BAE, one of the biggest defence companies in the world, is expected to be a major beneficiary of the UK Government's push into cyber attacks, having already made sales of nearly £1 billion ($1.97 billion) in its IT security business over the past five years.
Defence Secretary Philip Hammond shocked the defence community this week by publicly declaring at the Conservative Party conference that the UK was developing a full-spectrum military cyber capability including a strike capability.
Companies House filings show that BAE's Detica cyber security and intelligence arm has been raking in rapidly growing revenues in recent years as it seeks to add to its traditional weapons sales.
From £180 million-£190 million of sales in 2008 and 2009, Detica's sales grew to £211 million last year.
Britain has been rapidly building up a large industry in the cyber security world, including some controversial businesses such as Gamma, the Hampshire-based business that sells equipment to foreign regimes designed to allow Governments to snoop on their citizens' emails.
