The U.K. Ministry of Defence (MoD) plans to spend nearly $57 million on a new Cyber Security Operation Centre (CSOC) to strengthen the country’s cyber defense, the Defence Secretary said April 1.
The CSOC is planned to be a dedicated facility staffed by experts that utilizes “state-of-the-art defensive cyber capabilities to protect the MoD’s cyberspace from malicious actors,” the ministry said in a statement.
The CSOC is part of the MoD’s Strategic Defence and Security Review (SDSR) plans to invest $1.5 billion in protecting the U.K. from cyber attacks and develop sovereign capabilities in cyber space.
The $57 million investment is part of a wider government plan to transform the ministry’s operational cyber capabilities, the MoD said.
“Britain is a world leader in cyber security but with growing threats this new Operations Center will ensure that our Armed Forces continue to operate securely,” Defense Secretary Michael Fallon said in a statement.
“As part of National Cyber Security Center initiative the CSOC will facilitate the sharing of MoD cyber security challenges across government departments, with allies and with industry. This will act to further strengthen our defenses and enable the most efficient working,” he added.
The preferred location for the CSOC is at MoD Corsham, a former barracks near Corsham, England.