The Threat
Your everyday work? To a state actor, it’s everything.
Being part of the UK's Critical National Infrastructure makes you, your colleagues, and your organisation highly attractive targets to certain states to develop their technological, economic, political, and military edge over the UK, create dependence on their state, or hold back the UK's development.
States will target companies across all CNI sectors, deploying their cyber, human, and technical capabilities to access your personal information, sensitive material, intellectual property, and other trade secrets. State-backed actors will also subvert legitimate business practices like foreign direct investment, or indirect routes via supply chain attacks, to achieve their aims.
In 2021 the NCSC and US allies revealed that Russia's Foreign Intelligence Service was responsible for a series of cyber intrusions, including the compromise of global software supplier SolarWinds.
A US cyber security firm, FireEye, found that an attacker had been able to add a malicious modification to SolarWinds Orion products which allowed them to send administrator-level commands to any affected installation.6
You may not see the hand of a state. State actors such as the Russian and Chinese governments can compel their citizens and organisations by law to work with intelligence agencies, willingly or not, to seek commercially sensitive information. Other states may also target the UK's CNI on an opportunistic or reactive basis.
Security is not just the responsibility of one individual or team. Embed robust security practices across your organisation to protect your business and the UK’s CNI.
How NPSA can help
Your business could be under threat from state actors, but NPSA, the UK’s newly launched National Protective Security Authority, is here to help you to secure your success. Learn more about how to secure your supply chain with Protected Procurement or read about Secure Business practices to learn more about how you can better protect your business.