New system to deal with online attacks

Britain’s cyber security agencies have launched a major overhaul of how they grade online attacks.

Incidents can now be classified in six categories, up from three under the previous arrangements.

The system has been designed to bring greater clarity and consistency to the response triggered when UK networks are targeted by hackers, online fraudsters or hostile states.

Drawn up by the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC), the new cyber incident framework spans the full range of threats from national crises to attacks against individuals.

Officials described the new approach as a “step change” in how intelligence experts work with law enforcement to thwart hackers.

They said information processed by the new mechanism will ultimately be used to generate the most comprehensive national picture to date of the cyber threat landscape.

Paul Chichester, director of operations at the NCSC, said: “This will strengthen the UK’s ability to respond to the significant, growing and diverse cyber threats we face.

“The new system will offer an improved framework for dealing with incidents.

“Individual judgments will, of course, still be applied to respond to incidents as necessary.”

The NCSC, which is part of intelligence agency GCHQ, has responded to more than 800 “significant” incidents since it was established in October 2016.

Among the most highprofile episodes was the global “ransomware” outbreak which affected dozens of NHS trusts in May last year.

Cyber incidents in all sectors of the economy, including central and local government are covered by the new framework.