Guidance

UK Programme Supporting Cyber Security in the Commonwealth: call for expressions of interest from partners

Published 5 February 2018

The Commonwealth is home to 2.4 billion people in 52 countries, consisting of both advanced and developing economies. Its members face common cyber security risks and have a shared interest in working together, and with external partners, to improve cyber security across the Commonwealth. Stronger cyber security, within the context of a free, open and peaceful cyberspace, would contribute to positive security and development outcomes and support the values of the Commonwealth Charter: democracy, human rights and the rule of law.

With this potential in mind, the UK is actively exploring options for a new UK Programme Supporting Cyber Security in the Commonwealth. The proposed Programme would help developing Commonwealth countries: protect their populations from cyber crime and cyber security harms; build resilient digital economies; and more safely implement ICT for development programmes.

We are inviting expressions of interest from partners to contribute, financially or in-kind, to the delivery of the Programme. We would particularly welcome interest from private sector companies, international organisations and academic or research institutions.

The need for the Programme

Digital technology can have a transformative effect in developing countries. However the benefits of ICT for development, economic growth and trade can only be fully and safely realised when they go hand in hand with cyber security. Weak security and poor resilience puts systems and people at risk, increasing losses to cyber harm and undermining user trust.

Developing Commonwealth countries experience the negative effects of weak cyber security, but have limited resources to respond. Some fear being left on the wrong side of a new cyber security divide that could leave them cut off from international networks, such as financial transfer systems.

The UK Programme Supporting Cyber Security in the Commonwealth would address this challenge by empowering governments of developing Commonwealth countries, companies and people with the knowledge and capabilities they need to understand, and protect themselves from, cyber security risks.

The Programme would deliver through strategic projects that join experience and resources from inside and outside governments. It would use existing partnerships, including those of the Commonwealth Secretariat and Commonwealth Telecommunications Organisation, and form new ones. This is an invitation for expression of interest from new partners or those already working within the Commonwealth who would like to do more.

The offer to partners

The main benefit of partnership would be the opportunity to have a greater impact in improving international cyber security and development outcomes in Africa, Asia, the Pacific and the Caribbean as part of a unique public-private partnership approach. Partnerships also offer a platform for organisations to:

• play a prominent role supporting cyber security in the Commonwealth
• reach out to Commonwealth nations’ governments, businesses, universities and people through association with 2 years of cyber security events and projects

A proposed 3-tier partnership offer, subject to refinement based on the feedback from potential partners, is set out at Annex A.

The role for partners

We are inviting expressions of interest from companies or organisations that could contribute to the Programme through financial or in-kind support.

We have identified several core requirements that we invite partners to contribute to:

• financial support to project(s) within the Programme
• fixed-term secondees to be part of the Programme team within the National Security Directorate of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office
• time contributed by cyber security personnel who can support projects by advising on their design or delivery, for example by presenting at a workshop or conference in the UK or internationally, or
• time contributed by personnel with experience in media/comms, general research and/or cyber security who can contribute to communication and research products

We would also welcome partnerships offering a bespoke contribution, for example:

• low or zero cost cyber security products and services for governments, companies or people in Commonwealth developing countries, or
• fully funded capacity building projects/activities that could be associated with the programme to achieve greater impact for both parties

We would be pleased to receive proposals for strategic partnerships with a deeper level of involvement in the design, delivery or communication of the programme. The UK has an ambitious international vision for cyber security capacity building and we hope this programme could be a pilot for what can be achieved through strong, strategic partnerships.

Proposed project themes

We are considering the following project themes for the programme. We would develop these, and possibly add new ones, in consultation with Commonwealth members and institutions, other stakeholders and our programme partners.

Sector	Themes for the programme to help developing Commonwealth countries
National/government	identify their own gaps and needs for addressing cyber security and cyber crime
	improve their cybe security strategies, policies and legislation through models and good practice
	improve their operational response to cyber crime through models and good practice
	strengthen their operational incident response capabiities and CIIP framework
	protect their elections through better cyber security
Public	raise public awareness
Business and technology	strengthen local company ecosystem through principals and certifiable standards for cyber security
	tackle email fraud and the spread of malware
	improve skills in workforce and research
Cross cutting	empower civil society and local capacity building organisations to contribute to better cyber security
	access new sources of sustainable funding for developing their cyber security capacity

How to express interest

Any organisation wishing to register an expression of interest should email cybercapacity.building@fco.gsi.gov.uk by 23 February 2018 with a short explanation of your area of interest and contribution.