The government is considering strengthening security laws after a report from parliament’s Intelligence and Security Committee (ISC) accused the government of underestimating the “immediate and urgent threat” of Russian cyber interference to the UK’s national security.

In an interview with BBC Radio 4’s Today programme this morning, transport secretary Grant Shapps said ministers were considering a new law requiring foreign agents to register in the UK as part of their response to the report.

The enquiry report, published by the ISC - a powerful cross party committee of MPs - examined the extent of Russia’s threat to UK cyber and security infrastructure and probed the UK government’s response to Russian activity following the Salisbury poisonings in 2018.

Shapps explained that the additional powers would not be the “only solution” to the Russian security threat, but said it would be easier to extradite spies.

The ISC concluded that Russia’s president Vladimir Putin considers the UK to be a “key diplomatic adversary” and that the country would sit “just behind the US and NATO in any
priority list” for targeting by Russian security services.

The MPs’ enquiry, which involved interviews and fact finding with the UK’s intelligence services found that, “Russia’s cyber capability, when combined with its willingness to deploy it in a malicious capacity, is a matter of grave concern, and poses an immediate and urgent threat to our national security".

The 50-page report also said the UK was “clearly a target” for disinformation campaigns around its elections, but described the issue as a “hot potato”, with the government making no effort to investigate claims of Russian interference in the EU referendum, alleging that the government “elatedly realised the level of threat which Russia could pose”.

It also highlighted a lack of clarity over which government departments and ministers were responsible for countering the threat, describing the UK’s cyber defences as a “crowded domain” and complex landscape, with the National Cyber Security Centre - the dedicated cyber division of GCHQ - responsible for front line response.

However, the lack of coordination and accountability was highlighted as a concern for the NCSC, with the foreign secretary holding overall responsibility for the NCSC, while the home secretary technically leads on the government response to major cyber incidents, and the defence secretary has overall responsibility for cyber as a “warfighting tool”.

Meanwhile the digital secretary has responsibility for digital matters and the chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster - the cabinet office role currently held by Michael Gove - is responsible for the National Cyber Security Strategy and the National Cyber Security Programme.

The government, which will have to answer questions on the issue in the Commons later, faces calls to do far more to counter Russian espionage and subversion after the ISC said the UK was the main target after the US and Nato.

Labour has called an Urgent Question in parliament today to debate the alleged shortcomings in the UK’s national security policy highlighted by the report.

Shadow home secretary Nick Thomas-Symonds said Labour would support the government in implementing measures detailed in the ISC report, such as new laws and working with online companies to encourage them to "swiftly to deal with hostile state activity on their platforms".

Responding to the report, foreign secretary Dominic Raab said: "We've been clear that Russia must desist from its attacks on the UK and our allies.

"We will be resolute in defending our country, our democracy and our values from such hostile state activity."

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