Advanced cyber protections will be embedded into digital systems across critical infrastructure and devices backed by £21 million in funding.

Innovative technology that can be integrated into existing computer hardware and blocks up to 70% of the most common cyber-attacks will soon be in devices across the UK, backed by funding from Innovate UK and the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology.

The technology, Capability Hardware Enhanced RISC Instructions (CHERI), builds defences into computer systems from the off.

A large share of cyber-attacks exploit common software bugs.

CHERI adds security at the hardware level, which means many common cyber-attacks, like hijacking software or stealing data, can be stopped, ensuring devices are better protected than ever.

The funding will strengthen the services people and businesses rely on, from energy and transport to healthcare and advanced manufacturing.

As part of the package, Innovate UK is announcing the winners of two major competitions.

Almost £15 million from the Advancing CHERI RISC-V Devices competition will help three companies – EnSilica, SCI Semiconductor, and LowRISC – to get CHERI-enabled hardware into real products.

A further £6.1 million has been awarded to five projects to make supporting tools and software so developers can bring products to market faster. The projects are from: SCI Semiconductor, The University of Manchester, Capabilities Limited, University of Birmingham, and Sensor IT.

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This coordinated investment aims to help move CHERI from world-class UK research into the devices UK consumers use every day.

It aims to ensure that both the physical technology and supporting software ecosystem are ready for widespread adoption.

This will enable CHERI’s advanced cyber protections to be embedded into the systems that power everything from critical infrastructure to consumer electronics.

“CHERI changes the game for cybersecurity, enabling us to build defences directly into device hardware,” cybersecurity minister Liz Lloyd said.

“It can shut down up to 70% of the most common cyber-attacks at source, helping protect everything from the smart devices in our homes to the systems that keep hospitals running and transport moving.

“This is how we are making systems stronger from the ground up, and these investments will help us build a safer digital future as we drive new growth across our tech sector.”

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