UK’s NCF describes cyber operations as precise, calibrated, and accountable

A paper published Tuesday by the United Kingdoms National Cyber Force provides a detailed explanation of the country's offensive cybersecurity operations, according to The Record, a news site by cybersecurity firm Recorded Future. In the paper, the NCF argues that its offensive hacking activities are fundamentally different from other countries such as China and Russia, which opted to engage in "reckless" cyberattacks, namely the destructive Microsoft Exchange and NotPetya operations. The UK's cyber operations are designed to be "precise," "accountable" and "calibrated," the agency said. It was "right that we enable greater transparency and engage with the public more widely than has been done before, the NCF said, adding that the move highlighted "the UKs commitment to being a responsible and democratic cyber power." The document describes the NCFs work as covert and we therefore do not reveal details of individual operations. Indeed, the intent is sometimes that adversaries do not realize that the effects they are experiencing are the result of a cyber operation.