News Reaction – NCC Group responds to the UK Government’s review into the security of private telecoms networks

With their use across the economy on the rise, NCC Group has long since advocated for appropriate regulation of private telecoms networks to ensure that they meet the security and resilience standards we would expect of critical infrastructure.

Following ongoing engagement with the UK Government on this issue, NCC Group were pleased when a formal Call for Information exploring the security of private telecoms networks and possible government interventions to improve their overall resilience was launched earlier this year.

Here, Head of Sector, Technology, Media, and Telecoms, James Williams comments on the key points from NCC Group’s submission to the call for information.

Private telecoms networks are currently largely unregulated. Yet, the risk landscape is evolving rapidly, particularly when we look to legacy systems, supply chain risks, and physical security challenges. It is great to see the UK Government consider the best approach to forward looking regulatory intervention that could mandate proportionate security requirements for private telecoms networks.

We believe there are a number of practical steps the Government should take when it comes to the uses and security of private telecommunications networks within the UK including:

• Promote end-to-end security posture;
• Align with the Telecoms Security Act 2021 (that sets minimum security standards for public telecoms networks);
• Keep pace with technological and societal developments, by promoting flexibility and agility from the outset; and,
• Align with regulatory developments seen in other jurisdictions globally.

With the cyber skills shortage particularly evident in the telecoms sector, we also ask the Government to support the expansion of a workforce that can help to deliver its aims for resilient future networks, while supporting regulators to make better use of external expertise to plug short-term gaps in knowledge.

What’s next?

We look forward to seeing how the Government use this input to practically regulate the sector, and will continue our work in this area to ensure better security outcomes for the UK's private telecoms networks and those who use and rely on them.

See how we're helping the telecommunications sector to define and prioritize their compliance and cyber resilience objectives with our Telecommunications Security Act (TSA) Cyber Security Review here: https://www.nccgroup.com/tsa