Cyber resilience key to UK defence says Minister

The UK faces a persistent and growing threat from global cyber adversaries, with Defence Minister Luke Pollard warning that the nation must continue to build resilience, grow its cyber forces, and rethink recruitment models to meet the evolving challenge.

Speaking before the Defence Committee as part of the “Defence in the Grey Zone” inquiry, Pollard outlined how the Ministry of Defence is adapting its approach to cyber warfare. “The UK is under continuous cyber-attack from malign actors worldwide,” he said, stressing the importance of cooperation between Defence and the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC).

“That is a brilliant resource, and a model that has been copied worldwide,” he noted, adding that its work increasingly involves not just the private sector but charities and third-sector organisations also targeted by hostile activity.

Pollard emphasised that cyber resilience contributes directly to deterrence. “Because we are a country with high levels of cyber-resilience and cyber‑expertise, it makes us a less favourable target,” he said, though he warned the scale of cyber threats remains “considerable”.

In response to questions from MP Alex Baker, the Minister acknowledged that while existing cyber capabilities are strong, “we need more people and more skills.” He highlighted the MOD’s new “direct entry cyber pathway”, which removes traditional military entry barriers such as medical or physical requirements, enabling cyber talent to join without the need to fit traditional frontline roles.

Pollard pointed to the 77th Brigade—a unit specialising in information operations—as a model for flexible personnel management, noting that two-thirds of its workforce are reservists. “This is a very different personnel mix than you would see in a conventional military unit,” he said. The shift, he explained, is driven in part by the difficulty of competing with private sector pay in the cyber industry. Instead, the MOD offers “a sense of purpose, mission and contribution” that appeals to specialists motivated by national service.

The Minister also spoke of efforts to remove the “cliff edge” between military and civilian careers, stating that proposed reforms to the Armed Forces Bill may include greater flexibility to allow cyber personnel to move between roles in Defence and industry. “We will lose those people and that expertise if we don’t adapt,” he warned.