Data centres have been designated as Critical National Infrastructure (CNI) alongside energy and water systems.
It is the first CNI designation in almost a decade, since the Space and Defence sectors gained the same status in 2015.
It means the data housed and processed in UK data centres – from photos taken on smartphones to patients’ NHS records and sensitive financial investment information – is less likely to be compromised during outages, cyber attacks, and adverse weather events.
Putting data centres on an equal footing as water, energy and emergency services systems will mean the data centres sector can now expect greater government support in recovering from and anticipating critical incidents.
CNI designation will, for example, see the setting up of a dedicated CNI data infrastructure team of senior UK Government officials who will monitor and anticipate potential threats, provide prioritised access to security agencies including the National Cyber Security Centre, and coordinate access to emergency services should an incident occur.
Critical National Infrastructure status will also deter cyber criminals from targeting data centres that may house vital health and financial data, minimising disruption to people’s lives, the NHS and the economy.
In the event of an attack on a data centre hosting critical NHS patients’ data, for example, the Government would intervene to ensure contingencies are in place to mitigate the risk of damage or to essential services, including on patients’ appointments or operations.
The Government said the new protections would also boost business confidence in investing in data centres in the country, an industry which already generates an estimated £4.6 billion in revenues a year.
Technology Secretary Peter Kyle said:
“Data centres are the engines of modern life. They power the digital economy and keep our most personal information safe.
“Bringing data centres into the Critical National Infrastructure regime will allow better coordination and cooperation with the Government against cyber criminals and unexpected events.”
The Crowd Strike incident earlier this summer, affecting 60% of GP practices with disruption to software holding patients’ appointment details, prescriptions, and health records, showed the catastrophic impact of IT and cyber threats on people’s lives.
The move aims to provide greater reassurance the UK is a safe place to invest in data centres to businesses such as DC01UK, the company behind a planning application for an investment of nearly £4 billion in Europe’s largest datacentre in Hertfordshire.
Currently, the UK is home to the highest number of data centres in Western Europe. The Government said that boosting the resilience of the sector will help the country top the global leagues for data security and support the it in its mission of achieving sustained economic growth.
Earlier in the summer, Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) also announced its intention to introduce the Cyber Security and Resilience Bill and strengthen the country’s cyber defences by mandating that providers of essential infrastructure protect their supply chains from attacks.
Bruce Owen, UK Managing Director of digital infrastructure provider Equinix, said:
“We welcome this announcement by the Government which recognises the critical nature of data centres and digital infrastructure to the economy and society.
“The internet, and the digital infrastructure that underpins it, has rapidly grown to be as fundamental to each one of our daily lives as water, gas, and electricity, and is now a service that people and the UK economy can no longer live without.
“Equinix is happy to have played an important role in the consultation process to bring about today’s critical national infrastructure status, which we believe will help safeguard the industry by ensuring the stability and growth of the UK and global economy and lay the groundwork for the UK’s bright digital future.”
Matthew Evans, Director of Markets and Chief Operating Officer at techUK, said:
“techUK welcomes the Government’s pivotal decision to designate the data centres sector as Critical National Infrastructure and the recognition of the critical role they play in the UK’s modern economy.
“Data centres are fundamental to our digitising economy and are a key driver of growth. We look forward to collaborating closely with the Government and our stakeholders to ensure the successful implementation of these new measures and their impact on the sector. Continued engagement and partnership will be key in advancing our shared objectives of a secure, resilient, and thriving digital economy.”
