Minister announces £40 million investment to provide cyber defences for armed forces
The Ministry of Defence (MoD) is planning to spend more than £40 million on a new Cyber Security Operations Centre, with its site at Corsham being the preferred location.
Defence Secretary Michael Fallon (pictured) announced the move on a visit to the site, saying it would be a dedicated facility using state-of-the-art cyber capabilities to protect the MoD's cyberspace.
The centre will make it possible for the department to share its cyber security challenges with other Government departments, allies and industries.
It follows the Government's commitment in the Strategic Defence and Security Review, published last November, to spend £1.9 billion over the next five years on cyber defences.
Growing threats
Fallon said: “Britain is a world leader in cyber security but with growing threats this new operations centre will ensure that our armed forces continue to operate securely.
“Our increasing defence budget means that we can stay ahead of our adversaries in cyberspace while also investing in conventional capabilities.
In November, Chancellor George Osborne outlined plans for a National Cyber Centre as an element of the national investment in the field. This will report to the Government's signal intelligence organisation GCHQ and be “a unified source of advice and support for the economy, replacing the current array of bodies with a single point of contact”.
Picture from GOV.UK, Open Government Licence v3.0
