Cyber security
Public order public safety — Authorised Professional Practice
Summary
This section outlines the importance of cyber security in policing, particularly for public order public safety planners and commanders. It emphasizes the need to recognize and address cyber security threats when developing policing plans. Key actions include developing cyber incident response plans, implementing security controls, monitoring the effectiveness of these controls, and maintaining readiness for incident response. Additionally, the National Management Centre (NMC) serves as a central hub of expertise to assist police forces in managing cyber threats and improving their defenses against cybercrime.
Key principles
- 1Consider potential cyber security threats in policing plans
- 2Develop cyber incident response plans
- 3Implement protective security controls
- 4Monitor effectiveness of security measures
- 5Maintain cyber incident response readiness
Defined terms
- National Management Centre
- The Police Digital Service’s National Management Centre (NMC) is the national centre of expertise dedicated to protecting police forces across the UK against cybercrime.
Full guidance
This page is from APP, the official source of professional practice for policing.
Public order public safety (POPS) planners and commanders should consider potential cyber security threats and the use of event monitoring services to identify and assess potential cyber threats and vulnerabilities.
Further considerations include:
assist the development of cyber incident response plans and procedures * implement security controls to protect against identified cyber threats * monitor and assess the effectiveness of security controls * maintain cyber incident response capabilities and readiness
The Police Digital Service’s National Management Centre (NMC) is the national centre of expertise dedicated to protecting police forces across the UK against cybercrime.
Police forces should consider using the NMC services for:
guidance on cyber security best practices and incident response * incident response services for assistance with investigating and mitigating cyber incidents * threat intelligence to stay informed about current and emerging cyber threats for planning and implementing event monitoring solutions (you will need to log in to College Learn)
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Read the full APP guidanceSource: College of Policing — Authorised Professional Practice · Crown copyright, licensed under Open Government Licence v3.0. Summary fetched 2026-06-27.