The government is to set up a cyber defence force as part of plans to help strengthen national security against new threats.
The Ministry of Defence has announced plans to recruit hundreds of reservists as computer experts. They will work alongside the military’s regular forces in setting up the new Joint Cyber Reserve Unit.
In a statement, the Ministry of Defence said that the “creation of the ”Joint Cyber Unit (Reserve) will allow it to draw on individuals’ talent, skills and expertise gained from their civilian experience to meet these threats".
Secretary of Defence Philip Hammond has said that the new unit will have the ability to – if necessary – launch strikes against enemy or terrorist forces.
According to the government, the unit’s main purpose is to protect computer networks against attack and to safeguard vital data.
Hammond told the Conservative Party conference that “the threat is real”, reports the BBC.
“Last year, our cyber defences blocked around 400,000 advanced, malicious cyber threats to the government secure intranet alone,” he said.
Speaking to the Mail on Sunday, Hammond expanded on the department’s plans, saying that clinical “cyber strikes” could be used to cripple enemies without the need to send in planes or other assets.
“People think of military as land, sea and air. We long ago recognised a fourth domain - space. Now there’s a fifth - cyber,” he told the paper.
"This is the new frontier of defence. For years, we have been building a defensive capability to protect ourselves against these cyber attacks. That is no longer enough.
"You deter people by having an offensive capability. We will build in Britain a cyber strike capability so we can strike back in cyber space against enemies who attack us, putting cyber alongside land, sea, air and space as a mainstream military activity.
“Our commanders can use cyber weapons alongside conventional weapons in future conflicts.”
Image credit: US Secretary of Defence
Courtesy: T3
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