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MoD to boost cyber defences with new security partnership

The UK's Ministry of Defence has partnered with companies including Hewlett Packard and Rolls-Royce to create a cyber security protection group aimed at boosting defences in the event of cyber attacks.

The Defence Cyber Protection Partnership (DCPP) has the primary focus of reducing threats to the UK's defence supply chain -- the chain by which military operations are supplied with essential equipment and supplies. But the results of the partnership are also expected to filter down and benefit commerce and industry too.

To give a little background as to why the boost is necessary, on a country-wide level the National Security Strategy has ranked cyber attacks as a Tier One threat to national security. In terms of the effects on businesses, "93 percent of large corporations and 76 percent of small businesses reported a cyber breach in the past year" according to the government's Keeping the UK safe in cyber space policy.

"This is an issue which demands a concerted and co-ordinated approach between government and industry, and the DCPP is a critical component of this," said DCPP chair Vic Leverett.

"Collaboration between industries and with government has been first class, reflecting the joint commitment to succeed with our 2013 objectives. The whole is proving to be significantly better than the sum of the parts."

The work of the DCPP will be to raise awareness of cyber risk factors, to share threat intelligence and to use their expertise in relation to the application of cyber security standards.

It is also expected to offer guidance to organisations operating within the defence supply chain and to work in conjunction with the Department for Business Innovation and Skills on organisational standards projects.

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