🧵 A note on cyber and nuclear. Some picked up on this line in IR: "we reserve the right to review this [negative security] assurance if the future threat of [WMD] [including] emerging technologies that could have a comparable impact, makes it necessary" assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/upl…
Sources told the Telegraph this referred to: '... “game changers” such as cyber, AI, encryption and laser directed energy weapons ...' telegraph.co.uk/politics/2021/… (let's leave aside "encryption"). Some interpreted "cyber" to mean highly destructive cyber attacks. I'm less sure
It made me think of the changed language in 2018 US nuclear posture review, which said "significant non-nuclear strategic attacks" could include "attacks on US or allies’ nuclear forces, their command & control, or warning & attack assessment.." nti.org/analysis/artic… 
In other words, the issue may be less about highly destructive cyber attacks and more about cyber intrusions/attacks on nuclear command and control, a particular concern for a country which has all its nuclear forces aboard one submarine. Further reading: amacad.org/publication/cy…
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