The UK government has formally launched GovAssure, a new regime for independent audits of the cyber resilience of government agencies, announced at the CYBERUK 2023 conference in Belfast on 19th April 2023.
First appearance alongside Government cyber security strategypublished in 2022, GovAssure provides all Whitehall departments with annual independent and more robust security audits based on the guidelines set forth in the National Cyber Security Center (NCSC) Cyber Assessment Framework. I oblige you to do so.
Initially designed for critical national infrastructure (CNI) operators, the Cyber Assessment Framework includes a number of measures, such as establishing indicators of good cyber risk management practice and protecting against cyber intrusions. I’m here.
We have also introduced third-party audits to drive standardization and validate results, as well as centralized cybersecurity policies and guidance to help government agencies identify what best practices look like.
This enhanced cybersecurity measure is “an important part of the government’s cybersecurity strategy by helping ministers understand cyber risks across government, improve government resilience, and help public bodies protect themselves.” It helps us achieve that part,” said Dowden.
Cabinet Office Minister and Payroll Director General Michael Ellis argued that the new program would create a more consistent vision of the government’s cybersecurity maturity and attitude across all agencies.
“This will create a single lens that can understand cyber risk across government, enabling government departments to accurately assess levels of cyber assurance and highlight priority areas for improvement. It also helps us take a strategic view of government vulnerabilities and helps us inform a strategic roadmap for a truly unified defense,” said Ellis.
The announcement comes on the same day that the NCSC warned of the growing threat of a “state-aligned” Russian cyber attack group to the UK’s CNI.
GovAssure is operated by the Cabinet Office’s Government Security Group (GSG) with input from the NCSC.
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