Partners in national cyber security strategy? : An analysis of cyber security strategies of Ministry of Defence and police in UK

This research dissertation analyses and compares the Ministry of Defence (MOD) Cyber Security Strategy and Police Cyber Security Strategy in the UK. The research employed qualitative and quantitative methods to investigate issues in the partnership by focusing on the police force and the MOD represented by the Armed Forces. The research objectives were: identifying challenges in police-military partnership and collaboration in cyber security; examine personnel understanding of the cyber partnership and pluralisation of policing in a cyber context and also propose means of facilitating participation and understanding of cyber issues. Questionnaires and telephone interviews were used to gather information on personnel understanding of cyber security strategy and the nature of the partnership that exists between the two forces – military and police. Research findings reveal that despite efforts by Government and the MOD to streamline Cyber into defence and policing, the workforce has not been educated in the whole concept of cyber defence, thereby undermining the implementation of the strategy. The research reveals that to effectively prevent, investigate and prosecute cybercrime in the UK, policing techniques and strategy that will meet the challenges of current crime environment will need to be put in place by the both forces. The research also found that the Cyber Security Strategy is mainly state centric while policing is human centric in approach, this accounts for the challenges in bringing the policing cyber strategy in line with the National cyber strategy. The research concludes that an increase in education and expertise of both forces will help enhance bi-lateral and multi-lateral partnerships in the race to make the UK cyberspace safe