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23Sep16

UK intelligence agency to work with private sector to develop cyber security technologies

A groundbreaking partnership in Britain to develop world-leading cyber security technology was given a 65-million-U.S.-dollar boost Friday.

The highly secretive Government Communications Headquarters (GCHQ) is to work with top tech start-ups in Britain to develop new technologies aimed at protecting the country from cyber attacks.

The Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) has awarded the money as a first step in the development of two world-class cyber innovation centers.

The first of the two centers will be opened at the new Cheltenham Innovation Center around the turn of this year, and the second in London in 2017. GCHQ is based in Cheltenham.

The tie-up is the first step in the development of the two centers as part of a government 2.5-billion-U.S.-dollar National Cyber Security Program.

In what is the first program of its kind, GCHQ is to work in partnership with Wayra UK, part of Telefonica Open Future. Wayra UK has been chosen to run a new cyber accelerator facility with the aim of helping British start-ups grow and take the lead in producing the next generation of cyber security systems.

A spokesman for DCMS said: "It will see start-ups gaining access to GCHQ's world-class personnel and technological expertise to allow them to expand capability, improve ideas, and devise cutting-edge products to outpace current and emerging threats."

"The facility will also fast-track new firms into the booming cyber security sector which contributed 1.8 billion pounds (2.35 billion U.S. dollars) in exports to the UK economy last year and grew from 17.6 billion pounds (22.9 U.S. dollars) to almost 22 billion pounds (29 billion U.S. dollars) in 2015," the spokesman said.

Minister of State for Digital and Culture Matt Hancock said: "Our two new cyber innovation centers will bring together government, academic and business expertise, and will be invaluable in helping support start-up companies and develop world-class cyber technology."

GCHQ is one of the three intelligence and security agencies in Britain, along with MI5 and the Secret Intelligence Service (MI6). It works to protect Britain from a range of threats to national security, including terrorism, serious and organised crime, and cyber-attack.

[Source: Xinhua, London, 23Sep16]
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