The UK government’s approach to digital security has been slammed in a new report, issued by the National Audit Office.
Across the government there are 73 teams and 1,600 staff with data security responsibilities.
The central teams and departments dedicated to protecting information were found to be operating without cohesion and governance.
NAO said there was a lack of awareness among staff about who to contact for guidance.
The report stated: “None of the departments we interviewed understood the specific roles of the various bodies involved, making it difficult to identify any single arbiter of standards or guidance.”
The Cabinet Office came under fire recently for failing to establish leadership in the area.
Although the majority of the data breaches reported were said to be minor, the Cabinet Office acknowledged it needed to do more.
A spokesperson said: “The Cabinet Office conducted its own review of government security in early 2016 and many of our findings are consistent with the NAO report.
“So we are already well under way in strengthening oversight of information security by bringing together nine separate central teams into just two.
“We have also appointed the government’s first ever chief security officer to bring together all disciplines of government security under central leadership.”
The Government recently pledged its ongoing support to Internet of Things technology as part of a £1 million investment.