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The UK government has designated data centres as critical national infrastructure, a designation not granted to any sector in nearly a decade. This move highlights the importance of data centres, placing them on par with essential services like the NHS and the water supply.
Announced by Downing Street, this classification ensures that data centres will receive prioritized support during crises such as cyber-attacks or extreme weather events. Technology Secretary Peter Kyle emphasized the role of data centres in powering the digital economy and safeguarding personal information. He noted that this designation would enhance coordination and collaboration with the government to combat cyber threats and address unforeseen events more effectively.
The decision follows a significant IT outage experienced by CrowdStrike earlier this summer, which disrupted 60% of UK doctor’s surgeries. The Department for Science, Innovation, and Technology highlighted this incident as a stark example of the severe impact that IT and cyber threats can have on everyday life.
Data centres, which now join 12 other sectors on the UK’s critical infrastructure list, are positioned to play a crucial role as demand for artificial intelligence technology grows. The last sectors to be granted critical infrastructure status were space and defence, in 2015.
In light of this new designation, major technology companies are expanding their data centre operations in the UK. On Wednesday, Amazon’s (NASDAQ:AMZN) AWS division announced plans to build data centres in the UK, contributing £8 billion to this effort. This move aligns with similar expansion plans by Microsoft and Google, reflecting significant support from Chancellor Rachel Reeves.
The elevated status of data centres underscores their growing importance in maintaining national security and supporting the digital economy, particularly as technological advancements and demand for AI technologies continue to rise.
