Annual £500k Funding For Government Cyber Security Centre In Oxford

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Oxford university - Shutterstock: © Andrei Nekrassov

Oxford University team will determine how to protect infrastructure from international cyber threats

Foreign Secretary William Hague has confirmed Oxford University will house the Global Centre for Cyber Security Capacity Building announced last year. Based in the Martin School, it will “coordinate global work on cyber threats and cyber policies which will help protect the UK’s security”, Hague said.

“We are dedicating £500,000 per year to this centre to be a beacon of expertise and put the UK at the forefront of cyber policy development,” he added.

Cyber security at Oxford Uni

While £500,000 is going on the centre itself for the next two years, and its upkeep, another £2 million a year is to be invested in the services side, to ensure the UK can “offer countries independent and bespoke advice on how to build secure and resilient cyberspace”.

The centre was created as part of the National Cyber Security Strategy, drawn up by the Cabinet Office in 2011, pledging an extra £650 million to support the UK’s digital defences.

It will produce a “critical guide to global expertise on cyber-security”, as well as researching ways to improve “capacity” among those defending vital virtual infrastructure.

 “Capacity includes having comprehensive national programmes and the policies, cooperation, skills and workforce, technology and expertise to tackle online threats and reduce harm, while ensuring cyberspace supports innovation, economic growth and social benefits,” said Cabinet Office Minister Francis Maude.

This first appeared as two stories on TechWeekEurope UK. Read the whole story here.

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