Boris Johnson: Britain must build cyber capability to stay ahead of enemies

The PM is due to present a long-term Integrated Review of national security, defence, development and foreign policy to Parliament tomorrow

The UK needs to advance its cyber capabilities to ensure that threats from adversaries in cyber space are "thwarted at every turn", Prime Minister Boris Johnson has said, ahead of a national security review.

"Cyber power is revolutionising the way we live our lives and fight our wars, just as air power did 100 years ago," Johnson said, according to a statement his office released last week.

Johnson went on to say that the country needs to boost its cyber capabilities so it could "grasp the opportunities" of digital. At the same time, those who want to attack the UK and its way of life must be "thwarted at every turn".

Johnson is due to present a long-term Integrated Review of national security, defence, development and foreign policy to Parliament on Tuesday.

According to the PM's office, the review will commit to 'a new, full spectrum approach to the UK's cyber capability' - driving more investment in education, new partnerships with industry, and integration across intelligence and defence services.

The UK spent £38 billion on defence in 2019, or about 2.1 per cent of GDP. This was more than any other European country, though far below the 3.5 per cent of GDP spent by the USA.

"In recent years our adversaries have invested in their own capabilities and are constantly finding new ways to exploit our weaknesses and gain advantage in cyberspace," said Johnson. "To cement our competitive edge and keep ahead of our enemies a full spectrum approach is therefore needed."

The government announced the UK's new National Cyber Force (NCF) last November, to counter threats from hostile nations by targeting them digitally.

The NCF has apparently been operating secretly since April 2020, with experts from GCHQ, MI6 and the armed forces based in several locations across the country, including GCHQ's headquarters in Cheltenham and the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (DSTL) at Porton Down.

Although little information about the new unit is available, it is believed that it consists of white hat hackers trained to conduct cyber attacks. Their main responsibility is to disrupt the online communications of people or groups whom the government views as terrorists or serious criminals.

According to the PM's Office, the NCF will be permanently based in northern England, as part of the government's efforts to establish a 'cyber corridor' across the region and to drive growth in digital, tech and defence sectors outside London.

The upcoming Integrated Review is also set to announce a new cyber strategy, to create "a cyber ecosystem fit for the future." Johnson says the new programme will "support" firms that are working to create dual-use and consumer technology.

This cyber strategy will be "critical to our ambition to establish the UK as a global services, digital and data hub."