The UK Government has revealed how it aims to build on its place as a global cyber power with the release of its new National Cyber Strategy.

The publication of the strategy comes after the government released its Integrated Review earlier this year.

According to the strategy, the UK’s new cyber capabilities will be built around five core pillars.

The first is to strengthen the UK cyber ecosystem, investing in the country’s people and skills and deepening the partnership between government, academia and industry.

Part of this will see the introduction of a new “Cyber Explorers” online training platform to teach young people cyber skills in classrooms. An adult scheme will also help to improve diversity in the cyber workforce by providing skills to people from all backgrounds

In addition, a new “Royal Charter” for the UK Cyber Security Council has been approved by the Queen, which will help improve cyber careers and bring the cyber workforce into line with other professional occupations like engineering.

The second is to build a resilient and prosperous digital UK, reducing cyber risks so businesses can maximise the economic benefits of digital technology and ensure citizens are secure online and confident that their data is protected.

The strategy also focuses on developing and adopting the technologies vital to cyber power, building the UK’s industrial capability, and developing frameworks to secure future technologies.

Fourth is to advance UK global leadership and influence for a more secure, prosperous, and open international order, working with government and industry partners and sharing the expertise that underpins UK cyber power.

Finally, the strategy calls for detecting, disrupting, and deterring the country’s adversaries to enhance UK security in and through cyberspace, making more integrated, creative, and routine use of the UK’s full spectrum of levers.

Home Secretary Priti Patel said: “Cybercrime ruins lives and facilitates further crimes such as fraud, stalking, and domestic abuse. Billions of pounds are lost each year to cybercriminals who steal or hold personal data to ransom and who disrupt key public services or vital sectors of the national economy.

“This strategy will significantly improve the Government’s response to the ever-changing threat from cybercrime and strengthen law enforcement’s response in partnership with NCSC and the National Cyber Force.

“We all have a part to play in protecting ourselves from cybercrime. It is important that as a society, we take this threat seriously.”

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To build on this defensive and offensive capacity, the strategy calls for providing law enforcement with significant funding to ramp up their targeting of criminals.

It also will increase investment in the National Cyber Force which represents the UK’s offensive capability to counter, disrupt, degrade and contest those who would do harm to the UK and its allies, along with expanding GCHQ’s National Cyber Security Centre’s research capabilities, including the new applied research hub in Manchester.

Additional moves will see the implementation of the Product Security and Telecommunications Infrastructure Bill to enforce minimum security standards in all new consumer smart products, and greater investment in public sector cybersecurity to ensure that key public services remain resilient to evolving threats and can continue to deliver for citizens who need them.

The plans will be supported by £2.6 billion of investment, previously announced in this year’s Spending Review.

In addition, the strategy will see the creation of the new National Cyber Advisory Board (NCAB), which will bring together senior leaders from the private and third sectors to challenge, support and inform the Government’s approach to cyber.

This new body comes alongside the creation of a National Laboratory for Operational Technology Security which will bring Government, industry and academia together to make sure that the UK economy is built on the highest level of cyber resilience.

Sir Jeremy Fleming, Director GCHQ said: “The National Cyber Strategy builds on the country’s strong foundations in cybersecurity that GCHQ’s work has been part of, particularly through the NCSC. But it goes beyond that.

“It brings together the full range of cyber activities, from skills to communities, and to the use of offensive cyber capabilities through the newly established National Cyber Force.

“It shows how the UK can build capacity across the country to continue to prosper from the opportunities of cyberspace. And, as a leading responsible cyber power, can build alliances with democratic partners around the world to protect a free, open and peaceful cyberspace.”