Cyberspace arms race warning

By Murray Wardrop

The Foreign Secretary revealed that Britain has developed new weapons to counter the threat from computer hackers and is prepared to strike first to defend the nation’s infrastructure and businesses.
 

He warned that with an ever-changing battlefield, the Government was investing heavily in new deterrents but could not guarantee they would be sufficient in repelling cyber attacks.
 

"We will defend ourselves in every way we can, not only to deflect but to prevent attacks that we know are taking place,” Mr Hague told The Sun.
 

"We are trying to prevent an arms race in cyber space. Given that the internet changes every day and billions more people will have access to it over the coming years, the potential for that arms race to grow and go out of control is enormous.
 

“There is no 100 per cent defence against this, just as there isn't against any other form of attack. We have to defend critical national infrastructure. We have to defend national security. We have to defend our entire commercial and economic system.

"Of course we are very determined that such major attacks will not get through — this is the reason for our heavy investment. But you now have to assume that they will be attempted."
 
The Government is investing an extra £650 million to develop deterrents to hostile viruses and hackers.
 
The move comes after a defence review ranked the threat of cyber attacks Tier One.
 
As well as Government computers, systems controlling the nation's essential infrastructure are also potential targets, such as power plants and the air traffic control system.
 
Britain joins several other nations working to improve cyber security, Mr Hague said.
 
Senior officials from more than 60 nations and experts from internet companies are due to meet in London next month to discuss the cyber threat and draw up a coordinate plan to counter it.
 Telegraph