Parliament’s Science and Technology Committee has launched an inquiry into the cyber resilience of the UK’s critical national infrastructure (CNI).
It said the move comes in response to the UK being the third most targeted country in the world for cyber attacks, after the US and Ukraine, and a recognition in the National Cyber Strategy and Government Cyber Security strategy that there are sharp concerns over threats to the CNI.
It cited the WannaCry ransomware attack in 2017 that inflicted severe disruption on the NHS, and this year’s hack of the Electoral Commission’s digital systems.
“Much of the UK’s CNI is underpinned by this digital infrastructure, which must be resilient to cyber attack if it is to fulfil such fundamental roles in the UK economy,” the committee said in the announcement.
“Increasingly CNI makes use of computer systems connected into large networks, and often to the internet.
“Much of the UK’s CNI is privately owned, and concerns have been raised that there are competing priorities between government and private operators over cyber resilience strategies, such as appropriate investment levels and how fast a service is restored following an attack. CNI operators can replace proprietary computer systems with commercial products that have varying levels of cyber security and resilience, raising the potential for cyber attacks that achieve physical disruption.”
The committee said the inquiry will explore the progress of the CNI towards achieving resilience targets by 2025, and what support the sector needs. It will also look at the Government’s approach to standards and regulations for cyber resilience.
The inquiry will be open for evidence until 10 November.
