Background
The National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC), a part of The Government Communications Headquarters (GCHQ), is the UK’s National Technical Authority on cyber security. It works round the clock to combat cyber threats, support victims of cyber incidents, empowers organisations to protect the online services and digital technologies that underpin the UK economy and public services.
As modern computer monitors become increasingly ’smart‘, digital video connections can be exploited to compromise laptops and other connected devices. This risk is particularly acute in environments where devices of differing trust levels connect to shared monitors, including secure government facilities, hybrid office working, and home working set‑ups.
SilentGlass was developed within the NCSC to address this challenge, providing a simple and effective way to prevent video connections being used as a route for cyber-attack.
Knowledge Asset solution
SilentGlass is a small, ’plug-and-play’ hardware device that sits between a laptop and a monitor, preventing the physical connection from being used as a route to compromise either device. By removing this attack pathway, it helps organisations improve cyber security while supporting safer flexible and hot‑desking arrangements.
The technology was originally developed for internal government use, but has since demonstrated clear potential for wider adoption across the public sector, critical national infrastructure and the private sector.
To bring the technology to market while maintaining strong governance and security considerations, the NCSC pursued a licensing‑based commercialisation route.
Who will this help?
SilentGlass supports organisations that need high‑assurance protections for connected devices, including
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government departments and public sector bodies
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organisations operating critical national infrastructure
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businesses with high cyber security requirements
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employers enabling flexible and hybrid working
For the public sector, the case demonstrates how a government‑developed cyber security capability can be commercialised, supporting wider adoption while protecting intellectual property and ensuring greater public benefit.
GOTT’s role
The Government Office for Technology Transfer (GOTT) supported the NCSC to shape the commercialisation of SilentGlass by
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advising on appropriate intellectual property licensing strategies
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providing funding and mentoring for a local Knowledge Asset manager to build commercialisation capability
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facilitating access to the Tech Transfer ecosystem, including connections to experts in public sector investment and licence management
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Championing and supporting the licensing approach across HM Government
This support helped the NCSC navigate the commercialisation process, engage effectively with the market and secure a suitable licensing partner through a fair and competitive process.
Outcome
Following a competitive process, a global IP licence for SilentGlass has been agreed with a UK‑based company. The device is now available globally.
The licensed product will enable wider access to a high‑assurance cyber security solution originally developed for government use, supporting safer deployment of digital technologies and helping share the benefits of public sector innovation more widely across the UK and globally.
By helping to launch a UK company onto the global market with this world-class innovation, we are breaking new ground, showing the impact that the NCSC can have, alongside industry partners, with an affordable and effective product now globally available. GOTT’s expertise and encouragement of UK HMG departments to seek greater value from their intellectual property (IP) was instrumental in our confidence to commercialise SilentGlass. We’ll continue working together off the back of this success to commercialise more of our unique IP to benefit our mission and the UK’s prosperity.
Ollie Whitehouse, NCSC Chief Technology Officer