Inside the BBC’s emergency plans for a Putin cyber attack

Get a wind-up radio and stock up on batteries – these are the BBC’s plans to keep broadcasts on air in the event of a national emergency. The strategy emerged as a security expert warned there was an “urgent need” to upgrade the UK’s resilience in the event of an attack knocking out critical infrastructure. Analogue FM radio, which could be phased out under a Government consultation, will be the BBC’s communication medium of last resort if Britain suffers a major power outage due to a cyber attack, the corporation’s deputy director-general said. Shorts It comes as fears grow over the threat of Russia’s hybrid war and the impact on Britain, with the National Cyber Security Centre previously warning of the risk of public services being targeted. The BBC’s plans echo a campaign the Government is preparing to launch later this year, which will call on households to be ready for emergencies including a Russian cyber attack. The public will be advised to stockpile battery-powered or wind-up torches and radios, portable power banks, first-aid kits, bottled water and non-perishable foods. The UK and the EU have recently sanctioned Russian cyber networks, which are believed to have launched attacks worth billions. ‘Urgent need to improve UK resilience’ “There is an urgent need to enhance the resilience and redundancy of UK critical networks after successive governments have prioritised efficiency and cost over security,” said Dr Andrew Dwyer, a lecturer in information security at Royal Holloway, University of London. “This needs to happen across the spectrum of activity whether in our power networks, telecommunications, or in fostering and providing local in-person community services.” The BBC quietly unveiled to the House of Lords’ National Resilience Committee earlier this summer that it is actively modelling its response to various emergency scenarios. These include an encrypted ransomware attack, similar to that suffered by the US Sinclair Broadcasting Group in 2021 which disrupted news broadcasts, costing the company tens of millions of dollars. The hacking tool used was linked to a Russian crime ring. It expects to transmit vital news and information through the Digital Audio Broadcasting (DAB) radio network – but some TV viewers could be left in the dark under moves, supported by the BBC, to switch off Freeview broadcasts received through digital aerials, as soon as 2034. FM radio reliable in crisis During the evidence session, Rhodri Talfan Davies, the BBC’s new deputy director-general, said the corporation would revert to low-tech solutions to keep audiences informed, if faced with a worse-case scenario. “Radio – particularly FM – gives you very significant resilience in moments of crisis, if you have the back-up generators in place,” he said. “We would put out our services across as many platforms as possible but, clearly, access to a radio, whether a wind-up or a battery-operated one, which has access, ideally, to both FM and DAB frequencies is probably the best option that users would face.” Hand-cranked or wind-up radio sets, receiving AM and FM broadcasts and including an SOS alarm, USB charger and reading light, are available for around £35. The world’s first clockwork radio, designed by inventor Trevor Baylis in 1997, needed no batteries and was powered by hand (Photo: Getty) Rhodri Talfan Davies said: “If there was a national power outage, we have a clear plan that we have developed in co-ordination with the Cabinet Office about how we would prioritise public information messages, particularly using radio transmission, which would probably be the most resilient in a moment like that. “In a moment of national power outage, our response would be to focus information around two of our major radio frequencies but we also have the option to localise both on FM and DAB across our local radio network.” He added that the BBC had “a whole variety of tools to respond”, depending “on the nature of the outage”. Factors to consider would be whether it was localised or a national problem. Dwyer said the BBC was adopting the right approach: “Ensuring that there remains an independent communications channel – like FM radio – is crucial to respond to cyber attacks that could cut out infrastructure in certain areas or more widely. “If critical nodes are impacted and this prevents or degrades internet-based services, emergency broadcast capability to all should be at the core of the state’s responsibility. “This means encouraging – and at times supplying – wind-up or battery-powered radios and fostering this as part of an emergency kit and training all households should have.” Rhodri Talfan Davies, right, ran the BBC before new director-general Matt Brittin took up his post in May (Photo: Jeff Overs/BBC) Emergency scenario planning Last month, 120 experts from the Cabinet Office, NHS and Ministry of Defence staged a preparedness exercise which modelled a Russian attack capable of hitting hospitals and shutting down traffic light systems. Talfan Davies, interim director-general before Matt Brittin took his post, confirmed the BBC is engaged in “regular emergency and scenario planning against a range of risks, whether that is cyber security or power outages”. On top of “regular internal planning”, he said the BBC collaborates “with government on public messaging priorities and working through how issues will be escalated in moments of crisis”. The Government’s Green Paper setting out options for digital (or Freeview) switch-off, either in 2034, or a slower managed timetable in 2044, says minsters must ensure that “effective plans are in place to address any adverse impacts on radio and on emergency broadcasting”. The Green Paper states: “Television and radio both play an important role in providing such access in a range of different emergency scenarios, including scenarios where other communications may be disrupted. The ability to communicate to the public in a national emergency should be retained beyond a move to (internet) IPTV.” While the Government’s switch-off transition says it will “ensure that plans are in place to remedy any adverse impacts on radio from a switch-off”, radio bosses fear stations may no longer be commercially viable as a result. Currently, the cost of operating the UK’s digital transmitter mast network is shared between TV and radio broadcasters, with the television industry bearing the largest amount. A 2034 switch-off could create major cost issues for radio stations leading to reduced services, Radiocentre, the body representing commercial radio companies, warned. Matt Payton, Radiocentre CEO, said the important role of radio in informing millions of people a week “should not be overlooked as Government weighs up the options for the future of TV broadcasting and the knock-on effect in terms of costs for radio services, which will need to continue using the same broadcast infrastructure to reach audiences”.