Government and industry have chaired a new National Cyber
Advisory Board for the first time to discuss how they will
protect and promote the UK’s interests in cyberspace, including
how best to counter growing cyber threats.
Co-chaired by the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, , and Chief Information
Officer at Lloyds Banking Group, Sharon Barber, the Board, which
met yesterday (Tuesday, 8 November), ensures that senior leaders
from the private and third sectors challenge, support and inform
the UK’s strategic approach to cyber.
This includes making the UK a more secure and resilient nation
better prepared for evolving threats and risks and using cyber
capabilities to protect the public against crime, fraud and
hostile state threats.
The meeting comes in the wake of new official
figures which reveal that in the 12 months to March 2022
there have been 2.7m cyber-related frauds to individuals and
businesses. The UK is now the third most targeted nation for
cyber attacks, behind the USA and Ukraine.
The Board champions a ‘whole of society’ approach to building the
UK’s cyber future established as part of the UK’s National Cyber
Strategy - which is backed by £2.6bn of funding and aims to make
the UK a leading and democratic cyber power by 2030.
Its members include leaders from Google Cloud and Vodafone, ASOS
and Marks and Spencers, to Queen’s University Belfast and the UK
Cyber Security Council.
Chair of the Board and Chancellor of the Duchy of
Lancaster, , said:
Protecting and promoting the UK’s interests in cyberspace cannot
be achieved in isolation, it must be a shared endeavour between
government and all parts of the economy and society. We have seen
how cyber attacks are increasing, putting the UK and our
businesses and services on the frontline of global threats.
That’s why this new National Cyber Advisory Board is so
important, bringing leaders from across industry, the third
sector and academia to share information and expertise on how to
build and protect our digital economy and services.
Co-chair and Chief Information Officer at Lloyds Banking
Group, Sharon Barber, commented:
The digital world is ever changing and businesses and the
Government must continue to adapt, innovate and invest in order
to protect ourselves, the public, and our data - that’s why we
need everyone around the table through the Board working together
to help keep individuals and businesses safe online.
Only if we ensure everyone plays their part in the UK’s cyber
future will we prosper from the opportunities that the online
world brings.
The new Board will work closely with the Government’s National
Cyber Security Centre, which is already running campaigns and
training for business, Government and consumers to build cyber
resilience.
This month the NCSC and the City of London Police will be
launching a new ‘Cyber Aware’ campaign to help people reduce the
risk of cyber fraud in the run-up to Christmas by helping
shoppers to reduce their vulnerability to fraud.
The National Cyber Advisory Board will meet every quarter, with
the next meeting expected to take place in the first quarter of
2023.
Full membership of the Board:
Rt Hon CBE MP, Chancellor
of the Duchy of Lancaster (Co-Chair)
Sharon Barber, Chief Information Officer, Lloyds
Banking Group (Co-Chair)
David, CEO, Tech UK
Claudia Natanson, Chairperson, UK Cyber Security
Council.
Stephen Bonner, Executive Director, Regulatory
Futures, Information Commissioner’s Office
Debbie Forster, Co-founder and CEO, Tech Talent
Charter
Nick Godfrey, Director, Office of the CISO,
Google Cloud
Saj Huq, Director of Innovation, Plexal
Chris Johnson, Pro Vice Chancellor, Engineering
and Physical Sciences, Queen’s University Belfast
Rachel Laursen, Global CISO and Head of
Technology Risk, Marks and Spencer
Emma Smith, Cyber Security Director, Vodafone
Don Smith, Vice President, Secureworks
Yasmin Brooks, Co-Lead Global Cyber & Data
Practice, Brunswick Group
Alison Dyer, CISO, ASOS
David Meads, Chief Executive, UK and Ireland,
CISCO
Stuart Aston, National Security Officer,
Microsoft.
