Transform policing’s resilience to cyber attacks with new strategy focus

TLDR:

Key points:

• The National Police Chiefs’ Council has published the National Policing Cyber Security Strategy to enhance policing’s resilience to cyber attacks while maintaining public trust.
• The strategy includes five objectives covering risk management, attack protection, event detection, incident impact minimization, and cyber security skills enhancement.

New Strategy Focuses on Transforming Policing’s Resilience to Cyber Attack

In a recent announcement, the National Police Chiefs’ Council unveiled the National Policing Cyber Security Strategy aimed at bolstering policing’s ability to combat cyber threats while upholding public confidence in law enforcement. This three-year strategy, described as a significant advancement by NPCC chief Gavin Stephens, supports broader efforts to equip policing for present and future challenges from cybercriminals.

The Cyber Security Strategy forms an integral part of the National Policing Digital Strategy and is aligned with the government’s own initiatives. It outlines five key objectives focusing on risk management, attack prevention, event detection, incident mitigation, and the enhancement of cyber security skills and knowledge.

To achieve these objectives, the strategy emphasizes the need for an evolved cyber security operating model tailored to meet the diverse needs of different police forces. It acknowledges the financial constraints that smaller forces face in recruiting cyber expertise and proposes centrally provided cyber security services to bridge this gap. The strategy underscores the crucial role of police chiefs in fostering a culture of cyber security awareness and emphasizing the need for consistency and collaboration across forces.

Furthermore, the strategy outlines a plan of work with a proposed timetable for implementation, subject to securing adequate funding. Oversight of the strategy’s delivery will be entrusted to a Cyber Security Strategy Steering Group, with day-to-day management handled by cyber expertise-led working groups. Evaluation of the strategy’s success will be based on baseline data from SyAP scores, reflecting the maturity of policing’s cyber security controls.

Overall, the National Policing Cyber Security Strategy represents a proactive approach towards enhancing policing’s resilience to cyber attacks, with a focus on collaboration, education, and resource optimization.