NCC Group encourages UK government to maintain investment in cyber security

The UK’s National Audit Office (NAO) has published a report which explores the next steps for the 2016 – 2021 National Cyber Security Programme (NCSP), highlighting the importance of maintaining a focus on security.

As part of this programme, the UK government is investing £648 million to further develop the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC), make government more secure, fund cyber security research, and promote effective cyber risk management until 2021.

The NAO report highlights that developing consistent and accurate ways to review cyber risk would improve performance measurement, as well as underlining the need for a clear vision for taking security awareness forward following the completion of this programme.

Matt Thomas, head of public sector at NCC Group commented: “It’s encouraging to see how the programme has advanced awareness and knowledge of cyber security over the past few years, especially among key UK government stakeholders. Looking ahead, it is key to have a clear idea of what success looks like when it comes to driving and reviewing security initiatives and regulations in the years to come.

“It is also vital that the government keeps up its focus on and investment in cyber security, and proactively encourages collaboration between the NCSC and UK businesses to push security further up on the national agenda.

“We look forward to continuing to help the NCSC and wider government deliver its strategic cyber security priorities now and in the future. We recognise the importance of industry support, which is why we’re developing our own vision of what we believe the UK’s post-2021 cyber security landscape should look like, helping to inform policy and operational thinking over the next few months.”