Patel announces hostile state activity assessment body

Home Secretary Priti Patel has publicly confirmed the existence of the joint state threats assessment team (JSTAT), established in 2017 to better understand the threat of hostile state activity and inform the government’s response.

The decision to publicly avow JSTAT has been taken in order to maximise its utility to the national security community, enabling greater engagement with stakeholders, industry and academics.

The body allow for broader communication of the threats to government departments and agencies, as well as partners across the private and charitable sectors, ensuring they have access to information to better protect themselves.

Patel said: “We continue to face a very real and serious threat from states who seek to undermine and destabilise this country to pursue their own agendas. It is vital that we continue to gain a deeper understanding of the wide-range of threats we face in order to take robust action to protect our national security. JSTAT has enhanced our capabilities and understanding of the state-based threats we face and will continue to do so in order to protect us at home and abroad.”

Similar to other independent assessment bodies, including the joint terrorism analysis centre, JSTAT reports to a governance board comprising senior officials from across the UK intelligence community and wider government departments. The Director General of MI5 has ultimate responsibility for the organisation.