LONDON, Jan. 6 -- The government of the United Kingdom issued the following news:

* £210 million plan to strengthencyberresilience across government * Government CyberUnit to coordinate risk management and incident response across departments * Leading firms with strong track record ofcybersecurity to drive best practice through new Software Security Ambassador Scheme

New measures will be introduced to make online public services more secure and resilient, so people can use them with confidence - whether applying for benefits, paying taxesor accessing healthcare.

Backed byover£210 million, the GovernmentCyberAction Plan published today (Tuesday 6 January) sets out how government will rise to meet the growing range of online threats.Driven by a new GovernmentCyberUnit, the plan will rapidly improvecyberdefences and digital resilience across government departments and the wider public sector, so people can trust that their data and services are protected.

ItunderpinsUK government plans todigitise publicservices.This will make more servicesaccessible online, reduce time spent on phone queues and paperwork, and enable citizens to access support without repeating information across multiple departments. This approach could unlock up to£45 billion (note) in productivity savingsby using technology effectively across the public sector.

However, realising these benefits depends on trust. As services move online, they must be secure and resilient. Cyberattackscan take vital public services offline in minutes, disrupting lives and undermining confidence. The new plan addresses this challenge head-on.

Released as theCyberSecurity and Resilience Billhasits Second Reading in theHouse ofCommons,the Billsets outclearexpectations for firmsprovidingservices to government to boost theircyberresilience. From energy and water suppliers to healthcare and data centres, strong defences throughout supplychainswill help keep the water running and the lights burning - facing down thecyberattackers who want to grindourcountry to a halt.

The plan will leadto:

* clearer visibility of risks: shining a light oncyberand digital resilience risks across government, sowe can focus efforts where it matters most * stronger central action on the toughest challenges: taking decisive, joined-up actionacross departmentson severe and complex risks that no single organisation can solve alonewith a dedicated team overseeingcoordination * faster response to threats and incidents: reacting quickly to fast-movingcyberthreats and vulnerabilities to minimise harm and speed up recoverybyrequiring departments to have robust incident response arrangements in place * higher resilience across government: boosting resilience at scale, with targeted measures to close major gaps and protect critical services

Digital Government Minister Ian Murraysaid:

Cyber-attackscantake vital public services offline in minutes- disrupting ourdigital servicesand ourvery way of life.

This plan sets a new bar to bolster the defences of our public sector, puttingcyber-criminals on warning that we are going further and faster to protect the UK's businesses and public services alike.

This ishowwe keep people safe, services running, and builda government the public can trust in the digital age.

Today's plan is also bolstered by further steps to take the UK'scyberdefences further and faster.

A new Software Security Ambassador Scheme will now help drive adoption of the Software Security Code of Practice - a voluntary project designed to reduce software supply chain attacks and disruption.

Software underpins the economyas a corecomponentof all technologies that businesses rely on. Yetweaknesses in software can cause severe disruption to supply chains and the essential services the publicuseeverydaywithmore than half(59%) (note) of organisationsexperiencing softwaresupplychain attacksin the pastyear.

These issues can be addressed by embedding basic software security practicesacross the software market.Amongothers,Cisco, Palo Alto Networks, Sage,Santanderand NCC Groupwill come on board as the scheme's ambassadors, championing the Code across sectors,showcasingpractical implementation, andproviding feedbackto inform future policy improvements.

Cyberrisk to the public sectorremainshigh.Theplan responds with £210 millionto spark a step change in public sectorcyberdefences, holding organisations to account for fixing vulnerabilities. This includes setting clear minimum standards and investing in more hands-on support to minimise the impact when incidents do occur.

Cyberresilience is central to the government's mission of national renewal. Secure, reliable digital public services help protect citizens, support growth, and deliver better value for taxpayers, whilemaintainingtrust in the services communities rely on every day.

Thomas Harvey, Chief Information Security Officer (CISO), Santander UK said:

We are pleased to be an ambassador for the UK government's Software Security Code of Practice and it reflects our broader commitment to collective resilience.By advocating for these standards we're not just protecting Santander and our customers, we are helping to build a more secure digital economy for everyone.

Notes to editors

* Statistics referenced in the Department for Science, Innovation, and Technology's State of digital government review. * Statistics on software supply chain cyber incidents are taken from The State of Software Supply Chain Security Risks report, by Ponemon Institute LLC.

Read the Government Cyber Action Plan.

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