On Thursday, 12 September 2024, the UK Department for Science, Innovation, and Technology (DSIT) announced that UK-based data centres have been classified as Critical National Infrastructure (CNI). The move is aimed at securing the data housed and processed in UK data centres from potential compromises during outages, cyberattacks, and adverse weather events. By classifying data centres at the same level of importance as water, energy, and emergency services, the government aims to provide greater support to the sector in managing and predicting critical incidents.
In addition, the designation will involve the establishment of a specialised CNI data infrastructure team to oversee and preempt potential threats, as well as grant prioritised access to security agencies and emergency services in the event of an incident. It is hoped that the CNI status will act as a deterrent to cyber criminals from targeting data centres and, therefore, reduce disruptions to individuals, the NHS, and the economy.
Additional legal analysis from Pinsent Masons.
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