Nations’ cybersecurity is shaped by the private sector

Cyber space has no borders. As the government confronts ever-changing cyber threats, a key approach is to learn from initiatives in allied nations and put what is learned into practice. Conrad Prince is Senior Advisor at U.K. company BAE Systems, a company that provides assistance for the national defense industry in such areas as global defense electronics, cybersecurity and aerospace. He stressed that the private sector has the most important role to play in cybersecurity.

The private sector is responsible for management and operation of key infrastructure for electric power, transport, finance, and information communication, and has accumulated more knowledge about cyber threats than the government. Universities and venture companies are the ones giving birth to technological innovation, and global corporations lead the way in the latest technology and digital infrastructure. Naturally, the private sector also has more human resources in the security field. Mr. Prince argued that “private sector responses to cyber threats are the source of the nation’s cyber skills. For a nation to strengthen its cybersecurity measures, close collaboration and joint initiatives between the private sector and government are essential.”

Mr. Prince introduced the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) as an example of initiatives being taken by the U.K. government. The NCSC was founded in the U.K. in 2016 as an organization to lead cybersecurity efforts in that country. Among its efforts is the Industry 100 program in which government and private sector experts jointly tackle cybersecurity issues.

What is important in government-private sector collaboration is to ensure transparency. Specifically, this means making clear what information is shared with whom and at what level. Mr. Prince closed his remarks by pointing out the importance also of building a framework, including the means for ensuring transparency, in which the private sector can benefit from the collaboration.