6.4. Preventing terrorism

• generate and explore all available options for deterring and countering this threat, drawing on the full range of government capabilities. We will take full account of other related factors, including country-specific strategies, international cyber priorities, and cyber crime and prosperity objectives; • use existing networks and relationships with our key international partners to share information about current and nascent threats, adding value to existing thought and expertise; and • attribute specific cyber identities publicly when we judge it in the national interest to do so.

Measuring success

6.3.4. The Government will measure its success in countering the actions of hostile foreign actors by assessing progress towards the following outcomes:

• the stronger information-sharing networks that we have established with our international partners, and wider multilateral agreements in support of lawful and responsible behaviour by states, are substantially contributing to our ability to understand and respond to the threat, resulting in a better defended UK; and • our defence and deterrence measures, alongside our country-specific strategies, are making the UK a harder target for hostile foreign actors to act against.

6.4. PREVENTING TERRORISM

6.4.1. The technical capability of terrorists currently remains limited but they continue to aspire to conduct damaging computer network operations against the UK, with publicity and disruption as the primary objective of their cyber activity. The Government will identify and disrupt terrorists using and intending to use cyber for this purpose. In doing so, we will minimise their impact and prevent an uplift in terrorist cyber capability that would further threaten UK networks and national security.

Objective

6.4.2. To mitigate the threat of terrorist use of cyber, through the identification and disruption of terrorist cyber actors who currently hold, and aspire to build, capability that could threaten UK national security.

Our approach

6.4.3. To ensure the threat posed by cyber terrorism remains low, we will:

• detect cyber terrorism threats, identifying actors who are seeking to conduct damaging network operations against the UK and our allies; • investigate and disrupt these cyber terrorism actors to prevent them from using cyber capability against the UK and its allies; and • work closely with international partners to enable us to better tackle the threat from cyber terrorism.

Measuring success

6.4.4. The Government will measure its success in preventing terrorism by assessing progress towards the following outcomes:

• a full understanding of risk posed by cyber terrorism, through identification and investigation of cyber terrorism threats to the UK; and • close monitoring, and disruption of terrorist cyber capability at the earliest opportunity, with the aim of preventing an increase in such terrorist capability in the long term.