UK defense chief urges readiness for cyberattack disruptions

UK Defence Secretary Wes Streeting on Thursday urged the British public to prepare for potential supply chain disruptions caused by cyberattacks or hostile state actors, warning that emerging risks require greater societal awareness and contingency planning, according to the BBC.

Warnings at Telford facility

Speaking at the UK Gun Hall Plant in Telford, where he announced the resumption of domestic tank gun barrel production for the first time in two decades, Streeting stressed the need for readiness against sophisticated digital threats. "But we’ll also need to take the country a step further and ask them are they prepared for increasingly sophisticated cyberattacks on our businesses, are they prepared for the eventuality that there may be disruption to essential supply chains caused by hostile state actors or terrorists?" he said.

'Be ready' campaign

The government is launching a "be ready" campaign to provide practical advice to households on gathering supplies and community volunteering during emergencies. "How would we cope if the payment systems at the local supermarket went down?" Streeting said, identifying such scenarios as the type of "everyday challenges and threats" the public could face. "And it's right that we ask the country to be ready for those things and to ask everyone to do their bit," he added.

The initiative follows warnings last month from Environment Secretary Dame Angela Eagle, who advised the public to prepare for extreme weather linked to a strong El Niño event developing over the Pacific Ocean. Domestic production of tank gun barrels resumed at the Telford facility after a 20-year hiatus, marking a significant shift in the UK's defense industrial capabilities amid growing global security concerns.