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The government is launching a consultation aimed at improving the IT security of the UK economy.

Digital minister Matt Warman this week announced the opening of a call for evidence as part of a wider review of the cybersecurity sector and how it is regulated. The responses gathered will also help inform the ongoing rollout of the government’s National Cyber Security Strategy, which covers the five-year period from 2016 to 2021.

The Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport is particularly interested in hearing about the “barriers which prevent organisations from improving their cybersecurity”. It also wants feedback on the efficacy of existing regulation, including two key pieces of European legislation: the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR); and the Network and Information Systems (NIS) Directive.

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Warman said: “Good cybersecurity is an absolute necessity, but recent research shows less than a fifth of company boards understand the impact associated with cyberthreat. I hope this review will encourage the industry to think about what government could do to help, and what incentives might encourage firms and businesses to manage their cyber risk. By driving cybersecurity improvements across the whole economy, we can help make the UK the safest place to live and do business online.”

The government is inviting input from all relevant parties, but has a particular interest in hearing from “organisations that influence and set market expectations, such as membership bodies, consultancies, auditors, insurers, investors, corporate and risk governance bodies, regulators and professional associations”.

DCMS has created an online survey for participants to fill out, but is also inviting respondents to send other comments or documents via post or email. 

The consultation is open until 20 December.