At the same time as the U.S. military is preparing to release a policy qualifying cyberattacks as acts of war, the military of the United Kingdom is engaging in a large-scale recruitment drive. Called “Operation Cupcake”
Following from last year’s “National Cyber Security Programme,” this recruiting initiative will attempt to attract hundreds of computer experts to the British armed forces. Part of a £650,000 cyber-security budget will be devoted to the program.
The Ministry of Defense gave a statement, quoted by the BBC.
“Our forces depend on computer networks, both in the UK and in operations around the world. But our adversaries present an advance and rapidly developing threat to these networks…Future conflict will see cyber operations conducted in parallel with more conventional actions the sea, land and air operations.”
Precise numbers are classified but a Ministry of Defense spokesman affirmed that the new cyber-recruits would number in the hundreds.
According to Thinq, General Jonathan Shaw of the Parachute Regiment will act as the chief of the new Ministry of Defense “cyber-operations group,” overseeing the work of the new recruits. The group will be headquartered at the U.K.’s intelligence agency, Government Communications Headquartersand overseen by the Cabinet Office.
(The GCHQ grew out of the Government Code and Cypher School, based in great part at Bletchley Park. There, during the Second World War, Alan Turing broke the German Enigma code.)
GCHQ model photo by Cory Doctorow
