Following Brexit, Britain’s Cyber Ties to US Will Likely Strengthen

Following the referendum, there was much concern about the state of cyber relations between the U.S. and the UK in the event of Brexit. According to the UK’s Information Commissioner’s Office, the country will continue to use the General Data Protection Rule (GDPR) or an equivalent system, in order to comply with EU regulations and not be ostracized from trade with the continent. U.S. industry distrusts GDPR so the reality of the Brexit could allow the UK and U.S. to have a closer relationship in terms of cyber security than nearly any other nation, with similarities between the UK version of GDPR and America’s National Institute for Standards and Technology’s (NIST) framework. This, combined with the two governments’ compatibility in the cyber world, may be valuable especially compared to the U.S. and other EU nations, but it may hinder valuable the U.S. now that the UK can no longer directly influence the EU.