Growing concerns over the UK’s ability to wage war in cyberspace has prompted the creation of a new ‘cyber force’, according to a report first published by The Times.

The Ministry of Defence and GCHQ are reportedly planning on creating the force, which will be comprised of up to 2,000 specialists and focus on improving the UK’s cyber defences. The creation of this force is believed to be imminent and will equate to a near four-fold increase in cybersecurity manpower.

A New Age of Warfare

Britain’s futuristic cyber force will be made up of GCHQ officials, military personnel and contractors and, according to sources, will receive more than £250 million in funding.

Others speculated that the figure will be significantly higher as the government continues to focus on tackling terrorism and crime on the web. Recent state-sponsored cyber attacks and military campaigns against ISIS have demonstrated the growing necessity of coordinated cyber warfare efforts.

In July 2018, a parliamentary committee suggested that government ministers were failing to grasp the severity of skills shortages in the cybersecurity field – despite “potentially severe implications” for the nation’s security.

The Joint Committee on the National Security Strategy said: “We are struck by the Government’s apparent lack of urgency in addressing the cyber security skills gap, which is of vital importance to both national security and the economy.”

Reports also highlighted the 2017 WannaCry attack as an example in which national infrastructure can be devastated. NHS services were severely disrupted due to the attack, which left NHS staff unable to access critical tools and information.

Collaboration

Exact details over the setup of the UK’s cyber force are currently unknown. However, the new joint force will be established at a separate location that is yet to be disclosed, according to sources. GCHQ currently operates in Cheltenham while the military operates at Northwood.

Questions over who will run the operation have also been raised. It has been suggested that the military and GCHQ will take turns in leading operations, with one organisation chief leading the charge, and another fielding a deputy. these individuals will serve for one term and then switch roles.

What is known, is that increased coordination between intelligence services and the military will be a key focus.

“The MoD and GCHQ have a long and proud history of working together, including on the National Offensive Cyber Programme,” a government spokesperson said. “We are both committed to continuing to invest in this area, given the real threats the UK faces from a range of hostile actors.”