#CYBERUK21: Foreign Secretary Sets Out UK’s Global Cyber Vision

During a keynote address at the CYBERUK 2021 online event, UK foreign secretary Dominic Raab explained the UK’s vision to become a global leader in cyberspace through promoting safety and liberal values in technology.

Raab began by celebrating the UK’s strong pedigree in science and technology, which gives the country a “great foundation” to take on this mantle. He added that the UK tech sector has been a major source for good in the world, for example helping boost economic activity in Africa and Asia through initiatives such as providing access to mobile phones.

However, Raab said that “we do need to acknowledge there is a darker side” in tech, which is characterized by “the clash of values” between countries whose values are based on openness and democracy and those that promote authoritarianism.

He noted: “We can see this clash between authoritarian and democratic states playing out very directly right now in cyberspace.” Raab outlined how nations like North Korea, Iran, Russia, and China are using “digital tech to sabotage and to steal, or to control and censor.”

There are numerous examples of state-sponsored actors engaging in activities that are having a major impact on critical services and infrastructure, including allegedly with the recent ransomware attack on the US’s largest fuel pipeline, and the frequent targeting of COVID-19 vaccine development and supply chain.

Raab also revealed that in March this year, around 80 different schools, colleges, and universities in the UK were hit by ransomware attacks, forcing some to delay their reopening ..

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