Cyber power 12. At the heart of our strategy is the concept of cyber power, which we define as the ability of a state to protect and promote its interests in and through cyberspace. We identify five broad dimensions of cyber power which align to the pillars of this strategy: • The people, knowledge, skills, structures and partnerships that are the foundation of our cyber power, underpinning all the other components and integrating them into a national approach • The ability to protect our assets through cyber security and resilience, in order to realise the full benefits that cyberspace offers to our citizens and economy • The technical and industrial capabilities to maintain a stake in the evolution of key cyber technologies and deploy new advances in the interests of society • The global influence, relationships and ethical standards to shape rules and norms in cyberspace in line with our values and interests and promote international security and stability • The ability to take action in and through cyberspace to support national security, economic wellbeing and crime prevention. This includes cyber operations to deliver real world effect, and to help achieve strategic advantage, and law enforcement operations and the application of cyber sanctions to bring malicious cyber actors criminals to justice and disrupt their activities 13. Cyber power is distinct from more traditional forms of power. It involves seamlessly blending hard capabilities and softer levers of influence. It is more distributed and governments must work with partners in order to attain and exercise it. And the pace of technological change means that it can be gained and lost more quickly, as previously cutting edge capabilities are rendered obsolete by new advances. 14. Our strategy reflects this, describing how we will work with partners wherever we can as part of a wholeof-society effort. We will do more to address problems upstream and fix root causes, anticipate future trends and put in place long-term responses, and be more active in shaping rather than responding to the contested geopolitical environment. The UK as a cyber power today 15. The UK is already a leading cyber power.1 Over the past decade the government has led a sustained national effort to strengthen the UK’s cyber security, raise public awareness of cyber risks, grow the cyber security sector, and develop a wide range of capabilities through cyberspace to respond to threats from hostile actors. While we have made great progress and put ourselves in a strong position we still face significant challenges across the five pillars of this strategy. Ranked second in the International Telecommunication Union’s Global Cyber Security Index, third in the Harvard Belfer Center’s Cyber Power Index and in the second tier of the International Institute of Strategic Studies’ Cyber Power capability assessment. 1 20 National Cyber Strategy