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(Bloomberg) — The UK government is slated to introduce a long-awaited new law on Wednesday to strengthen the country’s defenses against disruptive cyberattacks that have cost the British economy billions of pounds.
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The Cyber Security and Resilience Bill is intended to better protect hospitals, energy supplies and transport networks from attacks from hostile states and criminals, according to the government. Liz Kendall, the UK’s tech secretary, said in a statement that the new legislation would send a message that the UK is not an “easy target.”
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It’s taken the Labour government more than a year to release the proposed legislation, which it has described as a key priority. The bill comes after a spate of disruptive attacks that have destabilized major British institutions, including the National Health Service, and UK companies.
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Separate research published on Wednesday by the government found that significant cyberattacks cost roughly £14.7 billion ($19.4 billion) a year, equivalent to 0.5% of the UK’s GDP.
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Officials have said that as many as a 1,000 firms will under the scope of the law. If approved in Parliament, the measure will regulate companies that provide services to organizations such as the NHS for the first time. New penalties will be introduced for entities that violate the law.
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According to the National Cyber Security Centre, there were 204 “nationally significant” cyberattacks against the UK in the 12 months before August 2025, a sharp rise from the prior year. The agency warned in October that “our collective exposure to serious impacts is growing at an alarming pace.”
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Richard Horne, chief executive officer of the agency, welcomed the bill as a significant step forward. “The real-world impacts of cyberattacks have never been more evident than in recent months,” he said.
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This summer, a spate of high-profile hacks hit British retailers including Marks & Spencer Group Plc. In August, an attack on Jaguar Land Rover crippled the company’s manufacturing plants and shut down car production for more than a month, costing the UK economy an estimated £1.9 billion.
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Other damaging cyberattacks have targeted the government and health sector. A hack on an NHS contractor in 2024 resulted in doctors canceling thousands of appointments and at least one death.
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