UK plans stronger cybersecurity defences after attack cripples NHS hospitals

A month after a ransomware hack paralyzed London hospitals and healthcare providers, the new British government plans to strengthen the country’s defenses against cyberattacks.

Labour unveiled the Cyber Security and Resilience Bill on Wednesday as part of its first legislative programme, set out in the King’s Speech to mark the first sitting of Parliament since the general election. Although delivered by King Charles III in a pompous ceremony at Westminster, the speech was written by the government and sets out the priorities of Prime Minister Keir Starmer.

The law is designed to strengthen defenses for supply chains, which are increasingly an attractive target for hackers, and will require more comprehensive government reporting when companies fall victim to ransomware attacks.

The focus on supply chains underscores the growing threat to Britain’s often underfunded public services and the suppliers that connect them. In June, hackers attacked Synnovis, a pathology provider that serves UK hospitals and carries out millions of medical tests annually. The attack suspended blood testing services and led to the cancellation or postponement of thousands of operations and appointments. Services remain disrupted, the National Health Service said in its latest update on July 11.

The hackers released around 400GB of data, including sensitive medical information on newborns and pregnant women, with potentially devastating consequences for patient privacy after failing to extort a $50 million ransom from Synnovis. Executives at the London hospital were aware of potential third-party cybersecurity concerns years before the attack, Bloomberg News reported in June.

Britain inherited its cybersecurity laws from the European Union but has not kept pace with legislative changes introduced by the bloc, according to a policy paper outlining the draft legislation. The country’s laws need to be “urgently updated” to ensure the country’s infrastructure remains comparatively resilient, the document said.

On Wednesday, Labour also unveiled a bill to make more national data available for digital services and scientific research. In his speech, King said the new government would introduce “appropriate legislation” to regulate the most powerful artificial intelligence models.

Photo: King Charles III and Queen Camilla in the House of Lords on July 17, 2024. Photo credit: Henry Nicholls/Getty Images

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