The Cyber Arms Race in the Cloud

A deep fake news report incites panic. The trains stop mid journey, trapping passengers. NHS computer systems leak onto the internet. Telephone signals disappear, disrupting emergency services. Quick Action Response delayed, an unidentified aircraft flies over London’s skylines. The misfire of UK nuclear deterrent.

Cyberwarfare is the UK’s worst nightmare and has the potential to harm every single aspect of a British citizen’s everyday life. Ensuring unilateral data gathering across the UK’s sectors will be essential for the UK to effectively protect her national interests. Effective cyber operations are required to interfere in everything from internet chats to prevent terrorist communications, disrupt global platforms from being used for serious crimes (including, sexual abuse of children and fraud), and keeping both UK military assets and private sectors safe from being targeted by hostile weapons systems. The government and military need to embrace the debate, however uncomfortable or politically incorrect it may be, the UK must implement the necessary policies to protect British citizens and her allies. Over the next 20 years, the National Cyber Force (NCF) and it’s counterparts need to solve the issue of deploying effective offensive cyber operations whilst promoting a free, open and secure internet and cyber domain. This is the overarching debate defining the UK’s strategy on offensive cyber doctrine.