Public Accounts Committee report: “it’s absolutely vital for us to look beyond 2021”

The UK Public Accounts Committee (PAC) has published a report, which reflects upon the progress of the National Cyber Security Strategy 2016-21 and National Cyber Security Programme.

In the report, the PAC advises that the Cabinet Office needs to set out clear objectives on how it intends to influence different sectors in the economy and measure success in protecting consumers for the remainder of the strategy, and beyond 2021. Within this, it encourages the introduction of mandatory certification and trust kitemarks to assure consumers which companies they can trust with their data post-2021.

Pushing these through, along with other key initiatives, will continue to be a priority for NCC Group as it works with the UK’s National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) and other key stakeholders to evolve the UK’s cyber security posture.

Ollie Whitehouse, global CTO at NCC Group, commented: “It’s absolutely vital for us to look beyond 2021, and for the Cabinet Office to build on the foundations implemented since 2016 to further enhance the UK’s ability to tackle evolving threats.

“This will mean that the government needs to continuously reflect upon its policies and spending, calling upon external expertise to review progress and prioritise action based on real-world evidence. The banking and financial services sectors serve as an example of what a mature cyber resilience framework should look like.

“We need to move away from the burden being placed on businesses and individuals by adopting a Secure by Design approach across the wider economy, while reinforcing the important role of global cooperation in improving security worldwide.”