UK government to introduce new cyber security bill

The UK government plans to introduce a Cyber Security and Resilience Bill to enhance national cyber-resilience, as announced in the King’s Speech on 17 July 2024. The bill aims to strengthen defences and protect essential digital services, focusing on critical infrastructure providers and expanding the scope of current regulations.Plans Cyber Security and Resilience Bill to Protect Critical Infrastructure

The new legislation will introduce mandatory ransomware reporting, helping authorities better understand the scale of the threat and alert them to potential attacks. It also grants new powers to regulators and extends the scope of existing regulations to include more digital services and supply chains. This initiative responds to heightened cyber threats, such as recent high-profile cyber-attacks on the NHS and the Ministry of Defence.

According to Stuart Davey of Pinsent Masons, the bill builds on previous efforts to reform the UK’s NIS regime. Dominic Trott of Orange Cyberdefense emphasised the importance of updating the regulatory framework to protect supply chains, a significant threat vector for attackers. Martin Greenfield of Quod Orbis added that the bill would help the Labour government deliver on its promise to boost economic growth.

A separate Digital Information and Smart Data Bill will be introduced, incorporating many measures from the Data Protection and Digital Information Bill, which failed to pass in the last parliament. This move aims to create a more secure and prosperous digital economy.