Government announces new national cyber strategy

15 Dec 2021 10:26 AM

Digital Security by Design challenge reinforced through new strategy.

Today, 15 December, the UK government announced their new national cyber strategy.

The strategy will officially launch this morning at the International Convention Centre in Birmingham. Stephen Barclay MP, Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, will set out the strategy’s vision for the UK to be a leading responsible and democratic cyber power. This will protect and promote our interests in and through cyberspace.

UK Research and Innovation’s Digital Security by Design (DSbD), as highlighted in the strategy, will help to strengthen the UK’s position as a world leader in secure microprocessor design.

Digital Security by Design announced four new demonstrator projects

Digital Security by Design is also announcing £7.2 million in funding for four collaborative projects which will demonstrate the impact of new technologies. These projects will use the DSbD technology platform prototype, known as the Morello board, funded through the DSbD programme, and developed by a consortium led by Arm.

This funding is also supported by the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport.

Funded projects include:

• 100% IT based in Newbury will develop a demonstrator and supporting framework of development tools to help digital computing infrastructure to become more resistant to attacks, both in the UK and around the world. It will also develop innovative new methods to secure the data being transmitted by applying layered encryption resistant to attack by quantum computers that is thus more resilient to near-term and future cyber-threats. This will make it harder to attack and infiltrate network infrastructure or endpoints and remotely take control or extract sensitive information
• Beam Connectivity, in Cirencester will demonstrate and review the use of DSbD technologies for cyber critical and safety critical applications in the automotive sector
• Southern Gas based in Horely seeks to deliver an Internet of Things (IoT) demonstrator in the utility industry. This sees the use of DSbD technologies to deliver an enhanced security solution for applicability within SGN critical national infrastructure
• ICETOPE based in Rotherham will work with industry standard bodies to address the lack of cooperation between Information Technology (IT) and Operational Technology (OT). The aim is to help overcome the cyber-security barrier for implementing effective Edge computing by harnessing the new security compartmentalisation features of the Morello platform.

Technology access programme

Join the DSbD team and Digital Catapult on 25 January for the official launch of the Digital Security by Design technology access programme.

More information to come early next year.

Professor John Goodacre, Challenge Director for Digital Security by Design, said:

I’m pleased to see that the importance of new technology being developed through Digital Security by Design has been recognised in the new national cyber strategy announced today.

The DSbD challenge is a £200 million collaborative initiative bringing together government, industry and academia to transform digital technology and create a resilient, and secure foundation for a safer future.

These demonstrator projects are investigating how these technologies can benefit their business and further enhance the cyber security of living and working in the UK.

Minister for Media, Data and Digital Infrastructure, Julia Lopez, said:

The digital security by design programme is making sure pioneering safety measures are built into digital devices before they reach consumers and businesses.

This new funding will make it easier to test this technology and alongside our ground-breaking cyber strategy, is an important step in keeping people and businesses right across the country safe online.