West faces 'moment of reckoning' in cybersecurity, claims GCHQ head

Jeremy Fleming believes Britain must adapt to face global threats and calls for ‘whole nation approach’

The head of spy agency GCHQ has called for Britain to adapt its cyber security measures in the face of increasing developments abroad.

Jeremy Fleming said Britain and its allies are facing a "moment of reckoning", in a speech at the Imperial College Vincent Briscoe Annual Security Lecture according to The Guardian, adding that future cyber protection technology may not always be "shaped by the west".

"Cybersecurity is an increasingly strategic issue that needs a whole-nation approach. The rules are changing in ways not always controlled by government," Fleming said.

"And without action it is increasingly clear that the key technologies on which we will rely for our future prosperity and security won't be shaped and controlled by the West. We are now facing a moment of reckoning.

"In the natural world, during a period of rapid change, the only option is to adapt. And it's the same for us."

Cyber attacks have been on the up in recent years, with an influx of threat actors targeting vendors as well as channel partners including Econocom, FireEye and SolarWinds.

FireEye claimed last year that it believed its hack to be "state sponsored" by a nation with "top-tier offensive capabilities".

An attack on SolarWinds affected US government agencies and about 100 private sector companies, while channel partners including likes of CompuCom, Umanis and DXC Technology are also among those to have been impacted by separate incidents.

"The UK has always enjoyed a strong track record in technology innovation," Fleming added.

"As a country, we need to be using all the levers and tools at our disposal to shape and grow key technologies and markets. We must do that in a way that helps protect the nation and open society.

"And that means becoming better at using the power of the state to both foster and protect brilliant developments in technology."