NCSC Implements Vulnerability Scanning Program Across UK

The National Cyber Security Centre has announced a new program that intends to scan every Internet-connected system hosted in the UK for vulnerabilities in what it touts as an effort to both remediate threats and monitor the nation's exposure.

The data collected will also help the country respond quickly to widespread zero days, explained Dr. Ian Levy, technical director of NCSC, in a blog post announcing the new vulnerability scanning program. Dr. Levy also sought to reassure the public that the program will be fully transparent.

"We're not trying to find vulnerabilities in the UK for some other, nefarious purpose," he wrote about the NCSC scanning announcement. "We're beginning with simple scans, and will slowly increase the complexity of the scans, explaining what we're doing (and why we're doing it)."