Article Posted on : - Sep 30, 2013

LONDON (PTI): Britain is working on creating an army of hundreds of tech-savvy recruits to tackle cyber attacks.

UK Defence Secretary Philip Hammond revealed plans for the revolutionary military unit at the annual Conservative party conference in Manchester on Sunday.

"In response to the growing cyber threat, we are developing a full-spectrum military cyber capability, including a strike capability, to enhance the UK's range of military capabilities," Hammond said.

"Increasingly, our defence budget is being invested in high-end capabilities such as cyber and intelligence and surveillance assets to ensure we can keep the country safe.

The cyber reserves will be an essential part of ensuring we defend our national security in cyber-space," he added.

Recruitment for the new posts will begin next month and will include regular personnel leaving full-time roles and existing reservists with the right skill set.

In January, the British Parliament's defence scrutiny committee warned in a report that the country's military's dependence on information technology meant it could be "fatally compromised" by a cyber-attack.

The committee heard evidence that cyber-attacks could disrupt military communication and information systems, radars and satellites, and leave combat units such as planes or ships dysfunctional.

The new capability would be able to "counter-attack in cyber-space and, if necessary, to strike in cyber-space as part of our full-spectrum military capability," Prime Minister David Cameron led Tory party said.

The party's three-day conference kicked off with Cameron unveiling long-awaited details of his marriage tax plan on Saturday, worth up to 3.85 pounds a week for couples.

Other policies being highlighted are Tech-levels, an elite form of vocational qualification which ministers hope will give less-academic pupils a strong alternative to A-levels that is relevant to work.