CPP Group UK review the UK government’s new cyber strategy

Last year, the government announced its new National Cyber Strategy which outlines how they will protect and promote UK interests in rapidly evolving online world. Below, Aleks Leonard-Rawlings, Product Portfolio Manager and CPP Group UK’s cyber expert, shares his thoughts on what the report does well as well as areas that could still be improved.

Q: Which areas, according to you, do you think the report does well?

ALR: The Cyber Explorers online training platform is a good start in reaching out to young people. But the government needs to go further and commit to including cyber awareness education in secondary schools as part of the national curriculum.

Ofcom’s Children’s and Parents’ Media Literacy Tracker 2020/21 – Surveys 1 and 2, 2020/21 highlighted that among children aged 5 – 15 years old, 55% used social media, 65% used messaging services and 97% watched content on video sharing platforms.

The report also highlighted how eight in ten 3 – 4-year-olds were also active online highlighting the need for early education.

Q: Which areas, according to you, could be improved upon?

ALR: Pupils in secondary educational institutions to some extent already have a footprint in cyber space. Either through owning or using a smart phone, accessing, and browsing the web or paying for goods and services electronically.

This inherently means that there are already potentially open to cyber threats.  Educating them on developing and maintaining good cyber practices – strong passwords on devices, the importance of updating security software on such devices and having an awareness of the personal information that is made available through social media platforms to prevent social engineering attacks, will all aid in bringing up a new cyber savvy generation.

 Q: The strategy has included focus on diversity and training. How important are these investments, and why?

Increasing diversity in the workforce would open up opportunities across the spectrum of society to play a more active role on this frontier. Opportunities for apprenticeships can range from engineering, computer science, risk management, cyber insurance, forensic IT and defence, to name a few. These would provide the UK with the human capital to not only improve our understanding, development and innovation in the cyber sphere but also increase our resilience in cyber warfare and attacks that can have a “once in a generation type” consequence on national infrastructure.

Q: The strategy also talks about bringing in the private sector to “challenge, support and inform the government’s approach to cyber”. Could you speak about the advantages and disadvantages of this approach?

The private sector has a very big part to play in bringing the government’s messaging of cyber resilience to everyday life. Cyber insurance and risk management services do play a major part. Likewise creating the right climate for tech-led businesses to resource and upskill their workforce. Importantly, to incentivise local innovation and retain those benefits in the country can create a positive cycle of synergised growth.

Concerned about cyber-crime? Our suite can help

We are the provider of choice for cyber risk management and mitigation solutions, specialising in the needs of small businesses. We offer a suite of risk mitigation tools to make businesses aware of the risks they face before they cause significant damage. We also offer after-the-event insurance solutions to help your clients if they fall victim to a cyber-attack. Whether your clients are businesses or consumers, we have something in our kit bag that can help.