The UK's 2023 National Risk Register, published by the government in the summer, highlights the increasing cyberthreat posed to telecommunications providers who are a vital part of the communications critical national infrastructure (CNI) sector. The report lays out the volatile landscape these providers operate in and the government's acknowledgement of the seriousness of cyber threats to telecommunications infrastructure. It also details the difficulty in implementing the Telecommunications (Security) Act 2021, which establishes guidelines for telcos to follow.

The US Government recently announced that state-sponsored Chinese cyber group Volt Typhoon has compromised multiple critical infrastructure organisations' IT networks in the US and is preparing "disruptive or destructive cyber attacks" against communications, energy, transport, water and waste water systems. The announcement, which was supported by national cybersecurity agencies in Australia, Canada, UK, and New Zealand, is a sobering reminder that modern life relies on digital networks. From healthcare, banking, and socialising, to energy, water, local and national government - everything has a digital aspect.