The National Cyber Force has stated that it is involved in activities aimed at subverting the tactics of state-sponsored hackers from Russia, China, and other countries.
The National Cyber Force, a recently established UK hacking unit, claims to disrupt terrorist groups, child sexual abuse material distributors, and military adversaries daily. In its first policy statement, “Responsible Cyber Power in Practice,” the group outlines its willingness to combat organized online threats. While specific methods are not disclosed, the NCF reports engaging in tactics to subvert state-sponsored hackers’ tradecraft and using technical means to impede terrorist propaganda distribution.
The NCF also aims to disrupt the operational capabilities of UK military adversaries and undertake persistent campaigns to eradicate images of child abuse, thus making illegal content less accessible online. Launched in 2020, the NCF is a collaboration between the GCHQ intelligence agency and the Ministry of Defence, marking the first time that the UK’s cyberattack capabilities have been combined into a single recognized unit. Russia, China, Iran, and North Korea are known to support hacking groups that seek to steal political and trade secrets or execute ransomware attacks demanding large payments for restoring a company’s systems.
Through the hack, the coalition forces were able to gain information about the procurement of drones and missiles and pilot training of IS, which was used to neutralize their capabilities, reducing the military threat to ground troops in Iraq and Syria.
The NCF is headed by James Babbage, a GCHQ officer of 30 years, whose name is now made public. He is one of only four British intelligence officers whose identities are publicly known, along with the heads of MI5, MI6, and GCHQ.
