Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, if he will improve cyber security to ensure the resilience and security of Government information and communication technology infrastructure.

Transformation of Government’s cyber security is supported by investment from the £1.9bn National Cyber Security Programme (NCSP) and aims to realise the objectives set out in the National Cyber Security Strategy 2016-2021. The Government will build cyber security resilience through: the adoption of National Cyber Security Centre’s ‘Active Cyber Defence’ measures, migration away from insecure legacy or unsupported IT systems (such as the type affected by the recent ransomware attacks) and the safe adoption of commodity technology and cloud services.

In addition, Government will shortly issue new Baseline Cyber Security Standards to all central Government departments and their agencies. There is also sizeable investment and emphasis on creation of a new Government security profession that will create a pipeline of cyber security talent and address skills shortages. To further improve communications technology we are also investing in a new and highly secure shared IT service for departments with sensitive policy portfolios as well as developing specialist advice and support to protect Government’s most sensitive information areas of work.