UK labels data centers critical infrastructure to boost cybersecurity [Video]

Data centers today are crucial computing infrastructure that power the modern-day internet.

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LONDON — The U.K. on Thursday said it now classes data centers as critical infrastructure, in a move that is expected to boost cybersecurity in the country and help operators of the critical computing facilities work with the government to protect data from malicious attacks and outages.

British Technology Minister Peter Kyle said that U.K. data centers will be given “Critical National Infrastructure,” or CNI, designation, a label normally reserved for only key sectors such as energy, nuclear power, defense, space, and emergency services.

“Data centres are the engines of modern life, they power the digital economy and keep our most personal information safe,” Kyle said in a statement Thursday.

Granting data centers critical infrastructure status will enable the government to coordinate better against hackers and …