The long-awaited update to the UK government’s National Cyber Security Strategy has been revealed. The strategy was last amended in 2016, when it faced criticism for not showing enough evidence of the £1.9 billion pounds worth of funding that was allocated towards it at the time.  

This new, improved cyber overview looks to tackle, among other things, the alarming rise in ransomware attacks over the last two years. Cyber criminals around the world continue to bombard organisations across different industries as they seek to illicitly gain funds from their victims.  

A new five pillar approach is being put into place to ensure the 2022 iteration of the strategy offers more for the country’s cyber protection: 

  • Pillar 1 – focuses on strengthening the UK’s cyber ecosystem. This will be achieved through investing in people and skills, as well as deepening the partnership between government, academia and industry. 
  • Pillar 2 – looks at building a resilient and prosperous digital UK, by reducing cyber risks so businesses can maximise the economic benefits of digital technology. As a result, citizens will feel more secure online and confident that their data is protected. 
  • Pillar 3 – hones in on taking the lead in the technologies vital to cyber power, building the UK’s industrial capability and developing frameworks to secure future technologies. 
  • Pillar 4 – advancing UK global leadership and influence for a more secure, prosperous and open international order, working with government and industry partners and sharing the expertise that underpins the UK’s cyber power. 
  • Pillar 5 – detecting, disrupting and deterring adversaries to enhance the country’s cyber security, creating more integrated, creative and routine use of the UK’s full spectrum of levers. 

But what does this all mean?

Well, it is good news for businesses! Cyber security is an essential part of the day-to-day running of your business and should not be forgotten about. With the country’s focus on improving cyber space, businesses will benefit in the long run – with one of the ways being through an increased investment in the country’s cyber workforce. Certain areas of cyber security are facing a skills shortage, which is adding to the woes of businesses hit by the increase in cyber attacks, as they cannot find the help they require.

At Neuways, we have a long history of investing in the future, with many of our apprentices becoming senior members of staff within the business. It is critical that this investment into the next generation of the workforce is made to continue this influx of fresh talent into the country’s cyber security.

Businesses, too, need to consider what they are doing now to help mitigate the very real present threat posed by cyber crime gangs. Failure to invest enough time or resources into your cyber security strategy will only end up causing your business pain. The most common way organisations are suffering at the moment is through damaging cyber attacks, which can include downtime induced by ransomware. Ransoms will follow, with criminals demanding large sums of money for victims to retrieve their encrypted data. But, cyber attacks are just one of a long list of ways in which business operations can be brought to a halt by poor cyber security.

Still, though, it is not all doom and gloom. If you haven’t got a clue where to start, it is often best to consult with a Managed Service Provider. MSPs will have the experience of many staff from which to draw from, which will help organisations in need of cyber help. So, after hearing what your current business objectives are, and what your setup looks like, they can draw up the best strategy that will help support the needs of your business perfectly.

What does Neuways think?

Managing Director, Martin Roberts, said: “We welcome the arrival of the updated National Cyber Security Strategy. It looks to tackle some of the more critical cyber issues that we have experienced since 2016, and it encourages more cyber education, which is critical to our collective safe cyber future.

“At Neuways, we provide businesses with technology that can help them to do their jobs easier. This includes staying safe, with increased cyber security and resilience. But IT can do more, and we our strategies can help encourage business growth through even the most challenging times.”

As Martin says, cyber security is not the only area that is worth reviewing: cyber resilience is also key. While cyber security is all about the prevention of an incident, cyber resilience is about how to recover from said incident – cyber resilience can secure the existence of your business. Whether this is through comprehensive data backups, or other methods, is up to you and your business, but it is certainly worth keeping on your mind.

Ultimately, though, the updates to the National Cyber Security Strategy have been a long time coming for the country’s businesses. A focussed effort at increasing cyber education, the disruption of cyber criminal gangs and the strengthening of the country’s digital technology capabilities should result in a safe and secure environment for businesses to thrive within.

If you want to take the opportunity to review your company’s own cyber security strategy, then get in touch with the experts at Neuways today, by calling us on 01283 753 333 or email hello@neuways.com.