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The UK government has introduced its shiny new Cyber Security and Resilience (CSR) Bill, aimed at safeguarding critical infrastructure from the ever-evolving cybercrime landscape. It sounds promising—like a step in the right direction. But, as with many cybersecurity regulations, it’s the details (or lack thereof) that tell the real story.
Promising, But Vague
The bill’s focus on increasing mandatory incident reporting and improving cross-sector collaboration sounds great. In theory, this could mean quicker response times and a more unified defence against cyber threats. However, when it comes to enforcement, the bill leaves much to be desired.
Without financial penalties or serious consequences for non-compliance, the CSR Bill lacks the necessary teeth. Unlike the GDPR, which struck fear into boardrooms with its hefty fines, this bill feels more like a friendly reminder than a game-changing regulation. If companies—especially smaller ones—don’t face meaningful consequences for inaction, why would they bother to invest in more robust defences?
The Cost of Inaction
At Equate Group, we’ve seen how small businesses can be exploited as weak links in cybersecurity chains. Take the recent Ministry of Defence data breach, where a smaller business may have been the weak point. Without clear financial or reputational consequences, many companies are likely to do the bare minimum to comply, especially when the costs of robust cybersecurity can be significant.
In our view, Cyber Essentials certification should be a mandatory baseline for all companies—especially those handling sensitive data. As we discussed in our post about the CSR Bill, smaller businesses are often entry points for larger breaches, and mandatory certification would at least ensure they have basic protections in place.
A Call for Accountability at Board Level
Cybersecurity is not just an IT issue—it’s a board-level responsibility, just like any other business risk. We believe that the CSR Bill needs to send a clear message: company boards must be accountable for their cybersecurity practices. It’s no longer enough to treat cyber threats as something for the IT department to handle; they are a fundamental risk that can impact the entire organisation.
Decision-makers at the top need to be held accountable, and GDPR-level fines should be imposed on companies where board-level ignorance or negligence leads to breaches. As we noted in our recent LinkedIn post, boards can no longer afford to turn a blind eye to cybersecurity. Accountability and clear consequences are essential for making cybersecurity a priority in the boardroom.
What’s Missing?
In addition to board-level accountability, the CSR Bill falls short in other key areas. For one, it lacks a requirement for the reporting of all breaches, including suspected ones. Right now, many companies are keeping breaches under wraps, much like an awkward wedding toast that no one wants to remember. However, without transparency, attacks will continue to escalate and compromise entire sectors. In today’s interconnected world, we’re only as strong as our weakest link.
Mandatory breach reporting would force organisations to confront their vulnerabilities head-on, and in doing so, it would improve collective resilience across industries.
Financial Penalties as a Deterrent
One of the most effective lessons learned from GDPR was that nothing grabs a board’s attention faster than the threat of a multi-million-pound fine. Without a similarly strong enforcement mechanism, the CSR Bill risks becoming toothless. We firmly believe that GDPR-level fines should be applied to companies that ignore or neglect cybersecurity best practices. If organisations are allowed to skirt responsibility without serious consequences, then we’re unlikely to see any meaningful improvements.
As we noted in our Ministry of Defence data breach analysis, cyber threats are increasing in both volume and sophistication. It’s time for companies, and especially their leadership teams, to recognise the gravity of the situation. Real penalties would force decision-makers to take cybersecurity seriously and implement effective safeguards.
Overlooking the Human Element
Perhaps the most glaring omission in the CSR Bill is its lack of emphasis on the human factor. While it’s important to strengthen technical defences, most breaches occur because someone clicks on a phishing email or makes a simple mistake—not because of some high-tech hacker breaking through complex systems. Yet, the bill focuses almost entirely on technical solutions and overlooks the need for employee education and training.
Without proper cybersecurity awareness across all levels of an organisation, we will continue to see breaches caused by human error. To truly reduce incidents, companies need to invest in training their staff to recognise and avoid threats before they lead to a larger issue.
A Step Forward, But More Needed
The CSR Bill is a step in the right direction, acknowledging the growing threat of cybercrime and the need for businesses to step up their defences. However, without strong enforcement mechanisms, board-level accountability, and a focus on the human element, it risks becoming more bark than bite.
At Equate Group, we advocate for tougher regulations, including mandatory Cyber Essentials certification, comprehensive breach reporting, and significant financial penalties for those who neglect cybersecurity. Until these gaps are addressed, we’ll likely see little more than compliance theatre from businesses.
For a deeper dive, you can explore our recent analysis of the Cyber Security and Resilience Bill and its potential impact on small businesses, and our LinkedIn discussion on the importance of board-level accountability in cybersecurity.
Only then will the UK’s cybersecurity defences move from a suggestion to a serious deterrent.
