UK sets up new cyber security centre to protect defence networks and systems

The UK is setting up a new cyber security centre designed to protect Ministry of Defense (MoD) networks and systems from ''malicious actors.''

The Cyber Security Operations Centre (CSOC) will be a dedicated facility using advanced cyber defense capabilities to shield the MoD's cyberspace from threats, allowing safer  operations.

''Britain is a world leader in cyber security but with growing threats this new operations center will ensure that our armed forces continue to operate securely,'' defense secretar, Michael Falon said.

''Our increasing defense budget means that we can stay ahead of our adversaries in cyberspace while also investing in conventional capabilities.''

Fallon's statement follows the arrest of a 74-year-old peace activist who refused to leave a protest site outside an NSA spy base in Yorkshire last month. 

Official dispersal orders were also issued banning assembly of protesters there.

Founding member of Campaign for the Accountability of American Bases (CAAB) Lindis Percy was arrested by police at the Menwith Hill US listening post on 16 March and though the base was officially called RAF Menwith Hill, most of the staff there were reportedly American employees of the NSA.

The snooping facility formed part of the US' global intelligence gathering network, with at least 1,450 US civilian and military personnel said to be working there.

Meanwhile, even as day-to-day security practices and procedures in businesses and agencies were being carried out in the traditional way, security considerations were at a discount.

Worse, these are often perceived by employees as excessive, cumbersome and unnecessary measures that could be ignored and overlooked when in a rush to meet critical deadlines and complete overdue tasks.

Digital Guardian, a cybersecurity firm that offered a data loss prevention (DLP) platform, intended to challenge the norm by integrating gaming concepts and mechanics into the daily security practices of firms and organisations.

The idea was proposed first by Mark Stevens, senior vice president of Global Services at Digital Guardian, during a presentation at the 2016 RSA Conference  in San Francisco.

Stevens presented DG Data Defender, a cost-free gaming system. Using DG Data Defender   companies could turn their average employees, arguably one of the greatest risks to the protection of data, into their greatest security assets.