UK Lists Data Centres as Critical National Infrastructure

The UK government has shared its new cyber strategy, which will designate data centres as Critical National Infrastructure (CNI), an asset considered essential for the wellbeing of society. This puts UK data centres alongside energy and water supplies, transportation, health and telecommunications.

This CNI designation, the first since 2015, reflects not only the growing role that data centres play in modern economies, but also the increasingly dangerous cyber threat landscape the world finds itself in.

The UK has the highest number of data centres in Western Europe, with the UK Chancellor announcing an additional £8bn (US$$10.4bn) investment from AWS in the country’s data centre market.

Modern threats against society requires data centre protection

The designation of data centres as CNI will see the establishment of a dedicated data infrastructure team of senior government officials. 

This team will:

• Monitor and anticipate potential threats
• Provide prioritised access to security agencies, such as the National Cyber Security Centre
• Coordinating access to emergency services, in the event of an incident.

CNI coverage will include both the physical data centres and the cloud operators that use them to supply ordinary services like iCloud on your iPhone, including Microsoft, Amazon and Google.

“Threats such as cyber attacks or extreme weather conditions are a case of when, not if, so it’s vital to have redundancies in place to not only protect data centres, but ensure networks stay online,” Jennifer Holmes, CCO at LINX says of the announcement.

This extra level of support will improve the cyber security posture of such data centres and also assist in the recovery of them, during an incident. This will work in tandem with the proposed Cyber Security and Resilience Bill to strengthen the UK’s cyber defences.

Recent reports have revealed an increase in DDoS attacks, which aim to overwhelm servers and networks with a flood of traffic, have more than doubled in frequency over the past year. 

This surge is particularly concerning for data centres, which are prime targets due to their critical role in storing and processing sensitive information. 

As data centres support every sector, from healthcare to finance, a successful attack on one could be devastating. 

“We welcome today’s announcement by the government which recognises the critical nature of data centres and digital infrastructure to the economy and society,” said Bruce Owen, UK Managing Director of Equinix.  

It is for reasons like this that the Biden administration has also taken similar efforts to securing key infrastructure from cyber threats.

A recent incident highlighting this vulnerability was the Crowd Strike attack earlier this summer. Although not a data centre issue, it highlighted how widespread issues involving the technology can be, as 60% of GP practices in the UK were affected because of it.

Data centres must be protected to power the economy and keep us safe

As data centres gain this new protected status,the industry must grapple with issues of energy consumption and environmental impact while continuing to innovate and support emerging technologies like AI.

Yet if this CNI designation does one thing, it at least helps them tackle the very real and growing cyber threat levied against them.

“Data centres are the engines of modern life, they power the digital economy and keep our most personal information safe,” said Peter Kyle, UK Technology Secretary. “Bringing data centres into the Critical National Infrastructure regime will allow better coordination and cooperation with the government against cyber criminals and unexpected events.”

“AWS’s plans follow similar announcements in Germany, Spain, Italy and France, highlighting the UK’s growing appeal as a hub for global tech investment,” said Libero Raspa, Managing Director of adesso UK.

As cyber threats intensify, the UK’s recognition of the key role data centres play will ensure that the vital infrastructure receives the protection it deserves.

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