New cyber action plan to address threats and improve public services

Online public services will be made more resilient and secure so that people can use them with confidence. With new measures, people can use them without any uncertainty when it comes to applying for benefits, paying taxes or seeking healthcare.

The Government Cyber Action Plan, launched on Tuesday, 6 January, is supported by more than £210 million, and it spells out how the government will elevate itself to confront the increasing level of threats in the online space. The plan will enable the swift enhancement of cyber defences and digital resilience in government departments and the wider public sector at large, allowing people to have confidence in the fact that their data and services are secure due to a new Government Cyber Unit.

It forms the basis of the UK government moved to digitalise its services. This will not only open up more services to the online environment but also save time on phone queues and paperwork, and will also allow citizens to obtain support without duplicating their information in different departments.  

The plan will lead to quick response to threats and incidents, stronger central action on difficult challenges, better visibility of risks and higher resilience across government.

Published as the Second Reading of the Bill in the House of Commons, the Bill establishes specific anticipations towards companies delivering services to the government in enhancing their cyber resilience. For energy and water suppliers to healthcare and data centres, robust safeguards along the supply chains will be useful in ensuring the water flows and the lights are on, against the cyber attackers who are willing to bring our nation to its knees. 

Digital Government Minister Ian Murray said: “Cyber attacks can take vital public services offline in minutes – disrupting our digital services and our way of life. This plan sets a new bar to bolster the defences of our public sector, putting cyber-criminals on notice that we are going further and faster to protect the UK’s businesses and public services alike. 

” This is how we keep people safe, services running, and build a government the public can trust in the digital age. Today’s plan is also bolstered by further steps to take the UK’s cyber defences further and faster.”

Adoption of the Software Security Code of Practice will now be driven with the help of a new Software Security Ambassador Scheme. CISCO, Santander, Sage, Palo Alto Networks and NCC Group will join the scheme among others, as ambassadors of the scheme in the sectors, promoting the application of the Code and can give feedback to help future improvement in the policies. 

Thomas Harvey, Chief Information Security Officer (CISO), Santander UK said: “We are pleased to be an ambassador for the UK government’s Software Security Code of Practice and it reflects our broader commitment to collective resilience. By advocating for these standards we’re not just protecting Santander and our customers, we are helping to build a more secure digital economy for everyone.”