The UK’s National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) has announced the launch of its Vulnerability Research Initiative (VRI), a new program designed to boost collaboration with external cybersecurity experts and enhance national resilience against software and hardware vulnerabilities.
While the NCSC already conducts robust internal vulnerability research across a wide range of technologies, the VRI will operate as a complementary initiative. It aims to expedite the discovery and responsible disclosure of security flaws through structured cooperation with the broader cybersecurity community.
“Developing deep understanding and expertise of technologies, security mitigations and products takes time. Technology growth is constant, ever complex, security is improving, and thus VR is getting harder. This means the NCSC demand for VR continues to grow,” the agency said.
Through the initiative, selected researchers will work on identifying flaws in key technologies, assessing mitigations, and submitting findings through the UK’s 'Equities Process,'a structured system for handling vulnerability disclosures. They will also be required to share insights into the tools and methods they use, helping the NCSC build a framework of effective vulnerability research practices.
The NCSC said it wants to expand the initiative to include experts specializing in emerging technologies, including AI-powered vulnerability discovery.
