Cybersecurity specialists are urging Keir Starmer to make new legislation a top priority to shield the UK from cyberattacks and catastrophic system failures.
A recent report from the Chartered Institute for IT (BCS) has outlined several critical recommendations in response to rising fears of Russian cyber interference, including misinformation related to the Southport attack, and a significant disruption that affected aviation, railways, hospitals, broadcasters, and numerous businesses.
While the Cyber Security and Resilience Bill was mentioned in the King’s speech, there are concerns that it might not be sufficiently prioritized. The BCS suggests that company boards should include a dedicated member responsible for cybersecurity. They also advocate for a new cybersecurity code of practice that mandates breach reporting and calls for increased investment in cybersecurity teams. The BCS further recommends that companies integrate resilience into their business strategies and enhance monitoring to detect issues early.
The BCS is also urging the government to create a unit specifically to assist small and medium-sized enterprises.
Rashik Parmar, CEO of BCS, emphasized the substantial financial impact of cybercrime on the UK economy, stressing that it affects not just finances but the core of society. He pointed to the disruption caused by a Microsoft update to Crowdstrike systems as an example of the chaos such failures can create globally.
Parmar remarked, “Recent events, such as the cyberattack on the NHS in London and the Crowdstrike outage, should serve as stark reminders of the critical need for secure and resilient systems. It’s crucial that cybersecurity is embedded into our infrastructure from the start, rather than being an afterthought.”
He also called for transparency from major tech companies and for the government to acknowledge the need for cybersecurity to be a fundamental aspect of national infrastructure.
This appeal comes in the wake of former security minister Stephen McPartland’s accusations against Russia for using social media to incite unrest, which culminated in the Southport riot following a tragic incident. McPartland’s review on cybersecurity and resilience, which was shelved due to the early election, remains available for the incoming Labour government to act upon. His recommendations include enhanced intelligence sharing among large corporations.
Ross Burley, co-founder and executive director of the Centre for Information Resilience, emphasized the need to address disinformation tactics used by state actors such as Russia. He advocates for improving media literacy and holding social media platforms accountable for the content they host.
Burley stated, “We need to collectively advance our cyber-resilience and media literacy efforts. This involves educating the public on critically assessing online information and ensuring social media platforms are held responsible for the content they permit. A unified effort by government, tech companies, and civil society is essential to counter disinformation and protect democratic values.”
A representative from the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) commented, “Our government is committed to enhancing economic stability by bolstering public services against cyber threats from foreign states such as Russia and China. The Cyber Security and Resilience Bill, introduced in the King’s Speech, aims to strengthen protections for essential infrastructure and digital services against attacks.”
DSIT added that the bill will empower regulators and expand the reporting of cyber incidents, including ransomware attacks, to better understand and mitigate vulnerabilities across various sectors.
