Russian hackers are trying to “cause maximum damage to the UK’s critical national infrastructure” such as power stations, the Government warned today.
Cyber attackers are targeting vital energy plants in a bid to black out Britain, according to Cabinet Office Minister Oliver Dowden.
Issuing a “call to arms”, he will confirm the National Cyber Security Centre - part of the Government’s GCHQ eavesdropping post - is issuing an official threat notice to operators to help protect the UK.
Addressing cyber security experts in Belfast today, he will warn utility giants: “These adversaries are ideologically motivated rather than financially motivated.
“Disclosing this threat is not something we do lightly but we believe it is necessary if we want these companies to understand the current risk they face and take action to defend themselves and the country.”
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Cabinet Office Minister Oliver Dowden (PA)Mr Dowden will issue the alert at the annual CyberUK conference as he unveils a series of measures urging firms “on the front line of our cyber defences” to bolster their security and boost the economy.
The top Tory will reveal that in recent months, Russian-aligned groups have turned their focus towards the UK “with the primary motive to disrupt or destroy”, according to the Cabinet Office.
Mr Dowden is set to announce moves by the Government, including setting “specific and ambitious cyber resilience targets” for “all critical national infrastructure sectors” by 2025.
“These are the companies in charge of keeping our country running, of keeping the lights on,” he will say.
“Our shared prosperity depends on them taking their own security seriously.
“A bricks-and-mortar business wouldn’t survive if it left the back door open to criminals every night.
The Government believes the hackers are ideologically-driven (Photographer's Choice)“Equally in today’s world, businesses can’t afford to leave their digital back door open to cyber crooks and hackers.”
He will add: “The safer we make our businesses, the safer we make our economy and the more attractive we become as a destination for entrepreneurs.
“The fact that the UK has in the last few years taken cybersecurity so seriously already makes us one of the best places in the world to invest.”
The senior minister is also expected to announce a potential pay boost for cyber security experts in the Civil Service, as the Government desperately tries to lure IT boffins from the private sector into Whitehall.
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“These are people protecting the systems and public services that millions of people across the country rely on every day, so we should want the very best people in charge of them,” he will warn.
“We must be competitive to stay ahead.”
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