On Thursday March 27, Francis Maude, Minister for the Cabinet Office in the United Kingdom, announced the launching of a new government and industry partnership with the aim of sharing both information and intelligence on cybersecurity threats.

According to the press release from the Cabinet Office, “The Cyber Security Information Sharing Partnership (CISP) delivers a key component of the UK’s cyber security strategy in facilitating the sharing of information on cyber threats in order to make UK businesses more secure in cyberspace. This follows a successful pilot scheme launched by the Prime Minister which included over 160 companies across a range of UK sectors.

The partnership includes the introduction of a secure virtual ‘collaboration environment’ where government and industry partners can exchange information on threats and vulnerabilities in real time. The Cyber Security Information Sharing Partnership will be complemented by a ‘Fusion Cell’ which will be supported on the government side by the Security Service, GCHQ and the National Crime Agency, and by industry analysts from a variety of sectors. They will work together to produce an enhanced picture of cyber threats facing the UK for the benefit of all partners.”

As Cabinet Office Minister responsible for the Cyber Security Strategy, Francis Maude said: “We know that cyber attacks are happening on an industrial scale and businesses are by far the biggest victims of cyber crime in terms of industrial espionage and intellectual property theft with losses to the UK economy running into the billions of pounds annually.

This innovative partnership is breaking new ground through a truly collaborative partnership for sharing information on threats and to protect UK interests in cyberspace. The initiative meets a key aim of our Cyber Security Strategy to make the UK one of the safest places to do business in cyberspace. As part of our investment in a transformative National Cyber Security Programme; we are pleased to provide a trusted platform to facilitate this project.”

Present at the announcement was Howard Schmidt, former White House Cyber Security Adviser.  In welcoming the announcement, Schmidt said: “In the United States, we have seen the emphasis that President Obama has placed on cyber security and in particular steps to protect our critical infrastructure. Many senior leaders in private sector companies are supporting it and recognizing it is not only a security issue but a business imperative. The launch of the UK CISP is an important step in forging an ongoing partnership between industry and government, promoting information sharing by providing the ability to analyze and redistribute information in a timely, actionable and relevant manner.”