Preparing for the Cyber Security and Resilience Bill: A Guide for UK Businesses

As the Cyber Security and Resilience Bill moves through Parliament, set to be introduced in the 2025-26 legislative session, businesses in the UK face a pivotal moment. Organizations that take proactive steps now can better prepare for the significant changes in compliance requirements, including potential fines that could reach up to £100,000 daily, along with stricter reporting deadlines. This legislative shift promises to enhance the regulatory landscape significantly.

Understanding the Bill’s Implications

The impending Cyber Security and Resilience Bill aims to broaden regulatory oversight, granting the government increased enforcement powers while aligning UK cyber regulations more closely with the EU’s NIS2 directive. This alignment is crucial for fostering a secure digital environment, not only domestically but also across Europe.

Rising Threats in a Digital World

With modern businesses grappling with escalating security threats—including supply chain attacks and third-party vulnerabilities—the new regulations are a necessary step. They empower organizations to fortify their cybersecurity frameworks and signify a national commitment to enhancing cyber resilience.

The Importance of Workforce Readiness

While the bill introduces heightened regulatory standards, it also emphasizes the need for workforce readiness. Companies must ensure that their teams are equipped with the skills to navigate new compliance demands and enhance overall cybersecurity posture. Upskilling initiatives across both technical and non-technical roles are critical.

Why Should Businesses Care?

The financial impact of cybercrime in the UK is staggering. In 2025 alone, UK businesses reported 8.58 million cyber incidents, with losses over the past five years exceeding £44 billion. With the potential for fines soaring due to non-compliance, businesses risk severe operational disruption, reputational harm, and financial loss.

The involvement of third parties in data breaches is becoming more commonplace—doubling over the last year and now accounting for 30% of cyberattacks. This trend highlights the necessity of assessing cybersecurity practices across entire supply chains, which will now include over 1,000 additional IT service providers under regulatory scrutiny.

New Reporting Requirements

With expanded reporting obligations, companies will need to notify authorities of a broader array of cyber incidents—including ransomware attacks and service interruptions—within tight deadlines: an initial report within 24 hours and a comprehensive report within 72 hours. Currently, only 40% of businesses report disruptive breaches outside their organization, indicating a significant gap in readiness that will only increase the burden on cybersecurity teams.

Effective Preparation Strategies

Despite the growing dangers, many organizations still lack the necessary expertise to respond effectively to cyber incidents. Research indicates that only 10% of managers possess basic cybersecurity knowledge, such as recognizing phishing scams or using secure passwords. Additionally, 45% of organizations acknowledge that they lack the right personnel or skills to manage security risks effectively—an ongoing issue since 2021.

Invest in Cyber Training

Investing in comprehensive cyber training is essential, not just to avoid penalties but to enhance overall resilience. By educating staff at all levels—from executives to entry-level employees—businesses can embed cybersecurity awareness throughout their daily operations.

Review and Update Procedures

While many companies have data breach reporting procedures that comply with GDPR, the new bill’s requirements will introduce tighter deadlines and a broader spectrum of reportable incidents. Conducting a thorough security audit is crucial to update existing procedures according to these new standards. Regular cybersecurity incident response drills, such as red team-blue team exercises, can also improve preparedness under pressure.

Engage Leadership

Cybersecurity must be a priority at the board level, but research shows that accountability in this area has declined. From 38% in 2021 to just 27% in 2025, board-level oversight for cybersecurity is diminishing, which contradicts the new legislation’s expectations of heightened accountability.

Key decision-makers must understand the regulatory environment, their organization’s vulnerabilities, and their roles in fostering a culture of proactive risk management.

Strengthening Supplier Relationships

Given that the bill emphasizes supply chain security, organizations must reassess their contracts with suppliers. Clear language that obligates third-party companies to report incidents promptly is essential. Furthermore, formal assessments of suppliers’ cybersecurity practices are still lacking in many organizations; only 14% perform these assessments regularly.

Businesses should revise their contracts to incorporate specific breach notification timelines and require evidence of compliance with standards like ISO 27001 or Cyber Essentials Plus.

Creating Robust Resilience Plans

The bill mandates that organizations develop resilience and recovery plans detailing their response to cyber incidents. These plans should focus on minimizing operational disruption and ensuring swift service restoration—key elements that every business should prioritize.

Comprehensive Employee Training

Staff training remains a common preventative measure after cyber breaches, noted by 32% of businesses in 2025. However, preemptive training is necessary. IT professionals need to stay updated with security certifications and participate in practical training to effectively recognize and counteract cyber threats in real-time.

Simultaneously, non-technical employees also require basic training to understand the importance of their roles in preventing phishing and other attacks. After all, phishing is among the most common and disruptive cyber threats affecting individuals across varying levels of seniority.

Embracing the Future of Cybersecurity

The upcoming regulations mark a transition from optional to mandatory cybersecurity standards, emphasizing that the time for preparation is now. Organizations that act decisively will not only enhance their resilience but also build trust and stay ahead of emerging cyber threats.