01.04.14
New cyber-security team 'makes us more resilient' – Maude
The country’s new Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-UK) was officially launched by Cabinet Office minister Francis Maude this week.
The body, led by Chris Gibson, will take the lead in coordinating the management of national cyber security incidents and will act as the UK central contact point for international counterparts in this field, according to the Cabinet Office.
Its specific budget has not been released by the government, but overall £860m is being spent to 2016 on delivering the objectives of the National Cyber Security Programme.
CERT-UK will work closely with the IT industry, government and academia to enhance UK cyber resilience, Maude said.
He added: “This government’s most important task is to protect our security and ensure Britain is a safe place to work, live and do business. That’s why I’m delighted to launch the UK’s Cyber Emergency Response Team.
“We know government cannot do everything by itself. CERT-UK shows we want closer coordination between government, business and academia to share insight and advice, as well as better cooperation with our international partners.
“The job of protecting our security will never be done – it will always be a work in progress. But, from today, CERT-UK means we are better prepared, better informed, better connected and ultimately more resilient.”
Gibson, CERT-UK’s director since November last year, has helped guide its development ahead of the official launch on 31 March. He said: “The launch of CERT-UK is a milestone in the development of the UK’s cyber security capabilities helping the UK to become more resilient.
“CERT-UK will build on existing arrangements for supporting the critical national infrastructure, and incorporate the Cyber Security Information Sharing Partnership (CISP) which was launched last year and has proved extremely effective as a means of collaborating between industry and government.”
Maude’s speech on CERT-UK and cyber-security generally is available here.
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