DSIT Assumes Responsibility for Government and Public Sector Cyber Security

Responsibility for cyber security across government and the wider public sector will transfer from the Cabinet Office to the Government Digital Service which sits within the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT).

The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology takes responsibility for government and public sector Cyber Security.

On 3 June, the Prime Minister announced that responsibility for cyber security across government and the wider public sector will transfer from the Cabinet Office to the Government Digital Service which sits within the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT).

Effective immediately, this shift is intended to better integrate cyber security expertise within government, thereby strengthening resilience and enhancing policy development across the public sector. This is a welcome move towards a more cohesive approach to achieving government’s long-held ambition of being an exemplar in cyber security best practice.

In the same statement, the Prime Minister also confirmed a further structural change: the Ministry of Defence (MOD) will now lead on defence exports promotion, a responsibility previously held by the Department for Business and Trade (DBT). This change will enable a single defence export offer and connect exports with the MOD’s procurement and international activity. The move, which will take place on 31 July, is expected to drive improved performance and reinforce the defence industry supporting the government’s broader economic growth agenda. Responsibility for Security and Cyber exports will remain in DBT.