The UK government has officially designated datacentres as critical national infrastructure (CNI), elevating their protection against cyber-attacks, power outages, and IT disruptions. This decision highlights the critical role datacentres play in safeguarding essential information, such as personal data, financial records, and NHS health data.
By classifying datacentres as CNI, they will now receive the same level of governmental support and security measures as other essential services, including water, energy, and emergency response systems. This move is aimed at strengthening the resilience of the datacentre industry, ensuring it can better prevent and recover from potential threats, including cyber-attacks and natural disasters.
This marks the first new CNI designation in nearly ten years, signaling the government’s commitment to protecting key data infrastructure. The enhanced support is also expected to provide businesses with confidence as the digital economy grows, with datacentres playing an increasingly vital role. The UK’s datacentre sector contributes approximately £4.6 billion annually, making the country a leader in data storage across Western Europe.
Technology Secretary Peter Kyle emphasized the significance of datacentres, stating, “Datacentres power the digital economy and safeguard our most personal information.” He noted that this designation will improve collaboration between datacentres and the government, boosting defenses against cybercrime and enhancing responses to unplanned events.
The government also celebrated a £3.75 billion investment by DC01UK to build Europe’s largest datacentre in Hertfordshire. This project is expected to create over 700 local jobs and support thousands more across the UK. Kyle hailed the investment as a vote of confidence in the UK’s plans to strengthen its digital infrastructure and economy.
Additionally, Amazon Web Services (AWS) announced plans to invest £8 billion over the next five years to expand its UK datacentre operations. This investment is projected to add £14 billion to the UK’s GDP and create more than 14,000 full-time jobs annually. Tanuja Randery, AWS Vice President for EMEA, remarked that the adoption of technologies like cloud computing and AI will be crucial to the UK’s economic trajectory in the coming years.
With datacentres now recognized as critical infrastructure and substantial investments from industry leaders, the UK is positioning itself to enhance both its digital security and economic resilience amidst ongoing technological advancements.
