GDS brings in consultant to advise on 'risks to digital services'

Minister says there are "few specialists able to provide the required skills" within the civil service


Photo: GOV.UK/Crown Copyright/Open Government Licence

By Sam Trendall

29 May 2019

The Government Digital Service is bringing in an external consultant on a one-year contract to assess the security of the digital services created by the organisation.

The role of principal cybersecurity risk consultant will shortly be filled by interim appointment, according to minister for implementation Oliver Dowden. 

In response to a written parliamentary question from Labour MP Jon Trickett, Dowden said: “There are very few specialists able to provide the required skills and they are in high demand across HM Government and the financial services sector on an interim basis.


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"After careful consideration, GDS determined that the variable nature of this work was better suited to a consultant.”

The appointee will be “focused on the information and cyber security of the digital services GDS builds, operates and uses”, he added.

Trickett also asked the minister why the recruitment of such a person had been deemed necessary by the Cabinet Office in the first place.

“The Government Digital Service information assurance team focuses on risks to the digital services that GDS builds and uses, as well as the data those services handle,” Dowden said.

“GDS and Cabinet Office require specialist security support in the building and running of our own digital products and internal operations. This role will provide subject matter expertise for cyber and information security risk assessment.”

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