Private sector to play key role in government's new cyber security strategy

Government can't do it alone, says director of the Office of Cyber Security

The government will publish a new cyber security strategy in the coming months, Neil Thompson, director of the Office of Cyber Security and Information Assurance (OCS) revealed today.

Speaking at a security conference 'Working Together to Improve UK Cyber Security', organised by government policy events organiser Inside Government, Thompson explained what the new strategy would look like.

"Partnership with the private sector will be absolutely crucial," he said. "Government can't do it alone."

Also speaking at the event was Paul Collacott, cyber policy, GCHQ.

He explained that the nature of the problem is so complex, a collaborative approach is necessary.

"The problem is networked and diffuse, so the response needs to be collaborative between government and the private sector," he said.

Thompson added that work on the partnership began last month, when Prime Minister David Cameron and other key government figures, including Security Minister Baroness Pauline Neville-Jones, met with key industry figures to discuss cyber security.

While the specific details of the meeting have not been released, Thompson said that the threat to Britain's economic future from cyber crime was discussed, and that a joint response from government and the private sector was agreed to be necessary.

"Industry has the heft and business imperative to help government deal with the threat," he said.

However, while board level representation from multinationals such as BT is understood to have been present, representatives from the SME market did not take part.

Despite this, Thompson added: "I understand that SMEs are at the front line of this problem."