Cybersecurity Has Become Britain's Top Defence Priority

Uploaded on 2025-06-20 in TECHNOLOGY--Resilience, GOVERNMENT-Defence, FREE TO VIEW

The UK is contending with a rapidly evolving cyber landscape, as adversaries become more sophisticated and strategic in their digital operations. The latest Strategic Defence Review (SDR) reflects this shift. Crucially, it places cyber threats alongside nuclear and conventional risks – an acknowledgment that cybersecurity is now central to national resilience.

Defence Secretary, John Healey emphasised the growing importance of emerging technologies and the need for stronger alliances in navigating this new era. Cyberattacks, are now a pressing domestic concern, demanding a coordinated and collective, national response.

The 144-page review opens by referencing “daily cyber-attacks at home” and makes clear that these issues transcend IT, that they are national security priorities that require collaboration across military, public, and private sectors.

This as a pivotal moment to lean into innovation, partnership, and foresight. Staying secure today means more than defending systems – it means anticipating threats before they materialise. As the digital threat landscape grows in complexity, so too must our ability to respond with speed, intelligence, and precision.

Cyber Is A National Security Challenge, Not Just An IT Issue

As such, the SDR is a high-level strategic policy document outlining priorities, reforms and investment plans that affect military and cyber security spending. But to meet the challenge head on, we need to find ways to combat these cyber threats, bringing together smart automation, cloud-based tools and strong oversight. It’s not just about reacting to threats, but about being ready for them.

That starts with seeing everything – from laptops and servers to cloud systems and apps. Without a full picture, you cannot protect what matters.

Automated tools help spot and respond to issues fast, cutting down the time attackers have to do damage. By automating routine yet essential tasks – such as vulnerability scanning, patch deployment, and compliance tracking – these form a fundamental layer of defence that is critical to any organisation regardless of size. But technology is not the whole answer.

You also need consistent rules in place across all teams and systems, so nothing slips through the cracks. And those systems need to work together, not isolated in silos, because connected tools make smarter decisions.

Security should also be tested regularly to keep up with new threats and reviewed to make sure it still works as things change. And most importantly, leaders need to own it. When boards – or government – understand and support a positive on-the-front-foot cyber strategy, it becomes part of how the whole organisation is run and not just an IT issue.

Visibility, Speed & Automation Are Key

For those already on the frontline, the challenges are already acutely clear. We know, for example, that cloud technologies are central to cyber resilience. Not only do they enable scalability and flexibility, but they offer powerful visibility through advanced analytics and telemetry.

By harnessing cloud-driven intelligence, organisations can move from reactive defence to proactive risk management, identifying suspicious activity before it escalates into a compromise or even a breach. And when integrated with automated response tools, this allows security teams to act immediately, helping them to contain threats across hybrid estates with precision and speed.

The reality is simple: as adversaries adopt AI and automation to scale their attacks, defenders must do the same – not just to keep pace, but to stay ahead means investing in smarter, faster, and more autonomous defences.

Cybersecurity is no longer just a technical priority. It's a strategic imperative that touches every corner of society. The SDR recognises this shift. Real resilience demands action: from government, from business leaders, and from those of us on the frontlines. That means investing in the right tools, embracing automation and cloud intelligence, and ensuring that cyber strategy is embedded at every level.

Because in today’s threat landscape, being ready isn’t just about defence. It’s about anticipation, agility, and shared responsibility. Defence Secretary, John Healey recently told the BBC ‘The keyboard has become a weapon of war’.

But with the right approach, it’s also our best line of defence.

Dan Jones is Senior Security Advisor EMEA at Tanium

Image: Ideogram

You Might Also Read:

British Government Needs To Lean On Automation To Bolster Cyber Resilience:

If you like this website and use the comprehensive 8,000-plus service supplier Directory, you can get unrestricted access, including the exclusive in-depth Directors Report series, by signing up for a Premium Subscription.