MoD looks to bolster cyber defences as ransomware attacks rise

MoD looks to bolster cyber defences as ransomware attacks rise

The Ministry of Defence (MOD) has announced it wants to hire 300 scientists to help it combat cyber-crime and other threats from overseas.


The announcement comes a day after the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) warned about rising ransomware attacks against the UK government and businesses.


The Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl), which is a part of the MOD, said it plans to invest £6bn in R&D spending over the next four years in order to sustain its “strategic advantage”.


The 300 positions will be advertised this summer with more coming in 2022 and include roles in cyber security, electronics, data and AI.


It is understood the roles will include a focus on the threats of the future such as increased hostility and aggression from Russia and China’s technological advancements as well as the dangers posed by organised crime and terrorist groups and cyber hackers.


The recruitment drive is the biggest in Dstl’s 20-year history and reflects the Government’s stated ambition to make the UK a “science and tech superpower” by 2030, with the ability to “monitor, protect and defend” the country’s interests.


The minister for defence procurement Jeremy Quin said: “Our over £6bn investment into research and development is central to the evolution of defence and security.


“This will ensure MOD science and technology programmes upgrade and adapt our forces to meet a range of future threats.


“The Dstl recruitment campaign paves the way for the next generation of highly-skilled scientists to work on sophisticated projects designing and engineering pioneering military equipment.”


At a lecture yesterday, Lindy Cameron, the head of the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC), warned about the increasing trend of ransomware attacks across the UK.


Ransomware is a form of cy ..

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