Enhanced Cyber Evaluation Strategy for National Infrastructure Security in the UK

UK's Updated Cyber Assessment Framework Strengthens Defences Against Growing Threats

The National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) of the UK has released a new version of its flagship security guidance, the Cyber Assessment Framework (CAF), version 4.0. This updated framework is now being used by nearly all UK cyber regulators and GovAssure, the cybersecurity assurance scheme for assessing UK Critical National Infrastructure (CNI).

The new version of the CAF is designed to help critical infrastructure providers protect critical services in sectors like energy, healthcare, transport, digital infrastructure, and government. It offers a collection of best practice security advice and includes several improvements aimed at ensuring the framework remains relevant in the face of evolving attack methods.

One of the key updates is the expanded coverage of AI-related cyber risks, which is a new feature throughout the CAF in version 4.0. The framework now includes a section on building a deeper understanding of attacker methods and motivations, particularly in the context of AI.

The updates also address the increasing cyber threat to the UK's CNI. The NCSC has highlighted the need to close the gap between the escalated cyber threats to critical services and the collective ability to defend against them. To this end, the new version of the CAF includes improvements to the section on security monitoring and threat hunting to improve threat detection.

Moreover, the updates to the CAF include a new section on ensuring software used in essential services is developed and maintained securely. This is in line with the forthcoming Cyber Security and Resilience Bill, which is expected to update the NIS Regulations and become law later this year.

The NCSC consulted with various regulators and oversight bodies during the production of the latest CAF version. These include the UK's National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) and other key UK regulators such as the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), the Prudential Regulation Authority (PRA), and the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO). These bodies collaborated to provide guidance and oversight in shaping the framework.

The two themes driving the updates to the CAF are relevance and ensuring that organizations' defences are up to date. The NCSC emphasises that the CAF needs to keep pace with threat actor innovation and the regulatory landscape. The updates to the CAF are aimed at ensuring the framework remains in line with the changing regulatory landscape.

The NCSC shared these updates in a blog post, reiterating their commitment to protecting the UK's critical national infrastructure. The new version of the CAF, version 4.0, is now available for organisations to use and implement.

Enhanced Cyber Evaluation Strategy for National Infrastructure Security in the UK