New systems need to be security focused throughout developments, says GCHQ boss

All new systems should be developed with a focus on security from the earliest stages of design if threats to internet freedom are to be kept at bay.

That’s the view of GCHQ director Jeremy Fleming, who has underlined the risks facing personal data today.

In a column for the Sunday Times, he wrote: “In the past, we have often seen security bolted on to technology as new risks emerge. For an environment where the cycle of development to deployment is accelerating and where our dependence on overseas technologies is increasing, this approach no longer works.

“The key to securing the benefits of this new age lies in the way in which we secure personal information and new technologies from those seeking to do us harm.”

He goes on to add that governments and industry don’t need so-called "back door" or global "skeleton key" schemes to demonstrate responsible access that protects privacy. Instead, he believes they require “public debate and close, open cooperation and agreement with technology companies”.