The UK government is setting up a new agency to tackle “Chinese cyber espionage and other threats”, media reports say.
According to a new report in The Register, the agency is called the National Protective Security Agency (NPSA) and will report directly to MI5. The news was delivered by UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, who explained that the NPSA is part of the government’s effort to refresh security (opens in a new tab) strategy known as “Integrated Review”.
As part of the refresh, the National Conflict, Stability and Security Fund will be replaced by the Integrated Security Fund, with a budget of $1.22 billion.
Training and education
The funds will be spent on “achieving the main goals of the integrated review nationally and globally, including economic and cyber security, counter-terrorism and human rights.”
The NPSA’s work will include training businesses, schools and non-profit organizations on the importance of cybersecurity and advising them on how to toughen up their cybersecurity stance. At the same time, the NPSA will work with local law enforcement to “protect against terrorist attacks.”
In addition, the NPSA is expected to work closely with other government bodies such as the NCSC (National CyberSecurity Center) and NCTSO (National Counter Terrorism Security Office) to provide “comprehensive security advice.”
“Science, technology and academia are as much on the front lines of national security as Britain’s critical domestic infrastructure,” said Security Minister Tom Tugendhat.
“We know that hostile entities are trying to steal the intellectual property of British institutions to harm our country,” Tugendhat added. “The National Protective Security Authority will play a key role in helping businesses and universities better protect and maintain a competitive advantage.”
The Chinese cyberspies and “other threats” MI5 is interested in are unknown, although it is safe to assume they include APT41, APT31 and other groups with close ties to the Chinese government.
By: Register (opens in a new tab)