When we think of doomsday scenarios, what Government refers to as innocuous 'Tier One Risks', we think of major natural disasters, terrorism or war. Indeed, the film and game industry has long been making a living prophesising along such lines with these events playing out on our screens time and time again. Yet lurking alongside such threats is something less tangible, less visible, but no less serious. In a global, digitally connected world, Britain is under continued and sustained cyber attack.
The mention of cyber security immediately conjures up the murky world of espionage, with hostile nations using technology to steal military secrets. What is not immediately obvious is the recent compromise of Twitter accounts, the loss of the credit card details of Playstation users, or the UK firm that lost £800m as a result of a cyber attack. Gone are the days when cyber security was something that states and states alone worried about. It now poses a problem for every business and family in the country. It is a problem not just for Government, but for individuals also.
You only have to visit the fantastic Swindon Museum of Computing to see the evolution of the problem. Computers used to be a static entity, internet access a slow negotiation with whoever wanted to use the telephone at the same time. Now in the age of smart phones and tablets, everyone carries around a computer in their pocket. Such devices are constantly sending and receiving information, connected via the internet to millions of other users.
Yet with the challenges cyber threats pose come opportunities also. These are opportunities that the Government rightly recognises and is acting upon. It is our ambition to make Britain a digital 'safe haven' for business and a world leader in cyber security expertise and products. It is an ambition we are making significant progress on and the Public Accounts Committee, of which I am a member, will shortly be examining.
In a global and increasingly online economy, it is an ambition that makes sense. Already we are seeing our security agencies joining forces with the private sector to help secure businesses online and offer guidance on effective security measures. We recognise the worldwide shortage of expertise in this area which is why we have put computer science firmly back on the National Curriculum so that Britain leads the way, exporting the next generation of expertise and products. We are working to raise awareness amongst individuals about how to stay safe online.
As the representative for the Town that has its own testament to the history of computing and key companies like Intel, the ambition to put Britain firmly on the cyber security map is one that I whole-heartedly support. I hope that Swindon can play its part in that ambition.
