Government Digital Services will take on the mammoth task of protecting Downing Street, Whitehall and local authority networks and tech infrastructure, with immediate effect.
Announced by Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Tuesday 3rd June, the switch will see responsibility for public sector cybersecurity move away from the Cabinet Office.
Government Digital Services (GDS) will assume control of this area, described as ‘the digital centre of government’, which sits within the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT).
This change will strengthen technology resilience and policymaking across the public sector, by better integrating cybersecurity responsibilities and expertise into the Government Digital Service,’ said Starmer.
The decision forms part of a rollout of the ‘blueprint for modern digital government’, published in January this year. Among other things, this pledged to better connect the government’s approaches to using new technologies in the public sector following a major review which identified a number of systemic challenges and failings. Institutionalised fragmentation, sustained cyber threats, constant resilience risks, disconnected data storage, outdated manual processes and incoherent leadership were some of the biggest issues.
A National Audit Office report on government cyber resilience also suggested difficulties in understanding which organisations had which responsibilities at the centre of the public sector and civil service. There were also significant opportunities for improving communication within and between different departments.
Last month, a report published by the Public Accounts Committee found that cyber threats from hostile states and criminals, with the capacity to disrupt public services and daily life, were now emerging at a faster rate than expected. The analysis warned government defences were being outpaced by these risks.
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