WIREDGOV

EXPERT COMMENT

A new command unifying cyber, electromagnetic, and information operations could represent a paradigm shift – if it is implemented effectively.

At its core, the UK’s new Strategic Defence Review (SDR) recognizes that warfare is being redefined by rapid technological advances and evolving conflict dynamics. 

Among the most pressing of these are complex cyber threats, which are increasingly shaping the UK’s national security landscape. In December 2024, the Head of the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) warned that cyber risks facing the country are widely underestimated. In January, a National Audit Office report described the cyber threat that the UK government is facing as severe and rapidly evolving. This month, Defence Secretary John Healey revealed that UK military networks have faced more than 90,000 ‘sub-threshold’ cyberattacks in the past two years.

In this context, one of the SDR’s most consequential initiatives is the establishment of a new Cyber and Electromagnetic (CyberEM) Command, designed to respond to some of these threats by unifying the UK’s cyber, electromagnetic, and information operations under a single structure. 

Click here to continue reading the full version of this Expert Comment on the Chatham House website.