Jude McCorry: “Focus on cyber strategy alone is not enough” 

The number of cyber attacks has been on the rise since the start of the pandemic, with both international and domestic cyber criminals taking advantage of our increased reliance on technology. We welcome the new National Cyber Strategy, particularly with its emphasis on a ‘whole of society’ approach.

From a business perspective, the public and private sectors alone cannot drive the change needed to level up cyber security in the UK and keep us safe from cyber criminals both here and abroad; we must work in partnership.

The new strategy also strengthens law enforcement response to cybercrime, something which we fully support: our partnership with Police Scotland is built into the SBRC’s DNA and is a relationship which we are continuing to grow. Cybercrime can have a devastating impact on businesses and individuals alike, and it’s important to recognise a crime committed online is a crime like any other. 

Ultimately, it is vital that the strategy also complements the significant work we’re seeing in each of the UK’s devolved nations, to ensure our public services and local businesses are best prepared to withstand cyber attacks, while working in partnership with the organisations already established to increase business and cyber resilience.

A focus on cyber strategy alone isn’t enough, however. Whilst we must increase cybersecurity and reduce the number of associated attacks, we must also consider what comes next and prioritise cyber resilience – ensuring those organisations which do suffer an attack can quickly recover. Cyber resilience is essential not just for national security, but also for business continuity and therefore the overall UK economy.