UK Government Unveils Cyber Security and Resilience Bill to Enhance Data Protection
New legislation aims to bolster cyber security standards across essential service providers and other organizations.
Ministers in the UK have announced the introduction of the Cyber Security and Resilience Bill, which is expected to be presented to Parliament later this year.
This legislation seeks to enhance the cyber security posture of organizations that provide essential IT services integral to public services and the wider economy by enforcing robust cyber security standards.
Under the proposed bill, firms will be legally obligated to improve their data protection practices and network security measures, alongside conducting comprehensive risk assessments to better identify and mitigate potential cyber threats.
This initiative comes in response to alarming statistics from the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC), which reported managing 430 cyber incidents, including 89 deemed nationally significant, within a year up to September 2024. Furthermore, half of British businesses surveyed indicated that they had experienced a cyber breach or attack in the preceding 12 months.
The bill aims to grant regulators enhanced authority to mandate improvements in cyber security across various sectors.
Additionally, the Technology Secretary will acquire the ability to modify regulatory frameworks to address emerging threats, ensuring that businesses can adapt to the evolving cyber security landscape.
Provisions are under consideration to extend protections to over 200 data centres, which are increasingly crucial in processing data for advanced technologies such as artificial intelligence.
Ministers highlighted the importance of these changes in strengthening the cyber defences of sectors like energy and healthcare, sectors that have increasingly become targets for state-sponsored cyber attacks.
Technology Secretary Peter Kyle emphasized the importance of these measures for the UK economy, asserting that the government will not permit cyber threats to compromise the nation's digital economy or its citizens’ security.
Health and Social Care Secretary Wes Streeting remarked on the need for enhanced protections in the National Health Service (NHS), acknowledging the growing sophistication of cyber attacks that pose risks to health services and sensitive patient data.
The UK government estimated that cyber incidents have cost the economy approximately £22 billion annually between 2015 and 2019. Richard Horne, Chief Executive of the NCSC, described the forthcoming bill as a “landmark moment” for strengthening the cyber defences of essential services including water, electricity, and healthcare.
He stated that the legislation represents a significant progression toward a more dynamic regulatory framework capable of countering emerging cyber threats effectively.
The bill includes provisions for organizations to engage with NCSC guidance and tools, such as the Cyber Assessment Framework and Cyber Essentials, to bolster their preparedness against increasingly sophisticated cyber challenges.
This legislation seeks to enhance the cyber security posture of organizations that provide essential IT services integral to public services and the wider economy by enforcing robust cyber security standards.
Under the proposed bill, firms will be legally obligated to improve their data protection practices and network security measures, alongside conducting comprehensive risk assessments to better identify and mitigate potential cyber threats.
This initiative comes in response to alarming statistics from the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC), which reported managing 430 cyber incidents, including 89 deemed nationally significant, within a year up to September 2024. Furthermore, half of British businesses surveyed indicated that they had experienced a cyber breach or attack in the preceding 12 months.
The bill aims to grant regulators enhanced authority to mandate improvements in cyber security across various sectors.
Additionally, the Technology Secretary will acquire the ability to modify regulatory frameworks to address emerging threats, ensuring that businesses can adapt to the evolving cyber security landscape.
Provisions are under consideration to extend protections to over 200 data centres, which are increasingly crucial in processing data for advanced technologies such as artificial intelligence.
Ministers highlighted the importance of these changes in strengthening the cyber defences of sectors like energy and healthcare, sectors that have increasingly become targets for state-sponsored cyber attacks.
Technology Secretary Peter Kyle emphasized the importance of these measures for the UK economy, asserting that the government will not permit cyber threats to compromise the nation's digital economy or its citizens’ security.
Health and Social Care Secretary Wes Streeting remarked on the need for enhanced protections in the National Health Service (NHS), acknowledging the growing sophistication of cyber attacks that pose risks to health services and sensitive patient data.
The UK government estimated that cyber incidents have cost the economy approximately £22 billion annually between 2015 and 2019. Richard Horne, Chief Executive of the NCSC, described the forthcoming bill as a “landmark moment” for strengthening the cyber defences of essential services including water, electricity, and healthcare.
He stated that the legislation represents a significant progression toward a more dynamic regulatory framework capable of countering emerging cyber threats effectively.
The bill includes provisions for organizations to engage with NCSC guidance and tools, such as the Cyber Assessment Framework and Cyber Essentials, to bolster their preparedness against increasingly sophisticated cyber challenges.
