The UK government has officially designated data centres as Critical National Infrastructure (CNI), placing them alongside energy, water, and transportation systems in terms of their significance to society. This marks the first CNI designation since 2015 and highlights the critical role data centres play in the UK’s digital economy and the increasing threats they face.
With the largest number of data centres in Western Europe, the UK is taking decisive action to protect this crucial infrastructure. An additional £8 billion investment from AWS into the UK data centre market further underlines the importance of these assets.
Modern Threats Call for Data Centre Protection
The designation of data centres as CNI brings with it several protective measures, including:
- Monitoring and threat anticipation by a dedicated data infrastructure team.
- Prioritised access to security agencies like the National Cyber Security Centre.
- Coordination with emergency services in the event of an incident.
This comprehensive coverage will include both physical data centres and the cloud providers using them, such as Microsoft, Amazon, and Google.
As Jennifer Holmes, CCO of LINX, stated, “Cyber attacks or extreme weather conditions are a matter of when, not if, so having redundancies in place to protect data centres and ensure networks stay online is vital.”
Rising Threat of Cyber Attacks on Data Centres
Recent reports show a sharp increase in DDoS attacks, which have more than doubled in frequency over the past year. These attacks target data centres due to their critical role in storing and processing sensitive information. A successful attack on a data centre could have devastating consequences for industries such as healthcare and finance.
Bruce Owen, UK Managing Director of Equinix, welcomed the government’s announcement, acknowledging the vital role data centres play in the digital economy and society at large.
The UK’s efforts mirror those of the Biden administration in the US, which has also taken steps to protect key infrastructure from cyber threats.
Data Centres: Powering the Economy and Safeguarding Society
As data centres gain protected status, the industry must continue to address challenges related to energy consumption and environmental impact while supporting emerging technologies like AI. The CNI designation will help tackle the growing cyber threats faced by this critical infrastructure.
Peter Kyle, UK Technology Secretary, remarked, “Data centres are the engines of modern life, powering the digital economy and keeping our most personal information safe. Bringing data centres into the CNI regime will foster better cooperation with the government to defend against cybercriminals and unexpected events.”
