UK Government introduces two codes of practice to enhance AI cybersecurity
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UK Government introduces two codes of practice to enhance cybersecurity in AI and software
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New measures aimed at developers will establish global standard for protecting AI models from hacking, helping businesses innovate and drive economic growth across the nation
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New figures show cybersecurity sector has grown 13% in last year and is now worth almost £12 billion
New measures that are expected to set a global standard on how to bolster protections of AI models from hacking and sabotage have been unveiled today by the UK Government (15th May).
During a speech at CYBERUK, the Government’s flagship cyber security conference, Technology Minister Saqib Bhatti announced two new codes of practice that have been designed to help developers improve cybersecurity in AI models and software.
The codes set out requirements for developers to make their products resilient against tampering, hacking, and sabotage and, it is hoped, will boost confidence in the use of AI models across most industries, helping businesses improve efficiencies, drive growth, and turbocharge innovation.
In the last 12 months, half of businesses (50%) and a third of charities (32%) reported cyber breaches or attacks, and phishing remained the most common type of breach. The codes introduced today show developers how software can be built in a secure way, with the aim of preventing attacks such as the one on the MoveIT software in 2023 which compromised sensitive data in thousands of organisations around the world.
Says Technology Minister Saqib Bhatti:
“We have always been clear that to harness the enormous potential of the digital economy, we need to foster a safe environment for it to grow and develop. This is precisely what we are doing with these new measures, which will help make AI models resilient from the design phase.
“Today’s report shows not only are we making our economy more resilient to attacks, but also bringing prosperity and opportunities to UK citizens up and down the country. It is fantastic to see such robust growth in the industry, helping us cement the UK’s position as a global leader in cyber security as we remain committed to foster the safe and sustainable development of the digital economy.”
Adds Felicity Oswald, Chief Executive at National Cyber Security Centre:
“To make the most of the technological advances which stand to transform the way we live, cyber security must be at the heart of how we develop digital systems.
“The new codes of practice will help support our growing cyber security industry to develop AI models and software in a way which ensures they are resilient to malicious attacks.
“Setting standards for our security will help improve our collective resilience and I commend organisations to follow these requirements to help keep the UK safe online.”
The new measures come as findings of a new report published today show the cyber security sector has experienced a 13% growth on the previous year and is now worth almost £12 billion, on par with sectors such as the automotive industry.
The findings are reported by the Government’s annual Cyber Sectoral Analysis Report and show the number of cybersecurity firms finding home in the UK has risen in 2023.
