Humberside Police - protecting communities, targeting criminals

Centre for the Protection of the National Infrastructure (CPNI)

CPNI was formed from the merger of the National Infrastructure Security Co-ordination Centre (NISCC) and a part of MI5 (the UK's Security Service), the National Security Advice Centre (NSAC). Although CPNI was only formed on 1 February 2007, providing security advice has always been part of government strategy to disrupt threats to national security.

NISCC provided advice and information on computer network defence and other information assurance issues. NSAC provided advice on physical security and personnel security issues. Some of the information you will find on this site is branded NISCC or NSAC because it pre-dates the formation of CPNI.

CPNI provides integrated (combining information, personnel and physical) security advice to the businesses and organisations which make up the national infrastructure. Through the delivery of this advice, we protect national security by helping to reduce the vulnerability of the national infrastructure to terrorism and other threats. 

Advisers working for CPNI cover the full range of security disciplines and are highly experienced in providing advice to national infrastructure organisations over many years.

We are an interdepartmental organisation, with resources from a number of government departments and agencies. These include MI5, CESG (Communications Electronics Security Group) - the UK's National Technical Authority for Information Assurance (see CESG website) and other Government departments responsible for national infrastructure sectors. 

CPNI is accountable to the Director General of the Security Service (MI5) and operates under the Security Service Act 1989.