The government has made UK data centres Critical National Infrastructure to protect the country’s data against IT outages, cyberattacks and environmental emergencies.
It’s the first Critical National Infrastructure designation since 2015, putting data centres alongside water, energy and emergency services systems, giving them greater government support when recovering from critical incidents.
As part of the designation, a dedicated CNI data infrastructure team of senior government officials will be formed to monitor for potential threats, working closely with agencies such as the National Cyber Security Centre and emergency services to ensure data, from photos to NHS records, is protected.
“Data and network traffic is growing exponentially as people and businesses rely more and more on digital services,” said Jennifer Holmes, CCO at LINX. “Here at LINX, we have been classed as critical national infrastructure in the UK for many years and wholly support this recognition for our data centres, many of whom are valuable partners of ours.”
As data continues to scale, resilient infrastructure becomes increasingly important to ensure uninterrupted data flow and protect against downtime, which can prove costly across many sectors.
“This move should form part of a wider internet redundancy strategy, creating protocols and fail-safes to reroute network traffic in the event of an outage. Threats such as cyberattacks or extreme weather conditions are a case of when, not if, so it’s vital to have redundancies in place to not only protect data centres but ensure networks stay online,” added Holmes.
With the CNI designation, the government will work to build contingency plans to mitigate risks and damage caused in the event of an attack against a data centre. This will work in tandem with the proposed Cyber Security and Resilience Bill to strengthen the UK’s cyberdefences.
Technology Secretary, Peter Kyle, said: “Data centres are the engines of modern life, they power the digital economy and keep our most personal information safe. Bringing data centres into the Critical National Infrastructure regime will allow better coordination and cooperation with the government against cybercriminals and unexpected events.”
It follows the Chancellor’s announcement of an £8 billion investment in the UK data centre market, aiming to create 14,000 jobs and spark economic growth.
The UK is currently home to the highest number of data centres in Western Europe, becoming an increasingly valuable driver of the UK economy.
Libero Raspa, Managing Director of adesso UK, said: “AWS’s plans follow similar announcements in Germany, Spain, Italy and France, highlighting the UK’s growing appeal as a hub for global tech investment. This brings the promise of economic growth, new jobs and advances in technology across the country. Many of our clients now rely heavily on cloud services, with many more considering making the move, reflecting the growing demand in this area.
“The timing feels spot on, as advanced technologies like AI need vast amounts of computing power and storage. However, fostering strong competition in the cloud market is vital to unlock its full potential and ensure that users, businesses and the UK economy see the greatest benefits,” added Raspa.
