Source URL: https://www.theregister.com/2025/04/01/uk_100k_fines_csr/
Source: The Register
Title: UK threatens £100K-a-day fines under new cyber bill
Feedly Summary: Tech secretary reveals landmark legislation’s full details for first time
The UK’s technology secretary revealed the full breadth of the government’s Cyber Security and Resilience (CSR) Bill for the first time this morning, pledging £100,000 ($129,000) daily fines for failing to act against specific threats under consideration.…
AI Summary and Description: Yes
Summary: The UK is set to introduce the Cyber Security and Resilience (CSR) Bill, which aims to enhance the regulatory framework for critical services against increasing cyber threats. The bill proposes stringent measures including hefty daily fines for non-compliance and is poised to expand regulations to cover more organizations, emphasizing the need for rigorous cybersecurity practices.
Detailed Description: The CSR Bill reveals significant advancements in the UK’s cybersecurity legislative framework, proposing measures that underscore the growing importance of cyber resilience across critical sectors. Key features include:
– **Regulation Expansion**: The bill will bring more organizations, including managed service providers (MSPs) and potentially data centers, into the regulatory fold to ensure comprehensive cybersecurity coverage across the IT supply chain.
– **Enforcement Powers**: Regulators will receive enhanced powers to enforce compliance and mandate incident reporting. This includes:
– Mandatory reporting of cyber incidents within stringent timelines (24 hours for initial alerts; 72 hours for full reports).
– The introduction of fines potentially reaching £100,000 daily for failure to comply with government directives regarding security improvements during incidents.
– **Adaptability**: Provisions will allow the government to amend regulations quickly in response to evolving cyber threats, ensuring a flexible regulatory environment that can keep pace with new challenges.
– **Focus on Critical Infrastructure**: The bill aims to better protect the UK’s critical national infrastructure (CNI) such as healthcare, energy, and water supply, reflecting the notion that resilience must improve significantly to avoid dire consequences from cyber incidents.
– **Assessment of Current Threats**: The discussion includes a strong acknowledgment of the increasing cyber threat landscape, illustrated by a reported 586% increase in attacks on UK utility companies in 2023 compared to the previous year.
– **Support for Organizations**: The bill is seen as a pivotal measure to improve cybersecurity in essential services, with the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) planning to support organizations in compliance through guidance and tools, enhancing overall capacity to meet sophisticated cyber challenges.
– **Potential Challenges**: Legal experts highlight that adopting new measures may be resource-intensive for organizations, necessitating ongoing investments in infrastructure and cybersecurity training to develop a robust security posture.
The CSR Bill represents a significant shift in the UK’s approach to cybersecurity, reflecting a pro-active stance in addressing vulnerabilities and ensuring resilience in key services that impact citizens’ daily lives and the national economy.