Why It Matters:
Gap is widening between increasingly complex threats and the UK's capability to defend critical national infrastructure. Recently, cyberattacks have targeted British government entities, including the British Library and the military's payroll system.
What They Are Saying:
Head of the NAO, Gareth Davies: "The risk of cyber-attack is severe, and attacks on key public services are likely to happen regularly."
Geoffrey Clifton-Brown, chair of the House of Commons: " Despite the rapidly evolving cyber-threat, government’s response has not kept pace."
Key Points:
- Recent cyber-attacks, including a 2023 attack on the British Library, cost over £600,000.
- In May 2024, suspected hackers accessed the UK Armed Forces payment network.
- In June 2024, a cyber-attack on two NHS trusts led to 10,000 postponed outpatient appointments and 1,700 canceled operations.
Go Deeper:
NAO reported that in April 2024 an investigation into those 58 critical IT systems resulted in ministers being warned the cyber-resilience risk to the government was “extremely high”.
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