The UK’s Cyber Security and Resilience Bill is coming in 2025. Here’s how to prepare now.

TL;DR:
The Cyber Security and Resilience Bill is on its way. It’s designed to toughen up UK cyber defences, and it doesn’t just apply to big banks and critical infrastructure anymore. Small businesses will need to prove they’re secure. Risk assessments, incident reports, stronger defences, it’s all becoming mandatory. Time to get ahead of the curve.

What is the Cyber Security and Resilience Bill, and why does it matter?

The UK government is introducing a new law to improve national cyber defences, and this time, it’s looking at the whole supply chain, not just the obvious targets.

The Cyber Security and Resilience Bill, announced in the King’s Speech (July 2024) and set to be introduced in Parliament during the 2025 session, updates the NIS Regulations (2018) to meet today’s threat landscape.

In plain English:
If you work with essential services (even indirectly), you might soon be regulated.

What are the bill’s main goals?

• Protecting critical services like health, transport, and energy.
• Improving cyber resilience across the supply chain.
• Giving regulators teeth, including new powers to audit, fine, and enforce.

In the government’s words: the aim is to close cyber gaps “before they become weaknesses”, especially among suppliers like MSPs, cloud providers, and IT contractors.

Which industries will be affected by the UK cyber security bill?

This isn’t just a tech issue or something for the “big boys.” The Cyber Security and Resilience Bill casts a wide net and if your business helps power the country’s critical services (even indirectly), it’s likely to apply to you.

Regulated sectors:

These industries are considered part of the UK’s essential infrastructure and will be expected to meet mandatory cyber security standards:

• Health and social care (including NHS trusts and digital health providers)
• Energy (oil, gas, and electricity providers)
• Transport (rail networks, airports, freight, and logistics tech)
• Water and waste management
• Finance and insurance (banks, fintech, and payment processors)
• Telecommunications and broadband
• Digital infrastructure (data centres, domain registrars, and cloud platforms)
• Public sector and local government services
• Postal and courier networks
• Media and broadcasting

Supply chain & indirect impact:

Even if your business doesn’t sit in one of those categories, you might be on the hook via your clients.

If you’re in any of these sectors, you’ll be under the microscope:

• IT support providers
• Software or SaaS vendors
• Professional services (like accountants and law firms working with critical infrastructure)
• Facilities management companies
• Cloud and hosting platforms
• Consultancies and security firms

Bottom line: If you touch any part of the infrastructure that helps keep hospitals open, trains running, water flowing, or payments secure this bill is your business.

Even small suppliers are now seen as part of the UK’s cyber defence. Weak links won’t go unnoticed anymore.

What will I need to do?

Here’s a quick breakdown of what businesses will need to prepare for:

1. Regular risk assessments (not just once in a blue moon)

• Identify cyber risks
• Fix any known vulnerabilities
• Document the lot

This could involve aligning with frameworks like the Cyber Assessment Framework (CAF). Only 31% of UK businesses did a cyber risk assessment last year. That’s about to change.

2. Incident reporting within 24 hours

• Report to regulators within 24 hours
• Submit a full report within 72 hours

It’s a two-stage process, and yes, you’ll need a proper incident response plan in place, preferably yesterday.

3. Better security across the board

• Multi-factor authentication (MFA)
• Patch management
• Endpoint protection
• Cyber Essentials-level controls (at a minimum)

More advanced options like EDR and real-time threat monitoring may soon be expected for high-risk sectors.

4. Supply chain scrutiny

Even if you’re a small vendor, you’ll need to prove your own suppliers are secure. Likewise, clients may demand that you meet higher standards to stay in their supply chain.

So what does this mean for SME leaders?

Let’s not sugar-coat it, this is a culture shift.

• Leadership needs to own it.
• Budgets need to reflect it.
• Security needs to be baked into daily decision-making.

People remember how you made them feel. No client feels great about a supplier that’s just caused a breach in their network.

What happens if I ignore it?

Three words: fines, fallout, and future contracts.

• You could face legal penalties (similar in weight to GDPR fines).
• You may lose business to more secure competitors.
• You could damage your reputation beyond repair.

Once the bill is passed, regulators can charge for compliance activities, meaning more scrutiny and potential cost if you’re not already secure.

What can I do now to prepare?

• Run a cyber risk assessment: Even a basic one is a good start. Try the NCSC’s Cyber Assessment Framework.
• Tighten up your cyber hygiene: Enable MFA, patch systems, back up data, and aim for Cyber Essentials certification.
• Create an incident response plan: Know your roles, rehearse your response, and prepare templates for notifications.
• Review your suppliers: Make sure your third-party vendors are secure, and document your findings.
• Train your team: Cyber resilience is a team sport. Get everyone onboard. Learn more on our Cyber Awareness page

Final word: Cyber resilience is business resilience

This bill is a wake-up call, and a big opportunity. Businesses that prioritise cyber now will not only stay compliant, but become more trusted, competitive, and resilient in the long run.

Don’t wait for Parliament to nudge you into action. Start now. And if you want a hand with that cyber risk assessment or don’t know where to start, we’re only a phone call away.

FAQs about the Cyber Security and Resilience Bill

What is the Cyber Assessment Framework (CAF)?

It’s a set of cyber best practices developed by the NCSC. The bill may make it mandatory to follow for in-scope businesses. It’s worth getting familiar with now.

What’s the difference between Cyber Essentials and this bill?

Cyber Essentials is a great baseline, but the bill goes further. It introduces legal obligations, reporting deadlines, and extends to more businesses.

Where can I get help preparing for the changes?

We help businesses with cyber security audits, Cyber Essentials certification, and building real-world incident response plans. Learn more on our cyber security page.