Governments look to up cybersecurity protection to combat rising global threats

A number of notable governments have announced plans to upgrade their cyber defences as the risk of cyberattacks rises globally.

In the Indo-Pacific region, representatives from the governments of Japan, Australia, India and the US recently met in Tokyo to discuss the threats posed by China to both cybersecurity and maritime safety in the region.

Elsewhere, the UK has been described as “desperately exposed” to cyber threats, according to the government’s Science Secretary Peter Kyle (via The Guardian).

Threats and risks on the rise

Kyle has blamed the former UK Conservative government for eroding the country’s esilience to both cyber attacks and future pandemics.

“National resilience suffered terribly, catastrophically,” he said. “The open warfare of the previous government prevented any kind of progress in these areas and left our country desperately exposed not just to a future pandemic but also to cybersecurity issues.”

A new cybersecurity and resilience bill is set to be introduced to the UK Parliament, alongside its AI Bill announced during the recent King’s Speech, but Kyle’s comments follow a recent warning by the National Cyber Security Centre stating that the UK was falling behind the capabilities of countries launching state-sponsored attacks against UK critical infrastructure.

On the other side of the globe, Japan’s Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa declared at the Tokyo summit, “In order to have the prosperity in the region, we must ensure stability of the foundation in maritime, cyber and space domains. We Quad nations aim to protect the foundations of prosperity in the Indo-Pacific as we seek to achieve an international community of co-existence and co-prosperity.”

Without specifically mentioning China, she stated, “a certain country” was launching cyber attacks and escalating tensions in “a certain region,” adding, “We Quad nations aim to protect the foundations of prosperity in the Indo-Pacific as we seek to achieve an international community of co-existence and co-prosperity” (via Independent).

The US Secretary of State, Anthony Blinken, reconfirmed his commitment to combating China’s activities in the region, including its accelerating rhetoric regarding forcibly reuniting Taiwan with mainland China, stating, “We have not lost sight, indeed we are resolutely focused on this region that we share.”