The National Security Strategy of the United Kingdom: Security for the Next Generation

Citation
U.K. Cabinet Office, The National Security Strategy of the United Kingdom: Security for the Next Generation (2009 Update) (Cm 7590) (June 2009) (full-text).

Overview
This is an Update to The National Security Strategy of the United Kingdom: Security in an independent world of March 2008. As noted by the Prime Minister:

"This update sets out


 * what we have achieved in the past year;
 * how we have continued to strengthen our approach;
 * our assessment of the challenges ahead; and
 * our response to those challenges &mdash; from terrorism and instability in Afghanistan and Pakistan, to nuclear security, to energy security and climate change, to pandemics, to failing states and the challenges of strengthening global security through development.

This report describes what the United Kingdom is doing across the full range of national security risks. It contains a series of detailed proposals for international reform, together with realistic plans to deliver them. It shows how our approach to national security is internationalist, not isolationist; active, not passive; and agile and flexible. Our approach means we are responsive to new challenges like cyber security. Seizing the benefits of new technology is vital for our national prosperity. But hostile states, terrorists,and criminals can all potentially use cyber space to undermine our interests. This could be at the national level &mdash; for example through attacks on our essential infrastructure. But security threats in cyber space also threaten the interests of businesses and individuals. In the past, Governments thought about national security as being about protecting the state and its interests. This remains important, but the nature of the risks we face in today’s world means our approach to national security must be focused just as much on protecting individual citizens and businesses. So today, alongside this strategy update, we are publishing the United Kingdom’s first national strategy for cyber security, to help people make the most of the benefits of Digital Britain in a safe and [[secure] way. |undefined"