techUK gives evidence to the Cyber Security and Resilience Bill Committee
The evidence session formed part of the Committee’s scrutiny of the Cyber Security and Resilience (Network and Information Systems) Bill and brought together expert witnesses from across the cyber ecosystem, including several techUK members.
In addition to the oral evidence session, techUK has also flagged our areas of concern around the Bill in our parliamentary briefing.
Key topics raised by techUK
More detail required
techUK highlighted concerns about how heavily the Bill relies on secondary legislation to define key aspects of proportionality, scope and regulatory expectations. At present, the lack of information creates ambiguity for industry so the primary legislation should look to provide safeguards/frameworks around decision-making on the criteria that will be set out in the secondary processes to ensure appropriate checks & balances are in place.
Definitions and scope
Uncertainty remains around the definitions of Managed Service Providers and designated critical suppliers. For businesses to understand whether they fall in scope, the Bill must provide definitions that reflect the realities of today’s digital supply chains. techUK also emphasised the need for clarity on this point as it’s important industry understands the duties that are incumbent upon them should they need to comply.
The case for a Single Reporting Platform
techUK reiterated long standing member concerns around the fragmented and resource intensive nature of incident reporting across regulators. The regulatory regime should be as easy as possible to interact with and during the evidence session techUK advocated for a single reporting platform/portal for incident reporting. This would reduce the burden on businesses, allow them to focus on dealing with the cyber incident at hand, and help increase understanding of the risk.
Ensuring open consultation on secondary legislation
Given that so much operational detail will sit within secondary legislation, techUK urged government to consult with industry as early as possible to ensure the Bill’s measures are practically implementable, fit for purpose and deliver the intended outcomes.
Additional topics explored by techUK members
Witnesses from across the cyber sector including techUK’s membership gave evidence to the Committee – notably Nine23, Cisco, NCC Group, Darktrace, Amazon Web Services (AWS), Palo Alto Networks and Fortinet. Which is a strong demonstration that industry is committed to supporting government in strengthening national security and protecting growth by boosting cyber protections for our critical national infrastructure.
International alignment and supply chain security
The Committee also explored how the UK’s approach compares with international frameworks, particularly the EU’s NIS2 Directive. Witnesses highlighted growing vulnerabilities across global supply chains and the increasing reliance on managed service providers in delivering essential digital infrastructure. They argued that the current size-based criteria in the Bill may be insufficient and encouraged a shift towards a risk and impact-based assessment model, especially amid rising state sponsored threats to critical infrastructure. Witnesses also emphasised the importance of securing board level investment in cyber resilience while ensuring that compliance requirements do not place disproportionate burdens on smaller firms within the supply chain.
Emerging technologies and government’s own cyber security
The Committee heard evidence on the role of emerging technologies, including artificial intelligence, in both enabling cyber-attacks and strengthening defensive capabilities. Witnesses noted the need for clearer definitions, streamlined incident reporting processes and greater regulatory transparency to support effective implementation of the Bill. They also called for government to lead by example by addressing outdated legacy systems in critical public services and championing voluntary best practice frameworks. Witnesses stressed that modernising government systems would not only improve resilience but also help set a clear benchmark for industry.
techUK would like to thank the Committee for inviting us to give evidence, and we stand ready to continue helping them with their scrutiny of the Bill.
Members are encouraged to submit evidence and amendments to the Committee until the enquiry closes on the Thursday 5 March.
