MoD to spend over £40m on a new Cyber Security Operations Centre

New centre is intended to protect the MoD from "malicious actors"

The Ministry of Defence (MoD) is to spend more than £40m on a new Cyber Security Operations Centre (CSOC) designed to bolster its network and system defences.

The new centre will be based in Corsham, Wiltshire, which is home to a £690m central communications centre and several other MoD units.

Last November, the government outlined in its Strategic Defence and Security Review (SDSR) that it would invest £1.9bn over the next five years in protecting the UK from cyber attacks and developing "sovereign capabilities" in cyber space. The new MoD centre forms part of this wider government plan.

Defence Secretary Michael Fallon claimed that Britain was a "world leader" in cyber security, but suggested that with the growing amount of threats, the operations centre would help to ensure that the Armed Forces continue to operate securely.

"Our increasing defence budget means that we can stay ahead of our adversaries in cyberspace while also investing in conventional capabilities," he said.

The government said that the new centre would also help the MoD to work with other government departments, allies and industry on overcoming cyber security challenges.

"This will act to further strengthen our defences and enable the most efficient working," it said.

No further information in terms of suppliers or a timeline have been announced as yet.