Some of the biggest technology, telecommunications and security firms will share cyber threat intelligence with the government to help increase the security of the defence supply chain, as part of a new government scheme.
The scheme involves the Centre for the Protection of National Infrastructure (CPNI), Government Communications Headquarters, and the Ministry of Defence (MoD). The nine companies working with the government are BAE Systems, BT, Cassidian, CGI, HP, Lockheed Martin, Rolls-Royce, Selex ES and Thales UK.
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The new programme, dubbed the Defence Cyber Protection Partnership (DCPP), aims to increase awareness of cyber risks and develop a risk-focused approach to applying cyber security standards.
"We are only going to address this threat by working together: setting high standards, developing best practice, and sharing real-time information about the type and extent of cyber-attack that each company is experiencing," said Sam Keayes, vice president for security and consulting at Thales UK.
The MoD said that the DCPP model is intended to be used as a template to be followed by commercial sectors to improve resilience across UK industry.
It added that it would work with trade associations ADS and Intellect to raise awareness and improve the understanding of cyber risks. The DCPP, it said, would provide guidance to organisations in the defence supply chain.
The scheme comes on the back of several partnerships that the government has launched, aimed at raising cyber security awareness and ensuring that the UK is prepared for cyber security threats.
In March, the government launched a cyber security information-sharing partnership (CISP), and the MoD said that the companies involved within the DCPP will share intelligence on tackling cyber threats from the defence sector with other industry sectors and government through the CISP.
