UK must prepare for hostile state infrastructure attacks, Streeting warns

Summarised from 4 outlets · Updated 22 Oct, 14:58 · Archive

Defence Secretary Wes Streeting has warned Britain must prepare for threats of state-sponsored attacks on everyday infrastructure.

Defence Secretary Wes Streeting has warned that Britain must prepare for threats of 'state-sponsored terrorism' by hostile states targeting everyday infrastructure. Speaking on Thursday, he said the public should consider how to respond to hybrid warfare risks, including cyber-attacks that could knock out payment systems or disrupt supply chains. He also said people should prepare for natural disasters such as flooding and wildfires.

Streeting was speaking at a new tank gun barrel factory in Telford in the West Midlands, owned by German manufacturer Rheinmetall. The factory is part of efforts to accelerate rearmament in response to Russian military threats. European states have increasingly warned of sabotage threats from hostile powers, particularly Russia, which can cause disruption or endanger safety.

Streeting said the terms 'hybrid warfare' and 'grey zone threats' do not adequately capture the threat to the general public. 'So in the face of those threats, which are not hypothetical but real, and not somewhere else but increasingly here, we have to step up and take seriously our national resilience as well as our national defence,' he said.

How it is being reported

• The government wants UK households to stock up on nine items. Here’s what to buyWes Streeting is urging the public to prepare for extreme weather, cyber attacks, and warThe Independent · 22 Oct, 15:30
• Millions urged to be ready for emergencies triggered by weather and cyber attacksTo view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Up Next Previous Page Next Page Brits will be targeted in a major new government campaign urging them to be ready for disasters such as extreme weather , cyber attacks and…Metro · 22 Oct, 15:19
• UK must prepare for infrastructure attacks by hostile states, says StreetingWarning by defence secretary comes as he opens a tank gun barrel factory in the West Midlands Business live – latest updates The defence secretary, Wes Streeting, has said Britain should prepare for the threat of “state-sponsored terrorism” by hostile powers targeting everyday infrastructure as part of a national conversation about resilience in the face of emergencies. He said on Thursday the public should consider how to respond to so-called hybrid warfare risks, such as cyber-attacks that could knock out payment systems used by businesses or cause supply chains to collapse. He also said…The Guardian · 22 Oct, 14:38
• Streeting launches new push to prepare UK for emergencies and hostile actsThe government will on Thursday launch a new push to prepare the UK to be more resilient for any kind of emergency, Defence Secretary Wes Streeting has revealed.Sky News · 22 Oct, 11:09

In this story: Wes Streeting · Russia · Rheinmetall · Telford · West Midlands · Germany · Ukraine

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