UK Could Get Cybersecurity Czar

A new report coming out in June could lead the British government to appoint a new national cybersecurity czar, similar to one currently being considered in the United States.

In an article on the ComputerWeekly.com website, Ian Grant says the report, called Digital Britain, will be published in June. Grant says the flooding of a key BT 21st Century Network (21CN) switch last year by a blocked storm drain raised concerns about the resilience of the UK's communications networks, which prompted the report.

And not only did the event cause the government to consider appointing a national cybersecurity czar, Grant says it has also led to a re-evaluation of the threats posed by cyber-espionage, with national cybersecurity expected to be highlighted in the next National Security Strategy document now in preparation.

“The original strategy document, published in March 2008, mentioned the threats posed by spies, terrorists and criminals via the internet, but there was no specific mention of action to deal with them,” Grant says.

However, Grant says the British government has taken steps to reduce its exposure. It is reducing the number of points through which government computers access the Internet.

To read the full article, click here: http://www.computerweekly.com/Articles/2009/05/13/236035/uk-could-get-cybersecurity-czar.htm