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'Cyber force unit' to be set up to combat terrorists and gangs

<em>Cyber-force – a cyber-force unit will be set up to battle terrorists and domestic gangs, it has been reported (Picture: Getty)</em>
Cyber-force – a cyber-force unit will be set up to battle terrorists and domestic gangs, it has been reported (Picture: Getty)

A cyber-force unit is to be set up to battle terrorist groups and domestic gangs, it has been reported.

According to The Times, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) and GCHQ will set up the unit, recruited experts from the military, security services and industry.

The creation of the unit, which will reportedly cost £250 million, come after MPs warned that ministers were failing to get a grip with the shortage in cyber security experts despite “potentially severe implications” for national security.

The Joint Committee on the National Security Strategy said: “We are struck by the Government’s apparent lack of urgency in addressing the cyber security skills gap, which is of vital importance to both national security and the economy.”

In a report, they warned that the WannaCry attack on the NHS in May 2017 showed the need to protect critical national infrastructure (CNI) from cyber threats.

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A Government spokesman said on Thursday night: “The MoD and GCHQ have a long and proud history of working together, including on the National Offensive Cyber Programme.

“We are both committed to continuing to invest in this area, given the real threats the UK faces from a range of hostile actors.”