UK Government seeking views to bolster the nation's data security
The UK government asked for help strengthening its data infrastructure. With cyber-threats and disruptions on the rise, boosting the security and resilience of data centres and online cloud platforms is more important than ever (DCMS).
The various regulated industries need perspectives on the tools that are used in their businesses. These tools include incident management plans, the process of notifying a regulator in the event that services are impacted, and ensuring that a person, board, or committee is responsible for the organisation's security and resilience.
Views are decided to seek tools that have been used in other regulated industries, such as having an incident management plan in place, notifying a regulator when an incident affects their services, and requiring a single board or committee to be held accountable for security and resilience.
Data centre operators, cloud platform providers, data cenre customers, security and equipment suppliers, and cybersecurity experts are all invited to participate. These parties can offer suggestions on how to best mitigate security and resilience flaws. As a result, the government will have a better understanding of how to deal with threats to data storage and processing services. The information gathered will be used by the UK government to determine if additional support or management is required once the project is completed.
Companies that operate, buy, or rent any part of a data centre will be asked to provide information about the types of customers they serve as part of the call for views. The call for views will be open for 8 weeks until midnight on 24 July, after which the government will publish a response.
Important data infrastructure enables millions of British citizens to make phone calls and send messages. The government accepts proposals to assist small businesses in gaining access to cost-effective cloud platforms, an effective tool that comprises a significant portion of essential IT services. As a significant portion of the economy relies on this infrastructure, resolving or preventing disruptions is a top priority.
The data storage and processing infrastructure of the United Kingdom consist of physical buildings housing large computer systems that store and process vast amounts of data, as well as cloud platforms that provide remote, Internet-based computing services. From 2013 to 2019, the number of companies storing data in the cloud doubled, according to the ONS (ONS) 53% of companies use cloud platforms.
Large computer systems that currently store and process significant quantities of data are housed in physical structures. In addition, cloud platforms, an essential part of today's data infrastructure, make it possible for remote, sharable computing services to be easily accessible via the internet. The new ideas aim to prevent significant disruptions to this infrastructure as a result of those disruptions.
Companies that operate, buy, or rent any component of a data centre will be asked to provide information regarding the types of customers they serve as part of the call for views that will be issued.
The Department of Digital, Culture, Media, and Sport (DCMS) will evaluate the evidence and determine whether or not the data storage and processing infrastructure require any additional government support or management in order to minimise the risks that are currently being faced.
This work is being done as a component of the government's National Data Strategy, which aims to protect and strengthen the infrastructure upon which data is dependent.
According to Julian David, CEO of techUK - The cloud platforms and physical data centres that make up the United Kingdom's data infrastructure provide the foundation for the digital technologies and services that are coming to be increasingly relied upon by all types of organisations and individuals.
The feedback that was provided will be reviewed by the government, and then a response will be published following the call for views.
