November 14, 2023 at 02:08AM
The UK’s National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) has expressed concerns about the increasing threat to the nation’s critical national infrastructure (CNI). In its annual review, the NCSC admitted that cybersecurity resilience in critical areas is not where it needs to be and highlighted the evolving threat landscape. Nation states like Russia, China, Iran, and North Korea are cited as key threats, along with state-aligned actors. The NCSC emphasized the need for collaboration between government, industry, and regulators to accelerate work on improving security and meeting resilience targets. The report also highlighted the importance of information sharing and international relationships to build resilience.
Key takeaways from the meeting notes:
1. The UK’s National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) expressed concern about the rising threat level to the nation’s critical national infrastructure (CNI). The level of cybersecurity resilience in critical areas is not where it needs to be.
2. Nation states and state-aligned actors, particularly Russia, China, Iran, and North Korea, pose a significant threat to the UK’s security and interests.
3. Recent attacks on UK critical services include the LockBit group’s attack on Royal Mail International and a raid on software supplier Advanced that affected the NHS.
4. The Danish cybersecurity agency for CNI also faced a major attack on more than 20 targets, highlighting the speed at which vulnerabilities can be exploited.
5. The UK, along with its intelligence partners, has been raising awareness of the cyber threat to allied CNI. China’s growing technological capability is of particular concern.
6. The NCSC warned about the rise of state-aligned actors (hacktivists) who are willing to cause destruction rather than mere disruption.
7. The NCSC emphasized the need for better cybersecurity baseline standards across all sectors and the importance of information sharing and international collaboration to build resilience.
8. Commercial pressures in the private sector and competing priorities in the public sector can hinder cybersecurity efforts in CNI.
9. The NCSC and UK government are working together to establish resilience targets for CNI organizations by 2025.
10. Other countries, such as the United States, the EU, Japan, and Mexico, have also taken steps to raise cybersecurity standards for CNI.
These takeaways highlight the need for increased cybersecurity efforts, international collaboration, and stronger baseline standards to protect critical national infrastructure from evolving threats.