Summary Bullets:

• The UK government’s strategic announcement on its public services cybersecurity strategy is a positive, as there is a real need to address cyber threats in the public sector.
• For the new cybersecurity strategy to succeed, key departments responsible for implementing the strategy within authorities and the public sector require operational transformation and greater agility.

Threat Level Across UK Public Sector

The UK Cabinet Office and Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster Steve Barclay announced on January 25 that the government will launch what it calls the “first ever government cybersecurity strategy” to counter increased cyberattacks on IT systems and associated services within public services.  The government’s strategic initiative aims to address the sheer volume of cyberattacks on the UK public sector.  Figures taken from the National Cyber Security Centre between September 2020 and August 2021 suggest that approximately 40% of cyberattacks were aimed at the public sector.  Some of the authorities believed to have been compromised include the Redcar & Cleveland, Wealden District, Gloucester City, and Hackney Councils.  Additionally, it’s believed that councils across the UK reported more than 700 data breaches in 2020 to the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO).  This, in the context of future increased digitization of public services encompassing technologies like Internet of Things and smart cities, could be a future catalyst in the exponential increase of cyberattacks in the public sector at a local and regional level. Continue reading “For the UK Government to Be Successful with Its New Cybersecurity Initiative, the Public Sector Needs to Change” →