On March 26, 2025, the UK data protection regulator (the Information Commissioner’s Office (“ICO”)) fined Advanced Computer Software Group Ltd (“Advanced”) £3.07 million (approximately $4 million). In 2022, Advanced suffered a ransomware incident that put the personal data of 79,404 people at risk. In its penalty notice, the ICO found that Advanced failed to implement […]
European Commission Moves to Extend Free Flows of Personal Data to the UK
On March 18, 2025, the European Commission proposed to extend its adequacy decision in favor of the United Kingdom (‘UK’) for an additional six-month period. This would allow free flows of personal data from the EU to the UK to continue until December 2025. The existing adequacy decision – which was adopted in 2021 in […]
UK Government Proposes Targeted Ban on Ransom Payments and Increased Ransomware Incident Reporting
On January 14, 2025, the United Kingdom government published a consultation on ransomware proposing new measures to increase incident reporting and reduce ransom payments (the “Consultation”). The Consultation outlines three objectives in this regard and is open for responses until April 8, 2025. Proposal 1: Targeted Ban on Ransomware Payments The UK government is proposing […]
UK’s National Cyber Security Centre Releases 2024 Annual Review
The United Kingdom’s National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) has released its Annual Review for 2024. As in prior years, the report covers the UK’s cyber security position, both in terms of threats to the public and private sectors, as well as the country’s readiness to deal with those threats. Unsurprisingly, the NCSC notes that the […]
Forthcoming UK Cyber Security and Resilience Bill to Boost the UK’s Cyber Defenses
In the July 2024 King’s Speech, the UK government announced its intention to introduce a Cyber Security and Resilience Bill (the “Bill”) to improve the UK’s cyber defenses and protect essential public services. The announcement comes as companies and countries increasingly face attacks by cyber criminals and state actors, sometimes disrupting public services and infrastructure. […]