We must protect our society against tomorrow's cyber threats, says Minister

Security Minister Dan Jarvis gave a keynote speech at the Cybersecurity Business Network's inaugural Parliament and Cyber conference.

It's great to be here with you all today. 

I'm also really pleased that the invitation for today's conference actually reached you, and didn't fall into your email's junk folder. 

But if you are here because you picked up this invitation in your spam, I just want to be crystal clear - we are not giving away a free Lamborghini at today's event.

Hopefully everybody is connected to the wifi, and if you're not, the password is very simple to remember.

It's the full text of the Magna Carta in Latin.

Anyway, it's great to be able to welcome you all to the House of Commons. 

But at first glance, it may seem like Parliament and Cyber are two mutually exclusive concepts. 

Our democracy has – historically – been very wary of new technologies.

There was a Parliament Technology Gap from when an innovation was created until it was introduced in Parliament. 

First, the printing press.

From the 1480s, printing became more common in this country. Thomas Hansard began printing Parliament's debates independently in 1811 and it took a select committee in 1909 to adopt Hansard's innovation as a legitimate part of their service. 

A Parliament Technology Gap of about 400 years. Not a great start.  Next, broadcast cameras and microphones, which came into use in the early 1900s.

Initially, the BBC couldn't broadcast anything said in either House until two weeks after it had been discussed.  But eventually, cameras entered Parliament by 1989. A Parliament Technology Gap of about 90 years – so something of an improvement.  

Finally, the personal computer and the internet – which became commonplace from the late 1970s. Parliament was again slow to take up the benefits of IT. 

One MP, during a debate in 1988, said “the technological revolution – of which we are so proud in Britain – seems to have passed Westminster by”.

From 1994, every MP with a personal computer was given internet access. A Technology Gap of only 20 years - the best yet. 

And what about the technology of the future?

Now, much like Steve Jobs and black rollnecks, Parliament and tech are now becoming inseparable.

Parliament is more proactive. Its ‘Information and Technology Strategy' faces the future stating how Parliament must continually adapt to the evolving landscape. 

This is exactly the right approach to take. 

The pace of change is only accelerating and the speed in which new technology is introduced and adopted is becoming shorter and shorter. So, we must protect ourselves against the threats of tomorrow. 

Because cyber-attacks taking place across the world are only getting worse.

If cybercrime were a national economy, it would be the third largest in the world.

Microsoft's Digital Defence Report said that – by 2027 – scams are expected to cost the world $27 trillion a year.

As a joint Minister between the Cabinet Office and the Home Office, I have heard from my policing colleagues about the sometimes unseen cyber offending. Some that are central to truly awful online crimes.

Like those that hack into accounts to steal and then trade intimate images mostly of women and children. 

Or the community groups that blur boundaries between cyber and violence in the most despicable way. 

These are growing trends and of deep concern, all of which show that our collective exposure to serious impacts is growing at an unprecedented pace.

This is especially true when it comes to our world-leading business sector. It is essential for every organisation to operate in a way that minimises the risks of a cyber incident.

The mindset for businesses should not be ‘if' we get attacked but ‘when' we get attacked. That means our cyber defences and technical resilience must evolve to cope with the threat.

Which is why we're doing more than ever before to keep our businesses and society safe from cyberattacks and cybercrime. 

And we're doing that through the building we're all in today.

Just a couple of weeks ago, the Cyber Security and Resilience Bill was introduced to Parliament.

It will boost cyber protections for the services that people and businesses rely on every day. And it will ensure any breaches in cyber security are dealt with quickly.

This is a vital piece of work, as is our Counter Political Interference and Espionage Action Plan.

Because we know that Parliament is also a target, which is why we are taking this decisive action against foreign interference and espionage operations.

The Action Plan will strengthen our legislation to disrupt the threat, help those who work in politics to recognise, resist and report the threat, and help break down the ecosystem of proxy organisations used by foreign powers to target our democratic institutions.

We're also giving more direct support to businesses to make sure they remain safe.

The new tools we have created through the National Cyber Security Centre will help every kind of business, from the SME with a handful of employees, to larger corporations with hundreds of staff. 

Our ‘Cyber Action Toolkit' that we launched last month is designed to empower sole traders and small businesses to take their first steps toward cyber protection. 

Our ‘Cyber Essentials' certification proves your organisation is protected against common cyber threats.

And over 13,000 organisations are part of the free ‘Early Warning' service, giving them exclusive access to information on potential cyber-attacks. 

All of this work will be enhanced next year when we publish the new National Cyber Action Plan. 

It will outline how we will continue to build resilience and combat the technological threats facing us to secure economic growth.

And, of course, it's vital that the police, National Crime Agency, and our security services continue to work together so we can ruthlessly pursue and disrupt these cyber threats. 

These criminals need to know we will use all of the tools at our disposal to counter their activity.

We must support our businesses in any way we can. But businesses cannot be protected by the government alone. 

Which is why last month, a letter was sent to the CEOs of the FTSE 350 companies that implored those business leaders to recognise the threat that is facing them.

Now, today I'm talking to some great leaders from our tech sector - a sector that knows the importance behind rigorous security. 

And I believe we are staring at a potential win-win situation for us if our business leaders increase their cyber security, working alongside the innovative UK cyber industry that brings in over £13billion in revenue. 

Because this should be a priority for everyone driven at board-level, and I implore any business leader who thinks they may be exempt from gripping cyber risks to think again.

Perhaps the Parliament of the past was right. 

They could more or less evade utilising technology and, by doing so, they could keep their discussions mostly private and keep the country running. 

That is not an option open to any of us today. Technology enhances everything we do. 

It keeps our democracy transparent, it keeps our businesses successful, it keeps people connected and safe. 

But this interconnection between technology and society can be exploited by those who seek to cause us harm.

Many of you in this room lead by example.

Our tech sector is one of the most crucial chips in the economy's motherboard. One that takes its cyber security seriously.

I hope that, through Government support and their own initiative, that the rest of our business leaders follow in your footsteps.