GCHQ must ‘step out of the shadows’ to better protect people online

Jeremy Fleming, the head of GCHQ, has said the top secret agency must step out of the shadows of almost 100 years of secrecy to better keep people safe and free online.

In an article for the Telegraph, Mr Fleming - who was appointed GCHQ boss in March after serving as MI5 deputy director - wrote that protecting Britain from hacking and cyber attacks was now just as important as preventing acts of terrorism.

He added that defending the ‘digital homeland’ has to become a key element of GCHQ’s work.

“If GCHQ is to continue to help the keep the country safe, then keeping our citizens safe and free online must become and remain as much a part of our mission as our global intelligence reach and our round-the-clock efforts against terrorism,” Mr Fleming said.

GCHQ increased its efforts to better protect Brits online with the launch of the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) in October 2016.

Despite high-profile attacks like WannaCry, the organisation has so far proven to be effective, preventing almost 600 ‘significant’ cyber attacks in its first year.