GCHQ chief warns UK faces cyber threat from China and Russia

Key technology vital to the UK’s security and prosperity is under threat from the competing values of countries such as China and Russia, the director of GCHQ is to warn in a speech on Friday.

Jeremy Fleming is expected to say that the UK is a ‘big animal in the digital world’ but historic strength does not mean it will continue to have such power in the future, unless we adapt. If left unchecked, foreign adversaries could threaten the design and freedom of the internet, as well as the security of future technologies like smart cities – which use things like sensors to manage services efficiently – he is due to warn in this year’s Imperial College Vincent Briscoe Annual Security Lecture.

‘Cyber security is an increasingly strategic issue that needs a whole nation approach,’ Mr Fleming will say. ‘The rules are changing in ways not always controlled by Government.