London, Oct 3 (PTI) The UK's National Cyber Force (NCF), announced earlier this year to counter cyber threats from criminals, terrorists and hostile states, will be based in Lancashire in north-west England and confront aggressive online behaviour, the government said on Sunday.

The NCF will be based at Samlesbury, a base of military technology firm BAE Systems and involved with military aircraft development over the years.

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The centre's work has been operational since last year, with officials from the MI6 secret service, the Government Communications Headquarters (GCHQ) or the government's so-called listening post, and the military brought together under a unified command.

The NCF will also draw people from the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (DSTL) and other cyber and security agencies.

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“The National Cyber Force will help confront aggressive behaviour from malign actors, and demonstrate that Britain is investing in next-generation defence capability to protect our people and help our friends counter cyber threats,” said UK Foreign Secretary Liz Truss.

"It sends a powerful message to our allies and adversaries alike," she said.

Operating since April 2020, the NCF will be backed by over GBP 5 billion (USD 6.77 billion) of investment before 2030 and run jointly by the Ministry of Defence (MoD) and the GCHQ.

“The National Cyber Force located in Samlesbury will embrace exciting new offensive cyber technologies and provide thousands of highly skilled jobs and expertise to the north west,” UK Defence Secretary Ben Wallace.

"I am hugely proud and enthusiastic to see this happen, not only will it provide a catalyst for investment, but also see our levelling up agenda bring economic stimulus and tangible benefits to this region," he said.

The NCF will form a new campus, creating skilled jobs and operating as a centre for cyber excellence.

The UK has been a world-leader on offensive cyber operations, with GCHQ pioneering the use and development of these cyber techniques, the MoD said.

Offensive cyber operations are characterised as those which can disrupt hostile state activities, terrorists and criminals threatening the UK's national security – from countering terror plots to conducting military operations.

According to the MoD, the NCF will operate in partnership with law enforcement and international partners, in a legal, ethical and proportionate way to help defend the nation and counter the full range of national security threats.

Offensive cyber capabilities offer the UK a range of flexible, scalable measures that will help protect the UK and partner countries around the globe.

In 2016, the UK then Defence Secretary confirmed the UK was conducting cyber operations against Islamic State (ISIS) terrorist network and in 2018, the Director of GCHQ revealed how it had degraded ISIS propaganda networks through cyber operations, the MoD noted.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)