Duncan Smith
Question:199. Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for Defence the proposed investment and upgrades in cyber security of Defence Forces systems; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37433/20]
View answerThursday, 19 November 2020
Questions (199)
Written answers
The information requested by the Deputy is not currently available. I have requested that the data be compiled and I will revert to the Deputy as soon as it is available.
The following deferred reply was received under Standing Order 51
My priority as Minister for Defence is to ensure that the operational capability of the Army, Air Corps and Naval Service, is maintained to the greatest extent possible to enable the Defence Forces to carry out their roles as assigned by Government. The acquisition of new equipment and the upgrading and maintenance of equipment for the Defence Forces remains a clear focus for me. Future equipment priorities for the Army, Air Corps and Naval Service are considered in the context of the White Paper on Defence as part of the capability development and equipment priorities planning process. The principal aim over the period of the White Paper will be to maintain, replace and upgrade, as appropriate, existing capabilities in order to retain a flexible response for a wide range of operational requirements both at home and overseas.
Cyber security is an issue with very significant implications for governmental administration, for industry, for economic wellbeing and for the security and safety of citizens. Consequently, the response to cyber threats is a whole-of-Government challenge, with the Department of Environment, Climate and Communications taking the lead role and with inputs in the security domain from An Garda Síochána and the Defence Forces.
The National Cyber Security Centre, which is part of the Department of Environment, Climate and Communications, is the primary authority responsible for cyber security in the State, including incident response, cyber resilience and information provision. While the primary role of the Defence Forces with regard to Cyber Security relates to the defence and security of its own networks and systems, the Department of Defence and the Defence Forces are committed to participating, under the leadership of the Department of Environment, Climate and Communications, in the delivery of measures to improve the Cyber Security of the State. This is being done in line with the Programme for Government commitment to implement the National Cyber Security Strategy, recognizing the potential and important role of the Defence Forces.
Ireland’s current National Cyber Security Strategy was published in December 2019 and follows on from the country's first Strategy which was issued in 2015. It is a broader and more comprehensive document than the last one, and takes advantage of the operational experience gained by the National Cyber Security Centre from 2015 to 2019, and from ongoing national and international engagements in the area. Department of Defence officials and the Defence Forces inputted to the drawing up of this Strategy.
Department officials and members of the Defence Forces are actively involved in the implementation of the new Strategy, which, in conjunction with the White Paper on Defence 2015, will continue to inform our engagement in this critical area. This includes work to develop an updated, detailed risk assessment of the current vulnerability of all Critical National Infrastructure and services to cyber-attacks and the provision of a member of the Defence Forces for secondment to the Cyber Security Centre of Excellence in Tallinn, Estonia. In this respect, an Officer from the Defence Forces will shortly take up secondment in the CCDCOE. The Officer will join its multi-disciplinary team of researchers, analysts and educators from the military, government, academia and industry. The Officer will also have the opportunity to participate and contribute to the work of the CCDCOE and gain expertise in understanding the complexity of cyber defence and dealing with cyber incidents in all their aspects. The CCDCOE provides interdisciplinary expertise in the field of cyber defence research, training and exercises and it fosters cooperation amongst like-minded nations. My Officials also actively participate on the Inter-Departmental Committee overseeing implementation of the Strategy, which is chaired by the Department of Environment, Climate and Communications.
In addition, the Department of Defence and the Defence Forces have a Memorandum of Understanding and a Service Level Agreement with the Department of Environment, Climate and Communications to provide support in the area of national cyber security. The overall aim is to improve the cyber security of the State through various types of assistance and support while also ensuring the operational requirements of the Defence Forces are prioritised, including the ongoing sharing of information and analyses of risks.
While it would be inappropriate for me to comment on the specific cyber activities and the resourcing of same by the Defence Forces, for both security and operational reasons, I can inform the Deputy that the priority for the Defence Forces Communications and Information Services (CIS) Corps is the protection of the Defence Forces Communications Network. Effective security and cyber defence capability is integral to all DF CIS systems and service delivery, enhancing Cyber security is a key element of all major DF CIS projects. Security is a key component of all DF CIS systems deployment and upgrade programs, every effort is made to ensure that best in class Cyber Defence equipment is procured and deployed appropriately. Other activities undertaken by the CIS Corps include the monitoring and handling of cyber incidents, the enhancement of Defence Forces cyber situational awareness and the provision of cyber awareness training.
I am satisfied that the Defence Forces have the necessary resources available to them, including a modern and effective range of equipment which is line with best international standards in order to fulfil all roles assigned to them by Government.