Which businesses or sectors consistently have lower cybersecurity adoption rates and is this affected by regulation levels in those sectors?

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

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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

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    Funded by: EPSRC

    Why might this be relevant?

    The project focuses on developing security solutions for modern organizations and measuring the impact of security measures, aligning with the question's interest in cybersecurity adoption rates and regulations.

  • Technology and Adoption: Training on digital security and Psychology of Change

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    Partially relevant as it addresses non-technological barriers to digital security adoption, but does not specifically focus on sectors with lower cybersecurity adoption rates.

  • Cyber Security Cartographies: CySeCa

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    The project explores how security managers select control combinations and visualizes compliance behaviors, partially addressing the question's focus on cybersecurity adoption rates and regulations.

  • Strengthening the Local Business Community Resilience to Cyber Incidents and Reducing the Regional Cyber Skills Gap.

    The [NEBRC][0] is a not for profit private company limited by guarantee. We are a unique partnership between police, academia and corporate business that exists to help businesses mitigate business cyber risks. Our miss...

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  • 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...

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    The project investigates the support needs of small businesses in relation to cybersecurity, partially addressing the question's focus on cybersecurity adoption rates and regulations.

  • Cyber Local Meet The Buyer

    UMi and Innovation SuperNetwork (ISN) in partnership with CyberNorth, is excited to announce the upcoming Cyber Local Supplier Village at Venturefest North East 2025. This addition to the established event will connect t...

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  • 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 ...

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    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...

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  • CyberSecurityAId: Empowering Small Businesses with Cyber Security Skills

    CyberSecurityAId is an AI-powered, conversational tool designed to help SMEs identify potential cybersecurity threats and take appropriate actions to mitigate them. The tool provides tailored recommendations and real-tim...

    Funded by: Innovate UK

  • Academic Centre of Excellence in Cyber Security Research - Newcastle University

    Following the insight that cyber security does not only come from protecting critical infrastructures, the Centre for Cybercrime and Computer Security at Newcastle University (referred to as Cybercrime Centre in what fol...

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