How could incentives for cyber security adoption and change, to reducible risk, be posed to organisations? Is there a need for different types of incentivisation for different sectors or differing sizes of organisations?

Background

In order to ensure the UK is well protected now and in the future we need to build upon our existing knowledge of cyber security risks and the resilience of software supply chains and are working to identify which mitigations the government can leverage to ensure the UK is well protected now and in the future.

We’re also assessing the impact of these mitigations in driving enhanced security measures. A key area of research interest therefore is understanding the consequences of requiring higher levels of cybersecurity for products and digital services sold in the UK. Strengthening this evidence base will help shape and inform future policy work around the regulation of products and business requirements for cyber security.
Some technologies are critical to cyberspace. To build and sustain competitive edge in cyber-related technologies we need a coordinated, rigorous and consistent approach to identify and analyse critical areas of science and technology and prioritise national effort. CSDI is interested inbeing able to better anticipate the science and technology developments most vital to UK cyber power and in analysing thebe opportunities and risks related to those developments.

It is crucial to ensure that digital identity solutions are both secure and inclusive. The directorate seeks to gather further evidence on how best to enable more inclusive digital identity services whilst maintaining robust security measures. Digital identity solutions enable a person to prove something about themselves for the purposes of a transaction, an eligibility check or accessing services. This includes verifying a person’s age when purchasing age regulated products, when undertaking pre-employment checks or opening a bank account. The government is not mandating specific approach, but instead has committed to setting outcomes-based standards in the form of the UK digital identity & attributes trust framework. (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/uk-digital-identity-and-attributes-trust-frameworkbeta-version/uk-digital-identity-and-attributes-trust-framework-beta-version)
Organisations that adhere to these standards and agree to oversight from the Office for Digital Identities and Attributes (OfDIA) will receive a trust mark, so that businesses and individuals can be confident that their digital identity solution is safe and secure.

Next steps

If you are keen to register your interest in working and connecting with DSIT Digital Technology and Telecoms Group and/or submitting evidence, then please complete the DSIT-ARI Evidence survey - https://dsit.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_cDfmK2OukVAnirs.
Please view full details: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/department-for-science-innovation-and-technology-areas-of-research-interest/dsit-areas-of-research-interest-2024

Source

This question was published as part of the set of ARIs in this document:

DSIT Areas of Research Interest 2024 GOV UK

Related UKRI funded projects


  • Research Institute in Science of Cyber Security (RISCS) Phase 2

    The Digital Economy is a key part of the strategy for UK economic growth. But as more businesses move into the digital space, they need to be able to protect their assets (such as their Intellectual Property) and process...

    Funded by: EPSRC

    Lead research organisation: University College London

    Why might this be relevant?

    The project focuses on developing security solutions for modern organizations and providing metrics to measure the impact of security measures.

  • Cyber Security Cartographies: CySeCa

    "The growth of the internet has been the biggest social and technological change of my lifetime [...] It will have a huge role to play in supporting sustainable development in poorer countries. At the same time our ...

    Funded by: EPSRC

    Lead research organisation: Royal Holloway University of London

    Why might this be relevant?

    The project aims to explore how security managers select control combinations and develop methods for visualizing compliance behaviors.

  • Control and Trust as Moderating Mechanisms in addressing Vulnerability for the Design of Business and Economic Models (ConTriVE)

    Personal data holds great potential to benefit commerce and society, but, at the institutional level, concerns are rising over the risks associated with data access, ownership, privacy and confidentiality. The main purpo...

    Funded by: EPSRC

    Lead research organisation: University of Warwick

    Why might this be relevant?

    The project investigates individual perceptions of cybersecurity and aims to develop new business models to minimize vulnerabilities.

  • Scalable Cyber Interventions Accelerating Productivity Practice for SMEs

    Micro, small and medium enterprises (SMEs) are a vital part of the UK economy, but the share of high-productivity UK SMEs remains substantially lower than other G8 countries. There is growing evidence that a barrier to S...

    Funded by: Innovate UK

    Lead research organisation: BCP COUNCIL

  • DiScriBe: Digital Security by Design Social Science Hub+

    Technological advances have done, and will do, much to improve cybersecurity. But, a technological approach is only part of the solution - achieving digital security is inherently a socio-technical endeavour. By combinin...

    Funded by: ISCF

    Lead research organisation: University of Bath

  • SPRITE+: The Security, Privacy, Identity, and Trust Engagement NetworkPlus

    SPRITE+ is a NetworkPlus that will deliver a step change in engagement between people involved in research, practice, and policy relevant to trust, identity, privacy, and security (TIPS) with a focus on digital contexts....

    Funded by: EPSRC

    Lead research organisation: University of Manchester

  • CyberSecurityAId: Empowering Small Businesses with Cyber Hygiene

    CyberSecurityAId is a pioneering project looking to revolutionise the cybersecurity landscape for small businesses in the United Kingdom. This transformative initiative is driven by a clear and compelling motivation: to ...

    Funded by: ISCF

    Lead research organisation: UNIVERSITY OF ESSEX

  • Cyber-Security across the Life Span (cSaLSA)

    Despite increased efforts to improve cyber-security for organisations and individuals, growing reports of breaches and attacks suggest that not only are we more vulnerable than ever, but also that there "is no obvio...

    Funded by: EPSRC

    Lead research organisation: University of Bath

  • Return On Cyber Security Investment (ROCSI)

    To be of business value, any investment must be selective and focus on high priority areas of the business. However, boards find it difficult to justify the cost of investment and formulate ROI arguments on cyber securit...

    Funded by: ESRC

    Lead research organisation: Queen Mary University of London

  • Enhancing Cyber Resilience of Small and Medium-sized Enterprises through Cyber Security Communities of Support

    Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) are a vital element of the economy, accounting for 99.9% of UK businesses, generating three fifths of employment and turnover of £2.3 trillion. They are a crucial asset req...

    Funded by: EPSRC

    Lead research organisation: University of Nottingham