WIREDGOV

National Cyber Security Centre releases annual review.

The National Cyber Security Centre has today released its annual review, outlining how the organisation protects the public from evolving and persistent threats.

Key statistics outlined in the report: 

• Handled 658 incidents, providing support to almost 900 victim organisations
• Took down 177,335 phishing URLs, 62.4 pre cent of which were removed within 24 hours
• Added more than 5,000 new members onto the Cyber Security Information Sharing Partnership
• Produced 108,411 physical items for 170 customers through the UK Key Production Authority
• Awarded 14,234 Cyber Essentials certificates
• Enabled 2,886 small businesses across the UK to do simulated cyber exercising for themselves
• Engaged over 13,000 students across CyberFirst programmes
• Delivered, along with sector and law enforcement partners, cyber security awareness and training sessions to more than 2,700 charities

The NCSC outlines how it has supported 658 cyber incidents in the last 12 months. This year the review breaks these down and highlights the challenges facing the most affected sectors. Key themes throughout the report include defending democracy and tackling election fraud; a focus on tackling payment card fraud through Operation Haustler which has seen 18,000 threats stopped in its first three years; and the ongoing threats from nation states.

A significant proportion of NCSC work continues to focus on hostile state actors which continue to pose strategic national security threats to the UK but are not documented for security reasons. The review also makes clear that ensuring the basic protections are in place is still the most vital defence against cyber threats. The most immediate threats to UK citizens and businesses come from large scale global cyber-crime. Despite often being low in sophistication, these attacks threaten the UK’s economic prosperity and way of life.

Ciaran Martin, Chief Executive Officer, NCSC yesterday said:

“It’s very hard to condense the world-leading work the NCSC does in 12 months into one document, but I hope this Review gives you an insight into what we are doing to understand, reduce and respond to cyber-attacks.

There is of course much work to do – as shown by the 658 incidents we supported this year. For the first time ever, in this review, these incidents are broken down into the most affected sectors. We believe that being transparent helps to target the interventions we need to help those who are most vulnerable."

Talal Rajab, Head of Cyber and National Security, techUK yesterday said:

“This review outlines the persistent and varied nature of cyber threats from state sponsored attacks to lower level, unsophisticated attacks targeting individual citizens. The NCSC continues to grow in scale and influence, mitigating against a vast range of cyber challenges facing UK citizens and businesses.

The fact that NCSC has this year responded to 658 incidents demonstrates that cyber security remains a threat on all fronts which requires increased preparedness and resilience. Whilst the NCSC is playing its vital supporting role here, it is ultimately down to businesses and citizens to practice good cyber hygiene which thwart the majority of attacks. The UK cyber sector continues to offer world leading cyber capabilities. techUK welcomes the effective collaboration between NCSC and industry which has been strengthened in 2019 and is outlined by the increase in CiSP membership and the uptick in Cyber Essentials awards.”

The full review can be accessed here.