NCSC Annual Review 2026

Page 23 of 29

The future of cyber defence

• The changing nature of operational cyber defence

  Cyber security is moving from periodic, human-led activity towards continuous, machine-assisted defence operating at national scale.

• The National Detect Strategy: Building the future of cyber defence

  The UK's critical services are frequently vulnerable to known cyber attacks.

• Cyber Shield: Building the UK’s agentic cyber defence ecosystem

  Cyber Shield is the UK's programme to build agentic detection, analysis and response.

• Project DROMOS

  As artificial intelligence continues to transform technology, the government is exploring how this capability can also strengthen cyber defence.