Government, business should guard internet: Spy chief

(Reuters) — The head of Britain's Government Communications Headquarters spy agency on Wednesday will call on businesses and the finance sector to work with intelligence officials to help secure the internet and protect customers online.

In extracts of a speech to be given at a cybersecurity conference in Scotland, GCHQ head Jeremy Fleming said this signals intelligence agency would cooperate closely with manufacturers, internet service providers, online platforms and banks to "take the burden of cybersecurity away from the individual."

The latest incarnation of the internet has enabled innovation and technological breakthroughs, Mr. Fleming said, but also brought "new and unprecedented challenges for policymakers as we seek to protect our citizens, judicial systems, businesses and even societal norms."

Western governments including Britain are pushing businesses and the public to take more precautions online and guard against threats posed by cyber criminals and nation state hackers.

Mr. Fleming will speak at the CYBERUK conference, hosted by GCHQ's National Cyber Security Centre in Glasgow, Scotland. The conference will also host a public panel discussion by senior officials from countries in the Five Eyes intelligence-sharing group: Australia, Britain, Canada, New Zealand and the United States.

"Cyberattacks do not respect international boundaries, and many of the threats and vulnerabilities we face are shared around the globe," NCSC head Ciaran Martin said. "Each nation has sovereignty to defend itself as it sees best fit, but it's vital that we work closely with our allies."