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Cyber war issue is a great opportunity for UK tech industry
Internet engineering entrepreneur believes UK tech industry must seize the opportunity to lead the charge against the very real threat of cyber warfare.
Anthony Rushton – whose company, Telemetry, ranks in the top 10 of the Sunday Times Tech Track 100 – has welcomed reports that the Government has pledged to invest £650m over the next four years to increase the UK’s resilience against cyber attacks.
“The issue of cyber war is a hot potato globally at present – it’s not science fiction, but science fact. The Government has no choice but to take the threat seriously and this opens the door of opportunity for the British tech industry,” says Anthony.
He maintains that the UK’s burgeoning IT and IE companies have “a massive pool of skill and talent” – sufficient to ensure “we develop the means to lead the charge against cyber warfare and espionage”.
Anthony says the fact that next month’s London Conference on Cyberspace was drawing political leaders like US Secretary of State Hilary Clinton and EU digital guru Neelie Kroes proved that the world already holds Britain’s tech capabilities in high regard.
“Cyber warfare has an important spot on the Conference agenda – confirmation that this is a matter of great concern not only to our own government, but globally.”
He pointed out that Foreign Secretary William Hague, who has convened the conference, has revealed that 20,000 malicious emails are being received every month by government departments.
“It’s time we mobilised our considerable arsenal of technical skill and mounted a counter-attack – maintaining a good defence is not enough. It’s like conventional warfare – the winner needs to take the offensive.”
Anthony says Britain’s tech industry was ready, willing and able to meet the challenge of fighting cyber attack.
