primary focus of the Department of Defence and the Defence Forces will remain the protection of Defence networks” but that “… as in any emergency/crisis situation, once Defence systems are supported, the Department of Defence and the Defence Forces will provide support to the CSIRT-IE team in so far as resources allow”. As such, the role of Defence Forces with regard to cyber security is explicitly a supporting one, with their primary responsibilities in this area relating to the protection of their own systems. This supporting role has evolved over time, and the Defence Forces continue to play a central role in facilitating the operations of the NCSC. The NCSC maintains close cooperation with the Defence Forces and the Gardaí on national security issues, and has a secondment arrangement with both entities. An Garda Síochána also have a set of responsibilities in the sector, both in preventing, investigating and prosecuting cyber-crime and as a consequence of their national security roles. Their capacity and organisation has evolved somewhat in recent years, as the Computer Crime Investigation Unit (established in 1991) was re-established as the Garda National Cyber Crime Bureau (GNCCB) in 2017. The Bureau is the national Garda unit tasked with the forensic examination of computer media seized during the course of any criminal investigations. In addition, the bureau conducts investigation into cyber dependent crime including network intrusions, data interference and attacks on websites belonging to Government Departments, institutions and corporate entities, An Garda Síochána has invested heavily in the area, with a particular focus on developing capacity in the regions. The NCSC and Garda National Cyber Crime Bureau have developed a positive co-operative relationship with ongoing shared training and secondment opportunities for staff. Key Developments 1. The CSIRT has been made fully operational and internationally accredited. 2. The information sharing and outreach programmes operated by the NCSC have very significantly developed, including by means of the deployment of Malware Information Sharing Platforms (MISPs). 3. The CSIRT has developed, tested and deployed the Sensor platform. 4. The Garda National Cyber Crime Bureau has been established, and the capacity of the organisation significantly augmented. 5. The National Security Assessment Centre has been established in the Department of the Taoiseach. 22