MoD: Cyber threat of increasing concern
The MoD accounting officer Bill Jeffrey has said the cyber threat facing the department is of growing concern.


The Ministry of Defence (MoD) has raised concerns over cyber threats facing the department, claiming it is ensuring levels of awareness are being addressed.
While the MoD has come under fire for its device losses in the past, it has now admitted worries over outside threats are rising.
"The risk presented to the department by threats to cyber security is of increasing concern," said accounting officer Bill Jeffrey, in an MoD report.
"The department is working to improve awareness of the risks of cyber attack, and capability to respond to it flexibly and effectively."
As for data security efforts, the department has introduced new measures such as encryption of removable storage devices.
The department has also ramped up its awareness initiatives to minimise data loss incidents and now 92 per cent of MoD workers have finished "the appropriate level" of training, Jeffrey said.
This has helped cut laptop losses from 326 in 2008-09 to 121 in 2009-10, he added.
Sign up today and you will receive a free copy of our Future Focus 2025 report - the leading guidance on AI, cybersecurity and other IT challenges as per 700+ senior executives
Jeffrey also pointed out that a number of recent Judicial Reviews "have exposed limitations in the department's capacity to identify and retrieve information for legal disclosure."
There are flaws in the current systems, Jeffrey admitted, as they make it harder for the MoD to guarantee access to data needed to respond to time-critical judicial enquiries or other requests.
The department is now working on improving its data management infrastructure, he added.
Last month, it emerged 340 laptops worth around 620,000 had either been lost or stolen from MoD staff in the past two years.
Furthermore, 215 USB memory sticks and 13 mobile phones had gone missing, with personal data placed at risk.
Tom Brewster is currently an associate editor at Forbes and an award-winning journalist who covers cyber security, surveillance, and privacy. Starting his career at ITPro as a staff writer and working up to a senior staff writer role, Tom has been covering the tech industry for more than ten years and is considered one of the leading journalists in his specialism.
He is a proud alum of the University of Sheffield where he secured an undergraduate degree in English Literature before undertaking a certification from General Assembly in web development.
-
Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei's prediction about AI in software development is nowhere nearly to becoming a reality
News In March, Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei claimed up to 90% of code would be written by AI within six months – his prediction hasn't quite come to fruition.
-
Veracode bolsters leadership team for next growth chapter
News The application security vendor has named Anthony Barkley as chief strategy officer and Diana Bushard as general counsel
-
‘Hugely significant’: Experts welcome UK government plans to back down in Apple encryption battle – but it’s not quite over yet
News Tulsi Gabbard, US director of national intelligence, has confirmed the UK plans to back down on plans that would see Apple forced to create a "back door" for authorities.
-
‘A huge national security risk’: Thousands of government laptops, tablets, and phones are missing and nowhere to be found
News A freedom of information disclosure shows more than 2,000 government-issued phones, tablets, and laptops have been lost or stolen, prompting huge cybersecurity concerns.
-
The UK cybersecurity sector is worth over £13 billion, but experts say there’s huge untapped potential if it can overcome these hurdles
Analysis A new report released by the DSIT revealed the UK’s cybersecurity sector generated £13.2 billion over the last year
-
"Thinly spread": Questions raised over UK government’s latest cyber funding scheme
The funding will go towards bolstering cyber skills, though some industry experts have questioned the size of the price tag
-
Threat of cyber attacks to national security compared to that of chemical weapons
News The UK government has raised the threat level posed by cyber attacks, deeming it greater on average than an event such as the Salisbury poisoning
-
2022 Public Sector Identity Index Report
Whitepaper UK Report
-
UK and Japan strike digital partnership to collaborate on IoT security, semiconductors
News The two countries are also set to align their approaches to digital regulation to make it easier for companies to operate in each nation
-
Defra's legacy software problem 'threatens' UK gov cyber security until 2030
News The department spends over two-thirds of its digital budget on maintaining the risky applications, with no plan in place for a fix within the decade