Partner content: UK public services face a boardroom priority as cyber resilience meets rising risks

A changing policy landscape

A new Prime Minister has taken office as the government changes how responsibilities are organized. DSIT, which had become the center of government digital, technology and cyber policy, is being scrapped, with its work redistributed across other parts of Whitehall.

Rising incidents and transition risks

Organizational transitions can create gaps as systems are integrated, access privileges reviewed, and data moved among teams, agencies and suppliers. Contracts and responsibilities may also need to change. During these periods, the attack surface can expand and accountability become less clear.

AI and supplier oversight

AI is being used across the public sector to improve productivity, analyze information and support service delivery. Without governance, however, organizations may lose track of the tools in use, the data they can access and whether sensitive information is exposed. The article identifies shadow AI as a current governance challenge.

The article says supplier assurance should be built into procurement and contract management, including Cyber Essentials, supplier checks, contractual duties and clear incident-reporting expectations. It also calls for continuous verification based on identity, context, device posture and risk, with users given only the access they need. AI use should be governed before it scales.

Resilience as a public duty

Public services rely on ecosystems that include departments, councils, agencies, trusts and suppliers. The article says resilience must extend across those boundaries as organizations and technology change. It frames cyber resilience as a way to protect the public’s ability to rely on government. Building it into the governance, transformation and delivery of public services is presented as a board-level responsibility.