UK National Security College Guide: Strengthening National Security Capacity Building

Key Chapter Title List

1. Cabinet Office National Security Secretariat (NSS)
2. Government Security Group (GSG)
3. Joint Intelligence Organisation (JIO)
4. Counter Terrorism Policing (CTP)
5. Department for Business and Trade (DBT)
6. Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ)
7. Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (Defra)
8. Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT)
9. Department for Transport (DfT)
10. Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO)
11. Government Communications Headquarters (GCHQ) and National Crime Agency (NCA)
12. Devolved Governments and National Security

Document Introduction

This guide has been compiled internally within the UK's national security system, aiming to provide authoritative operational guidance and a knowledge framework for the community of national security practitioners. Faced with systemic challenges such as shifting geopolitical plates, accelerating technological revolution, and intensifying climate change, the report begins with the Chairman of the Joint Intelligence Committee noting that the UK must ensure its national security system operates efficiently and leverages the advantages of being "small and agile" to achieve agility and innovation. The core mission of this guide is to build a knowledgeable, skilled, and closely connected professional workforce, disseminating knowledge about threat awareness and response actions across the civil service and wider public sector through the platform of the UK National Security Academy.

The main body of the report systematically analyzes the organizational structure and functional division of the UK's national security community. It details the core central institutions, from the Cabinet Office's National Security Secretariat (responsible for coordinating the highest decision-making body, the National Security Council, formulating strategy, and managing crises) and the Government Security Group (overseeing government security functions), to the Joint Intelligence Organisation (providing all-source intelligence assessments). Simultaneously, the report elaborates on the roles of key operational departments, including Counter Terrorism Policing (addressing terrorism, state threats, and war crimes), the Department for Business and Trade (safeguarding economic security and supply chain resilience), the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (protecting critical energy infrastructure and nuclear non-proliferation), and the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (focusing on research security, critical technologies, countering disinformation, and data security). Furthermore, the functions and legal frameworks of external intelligence agencies (Secret Intelligence Service/MI6), internal security agencies (Security Service/MI5), and the Government Communications Headquarters (GCHQ) are clearly defined.

This guide is not limited to traditional security departments; it explicitly includes the devolved governments (Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland) within the scope of the national security community. It explains the critical role of local authorities in consequence management, community resilience building, and the implementation of counter-terrorism strategies, under the premise that national security is a reserved matter for the central government. This holistic perspective highlights that modern national security governance requires deep integration and collaboration between central and local governments, as well as among various departments.

Regarding the legal and policy framework, the report consistently emphasizes how a series of key legislations, such as the National Security and Investment Act (2021), the National Security Act 2023, and the Investigatory Powers Act (2016), provide authorization and norms for the actions of various agencies. Through numerous practical examples (such as responding to Russian cyberattacks against Ukraine, combating the LockBit ransomware group, handling the Salisbury Novichok incident, and implementing economic sanctions against Russia), the report vividly demonstrates the specific application of legal tools, cross-departmental collaboration, and international partnerships in addressing hybrid threats, state threats, terrorism, and serious organized crime.

In summary, this document is a comprehensive "roadmap" reflecting the operational concepts and practices of the UK's national security system in 2025. It goes beyond a simple directory of institutions, delving into how the UK, in a complex and ever-changing threat environment, builds a more resilient, adaptable, and holistic national security ecosystem through institutional design, legal authorization, professional capacity building, and cross-domain collaboration. For professionals studying UK politics, security governance, intelligence systems, and cross-departmental collaboration, this guide provides highly valuable primary information and institutional insights.