Government publishes review into cybersecurity incentives and regulation

[Liz Seyi]

In news that will interest many organisations benefitting from our expertise in company secretarial practice for private and public limited companies and other services, the UK Government has published a review setting out the progress made in enhancing cyber resilience in the country between 2016 and 2021 – and what steps need to be taken next.

What does the review look into?

The review, published on 19 January 2022, assesses how cyber resilience in the UK has improved since 2016. This includes consideration of the positive impact of recent legislation on the management of cyber risk, such as the UK GDPR, the Data Protection Act 2018 (DPA 2018) and the Network and Information Systems Regulations 2018 (SI 2018/506).

Also outlined in the review are further actions that the Government plans to take to ensure sufficient protection against cyber threats for businesses and organisations across the digital economy.

What conclusions did the review reach on cyber resilience in the UK?

The review concluded that the market had failed to improve its security practices at a rapid enough rate to keep pace with ongoing cyber threats and the impact of these threats on an ever-more connected society.

This supports the suggestions of previous reviews that there was “insufficient regulation to compel
organisations to better manage cyber risks”, and that this in turn hindered companies from putting in place appropriate cyber risk processes.

The following are the key outcomes that the Government seeks to achieve:
• understanding why government advice is not reaching or being acted upon by the target audience
• boosting cyber resilience within organisations through higher uptake of the Cyber Essentials scheme
• improving resilience within essential services and digital services
• increasing accountability for cyber security in business
• clarifying skills and qualifications within the cybersecurity profession
Coinciding with the publication of this review, the Government has also announced two new consultations for new laws to optimise the cyber resilience of organisations that are important to the UK economy, and the embedding of standards and career pathways across the cybersecurity profession.
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