessed 27 September 2015.