UK government misses an opportunity to set a direction for tackling cyber security

ELY, ENGLAND: The British government's efforts to incentivise UK businesses to do more about cyber security should be applauded, says IT Governance Ltd, but must be reinforced with clear leadership and practical next steps.

A new survey by the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) has revealed that only 14 percent of British FTSE 350 firms are regularly considering cyber threats, despite the increasingly high level of online crime.

Alan Calder, founder and executive chairman of global cyber security services provider IT Governance, says: "Whilst the government is demonstrating determination to tackle the growing cyber threat, it seems that it has so far failed to strike the right note with UK businesses. It is correct to point at the problem, but it also has to take the lead and point at the solution."

On 26th November BIS published a research report on UK Cyber Security Standards, which recognises that "the timely availability of relevant and appropriate cyber security standards with which organisations can develop and demonstrate their cyber security abilities and credentials" is a major factor for boosting the UK's "collective maturity and confidence in this area".

The report revealed that ISO 27001 is the most frequently adopted standard by a significant margin, yet the government seems slow in its decision to identify a standard which meets its own requirements as well as business needs.