Chancellor George Osborne has confirmed that he is set to double the UK’s funding to fight cybercrime, taking it to £1.9bn a year by 2020.
He revealed that this decision had been made in order to stop Islamic State militants from developing the ability to launch deadly cyber-attacks on UK targets such as air traffic control or hospitals
“They have not been able to use it to kill people yet by attacking our infrastructure through cyber-attack," he said in a statement.
"They do not yet have that capability. But we know they want it, and are doing their best to build it.
"So when we talk about tackling ISIL, that means tackling their cyber threat as well as the threat of their guns, bombs and knives.
"If our electricity supply, or our air traffic control, or our hospitals were successfully attacked online, the impact could be measured not just in terms of economic damage but of lives lost."
George Osborne's speech comes after IS said it was behind Friday's attacks in Paris, which saw 129 people killed in bars, restaurants, a concert hall and a stadium.
In response to the devastating coordinated attacks, Prime Minister David Cameron has also promised to spend an additional £2 billion on the UK's Special Forces.