the application of the security measures after designation have shown that some of the
infrastructure in the State outside of the scope of the NIS Regulations is in fact also critical,
and that there are a number of interdependencies between Critical National Infrastructure
sectors that are likely to give rise to particular risks.
Although the security of public sector ICT has seen considerable investment and attention,
not least due to the advent of the General Data Protection Regulation, the nature of the
sector poses some particular challenges. Some Departments and Agencies can readily
demonstrate compliance with international best practice (and international standards like
ISO27001) but challenges remain in ensuring a consistently high level of security across
Government Departments and agencies. Particular issues remain around the formal
governance of ICT security, both in general and in the context of national classified
information and classified information of other States and international bodies. Similar issues
exist in obtaining Facilities Security Clearance for companies engaged in the handling and
storage of confidential information. Some measures are being developed to deal with these
challenges, including the growing use of (and plans for) shared IT infrastructure between
Departments, but some fundamental challenges remain.
Critically, ongoing technological developments, including revolutions in telecommunications
are likely to render this situation even more complex. In allowing for low latency and high
bandwidth transmission of information, the deployment of 5G technologies will likely serve as
a key enabling infrastructure for a series of other technologies and use cases.
These potentially include customer facing services like autonomous vehicles, eHealth
services and entertainment, and industry oriented services. On that basis, it seems likely that
5G networks will form the backbone of a new set of services critical to the operation of vital
societal and economic functions. The nature of these networks and technology is relevant
also; being software defined and virtualised means that new types of security measures will
likely be required in this sector to ensure the security of both the 5G network and of the
services dependent on it.
4.4 Citizen and Business
For private citizens, of all ages, many of the issues associated with cyber security are closely
related to online safety and the prevention of cyber crime. These matters usually refer to the
online behaviour of individuals, or the manner in which they maintain or use their personal or
home devices. These risks involve the potential loss of data to cryptoware attacks, or the
loss or theft of personal information including credentials or bank details.
17
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