In light of today’s article in The Telegraph, that MPs are calling for schoolchildren to be taught how to identify Russian disinformation online—it’s clear that defence is no longer the preserve of the military alone. It’s personal. It’s communal. It’s societal.
The 2025 Strategic Defence Review (SDR) sets the tone for this urgent recalibration. Its core message—“Making Britain Safer: Secure at Home, Strong Abroad”—demands a whole-of-society response to a world where threats are less visible but no less dangerous. From cyber sabotage to disinformation and undersea infrastructure attacks, hostile activity is no longer limited to the battlefield.
The Grey Zone is the New Front Line
The Defence Select Committee’s new report, Defence in the Grey Zone, reinforces the SDR’s direction. MPs have warned that Britain must build resilience not just in government departments or defence contractors—but in schools, communities, businesses, and online platforms.
Cyber hackers, espionage networks, and foreign misinformation campaigns are destabilising societies from within. Russian vessels, disguised or broadcasting false ID signals, are routinely tracked off UK shores. Subsea fibre-optic cables—critical to our economy and military operations—are becoming high-value targets.
As MP Tan Dhesi rightly stated:
“Grey zone threats bring war to the doorstep of each and every one of us… These attacks do not discriminate; they target the whole of our society and so demand a whole of society response.”
This is not a theoretical risk—it is an ongoing, strategic campaign by adversaries who, as former SIS Chief Sir Alex Younger put it, “see themselves at war with the West.”
UDSS: Turning Strategy into Action
At Universal Defence and Security Solutions (UDSS), we welcome the SDR’s bold shift in mindset and the committee’s call to arms. We know that a resilient nation cannot be built by government alone. It must involve:
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A cyber-literate population, starting with digital resilience in schools
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Businesses equipped to withstand and respond to cyberattacks
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An industrial base that supports innovation and secure digital infrastructure
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Public-private partnerships that build trust and shared capacity
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A digitally enabled defence force capable of protecting critical infrastructure—especially undersea cables, pipelines, and high-tech networks
Through our work with government, defence industry, and academic partners, UDSS helps organisations understand and operationalise this whole-of-society approach. Whether through professional military education, digital transformation, or support for SMEs entering the defence market, we build capabilities where they’re needed most.
The Time to Act is Now
The Strategic Defence Review offers the blueprint. Reports like Defence in the Grey Zone offer the wake-up call. Together, they show that deterrence today isn’t just about firepower—it’s about awareness, connectivity, and resilience across every layer of society.
Download a copy of the UK's Strategic Defence Review 2025:
From classrooms to boardrooms, everyone has a role to play.
If you’re a business, educator, or public body looking to understand your role in this new defence paradigm, UDSS can help. Contact our team to learn more.
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