### #CyberSupportInitiative #CriticalInfrastructureDefense #InternationalCyberCollaboration
Summary: The British government is set to launch a new Cyber Incident Response Capability (CIRC) to assist partner countries facing cyberattacks, particularly focusing on critical national infrastructure. This initiative will be available to both NATO allies and non-NATO countries, aiming to unify public and private sector efforts in combating cyber threats.
Threat Actor: Russian Cyber Operations | Russian Cyber Operations
Victim: NATO Allies and Partner Countries | NATO Allies and Partner Countries
Key Point :
- The CIRC will provide technical assistance to countries responding to cyberattacks on critical infrastructure.
- A budget of £1 million has been allocated for the project, sourced from the Integrated Security Fund.
- Concerns were raised about the implications of Russian cyber threats, with some experts criticizing exaggerated claims about their capabilities.
- The initiative aims to foster collaboration between the public and private sectors in the UK for effective incident response.
The British government will launch a new Cyber Incident Response Capability (CIRC) to offer assistance to partner countries dealing with cyberattacks.
The CIRC will be available to NATO allies through the alliance’s virtual cyber incident support capability — launched in the wake of the Iranian cyberattacks on Albania — as well as other non-NATO countries.
Speaking at the NATO Cyber Defence Conference in London on Monday, government minister Pat McFadden said the project was aimed specifically at countries responding to “attacks on their critical national infrastructure.”
McFadden said the CIRC would bring “together both the public and private sectors in the UK to offer their technical assistance on combating those attacks.”
According to the Foreign Office, £1 million ($1.3 million) has been budgeted to the project — taken from the country’s Integrated Security Fund — to procure a private sector contractor for incident response engagements.
The details of the contract are not yet public. Costs for incident response engagements can range substantially depending on whether the provider is on retainer, and on the complexity of the incident itself.
It is likely that nation-state attacks on critical infrastructure may require extensive forensic analysis alongside other efforts to ensure the attackers are removed from the system, and be among the most expensive incidents to respond to.
It comes as McFadden warned attendees at the London conference of the severe threat that Russian cyber operations posed to Western critical infrastructure.
He warned that “Russia can turn off the lights for millions of people,” although experts criticised the claim, saying it “inadvertently bolsters Russia’s image and perceived capabilities while unnecessarily spreading fears of a doomsday scenario.”
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Source: https://therecord.media/uk-to-launch-cyber-incident-response-capability-for-allies