The Communications Electronics Security Group (CESG) has launched two new schemes to help organisations obtain the relevant expertise in the event that they are subjected to a cyber-attack.
CESG, the information security arm of British spy agency GCHQ, is launching the two cyber-incident response schemes with the Centre for the Protection of National Infrastructure (CPNI) and the Council of Registered Ethical Security Testers (CREST).
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The launch comes nine months after GCHQ unveiled a cyber-incident response pilot, which was intended to help public sector organisations that form part of the UK's critical national infrastructure deal with cyber-attacks.
CESG said the pilot's findings suggested it should adopt a "twin-track approach" for certified Cyber Incident Response services.
The first of the two approaches would be a broad-based scheme led by CREST and endorsed by GCHQ and CPNI, which focuses on the standards that are necessary for organisations of all sectors including industry, the public sector and academia.
The second of the approaches is a small and focused government-led Cyber Incident Response scheme, certified by GCHQ and CPNI, which enables firms to get help if the attacks are sophisticated, targeted attacks against networks of national significance.
CESG said the plans would allow organisations that suffer cyber-attacks, including national and multinational industry, SMEs, organisations handling the UK's critical national infrastructure and the whole of the public sector, to receive the most relevant incident response service for their needs, and enable GCHQ and CPNI to focus on "the most challenging attacks".
"I am delighted to announce a unique government-industry partnership to tackle the effects of cyber-incidents. This scheme and others like it, together with the '10 Steps to Cyber Security' guidance for business launched last year, are an important part of our effort to provide assistance to industry and government to protect UK interests in cyberspace," said cyber security minister Chloe Smith.
In November 2012, data intelligence provider BAE Systems Detica and security providers Cassidian, Context IS and Mandiant were selected by CESG and CPNI to work in partnership to provide the appropriate services to organisations certified by CESG/CPNI to respond to cyber-incidents, as part of the aforementioned pilot.
