Asked by: Ian Liddell-Grainger (Conservative - Bridgwater and West Somerset)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, at what level and how often does his Department review advisory guidance issued by NCSC and GCHQ.
Answered by David Lidington
The National Cyber Security Centre, part of GCHQ, is the UK’s National Technical Authority on cyber security and therefore the authoritative source of advice.
The National Cyber Security Centre works in collaboration with a range of government departments, including the Cabinet Office, and other organisations to deliver advice, and review that advice as necessary with the aim of making the UK one of the safest places in the world to live and do business online.
Asked by: Ian Liddell-Grainger (Conservative - Bridgwater and West Somerset)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) news story entitled ZTE: NCSC advice to select telecommunications operators with national security concerns, published on 16 April 2018, if his Department conducted an urgent review of NCSC's advice in its letter of 13 April 2018.
Answered by David Lidington
The National Cyber Security Centre, as the UK’s National Technical Authority for cyber security, is operationally independent from the Cabinet Office. Therefore, the Minister for the Cabinet Office does not need to authorise or review the National Cyber Security Centre’s technical advice, including that on ZTE.
Government and the telecoms industry take cyber security risks very seriously. The Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, with support from the NCSC and Ofcom, is leading a review into the security and resilience of our telecoms supply chain.
Asked by: Ian Liddell-Grainger (Conservative - Bridgwater and West Somerset)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) news story entitled ZTE: NCSC advice to select telecommunications operators with national security concerns, published on 16 April 2018, what his Department's assessment of the reasons NCSC stated in its letter of 13 April 2018 that there was no way to mitigate potential risk from using ZTE technology is.
Answered by David Lidington
The National Cyber Security Centre, as the UK’s National Technical Authority for cyber security, is operationally independent from the Cabinet Office. Therefore, the Minister for the Cabinet Office does not need to authorise or review the National Cyber Security Centre’s technical advice, including that on ZTE.
Government and the telecoms industry take cyber security risks very seriously. The Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, with support from the NCSC and Ofcom, is leading a review into the security and resilience of our telecoms supply chain.
Asked by: Ian Liddell-Grainger (Conservative - Bridgwater and West Somerset)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) news story entitled ZTE: NCSC advice to select telecommunications operators with national security concerns, published on 16 April 2018, whether he authorised the NCSC's letter on ZTE dated 13 April 2018.
Answered by David Lidington
The National Cyber Security Centre, as the UK’s National Technical Authority for cyber security, is operationally independent from the Cabinet Office. Therefore, the Minister for the Cabinet Office does not need to authorise or review the National Cyber Security Centre’s technical advice, including that on ZTE.
Government and the telecoms industry take cyber security risks very seriously. The Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, with support from the NCSC and Ofcom, is leading a review into the security and resilience of our telecoms supply chain.
Asked by: Ian Liddell-Grainger (Conservative - Bridgwater and West Somerset)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) news story entitled ZTE: NCSC advice to select telecommunications operators with national security concerns, published on 16 April 2018, what communications took place between (a) the Department for Culture, Media and Sport and (b) the Chinese Government (i) before and (ii) after NCSC’s letter on ZTE dated 13 April 2018.
Answered by David Lidington
The National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) was created in 2016 as part of the Government's five-year National Cyber Security Strategy. The NCSC was set up to help protect our critical services from cyber attacks, manage major incidents, develop cyber skills and technology, and provide advice to citizens and organisations.
The NCSC provides expert advice to the critical infrastructure sectors, including the telecoms sector, based on its unique knowledge and experience. DCMS, Cabinet Office and the NCSC have an ongoing dialogue with telecommunications operators including ZTE. The Government maintains the confidentiality of the discussions leading to national security advice including the ZTE letter dated 13 April 2018.
Asked by: Ian Liddell-Grainger (Conservative - Bridgwater and West Somerset)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) news story entitled ZTE: NCSC advice to select telecommunications operators with national security concerns, published on 16 April 2018, what formal meetings were held between (a) NCSC, GCHQ and the Cabinet Office and (b) UK telecommunications operators on the perceived risk to national security posed by ZTE technology (i) before and (ii) after NCSC’s letter on ZTE dated 13 April 2018.
Answered by David Lidington
The National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) was created in 2016 as part of the Government's five-year National Cyber Security Strategy. The NCSC was set up to help protect our critical services from cyber attacks, manage major incidents, develop cyber skills and technology, and provide advice to citizens and organisations.
The NCSC provides expert advice to the critical infrastructure sectors, including the telecoms sector, based on its unique knowledge and experience. DCMS, Cabinet Office and the NCSC have an ongoing dialogue with telecommunications operators including ZTE. The Government maintains the confidentiality of the discussions leading to national security advice including the ZTE letter dated 13 April 2018.
Asked by: Ian Liddell-Grainger (Conservative - Bridgwater and West Somerset)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) news story entitled ZTE: NCSC advice to select telecommunications operators with national security concerns, published on 16 April 2018, what evidence on ZTE’s perceived risk to national security was provided by (a) NCSC and (b) GCHQ to the Cabinet Office (i) before and (ii) after NCSC’s letter on ZTE dated 13 April 2018.
Answered by David Lidington
The National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) was created in 2016 as part of the Government's five-year National Cyber Security Strategy. The NCSC was set up to help protect our critical services from cyber attacks, manage major incidents, develop cyber skills and technology, and provide advice to citizens and organisations.
The NCSC provides expert advice to the critical infrastructure sectors, including the telecoms sector, based on its unique knowledge and experience. DCMS, Cabinet Office and the NCSC have an ongoing dialogue with telecommunications operators including ZTE. The Government maintains the confidentiality of the discussions leading to national security advice including the ZTE letter dated 13 April 2018.
Asked by: Ian Liddell-Grainger (Conservative - Bridgwater and West Somerset)
Question to the Cabinet Office:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) news story entitled ZTE: NCSC advice to select telecommunications operators with national security concerns, published on 16 April 2018, on what dates the (a) NCSC and (b) GCHQ met with ZTE on the security concerns that led to NCSC's letter of 13 April 2018 on ZTE.
Answered by David Lidington
The National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) was created in 2016 as part of the Government's five-year National Cyber Security Strategy. The NCSC was set up to help protect our critical services from cyber attacks, manage major incidents, develop cyber skills and technology, and provide advice to citizens and organisations.
The NCSC provides expert advice to the critical infrastructure sectors, including the telecoms sector, based on its unique knowledge and experience. DCMS, Cabinet Office and the NCSC have an ongoing dialogue with telecommunications operators including ZTE. The Government maintains the confidentiality of the discussions leading to national security advice including the ZTE letter dated 13 April 2018.