Minister announces new cyber security funding and resilience bill
Liz Lloyd, Minister for the Digital Economy, has announced new investment and legislation aimed at strengthening the UK’s cyber security sector and improving national resilience against online threats.
Speaking at a techUK cyber security event on 15 October 2025, Ms Lloyd said cyber security was “an enabler of growth and innovation” and essential to the UK’s digital economy.
The government said the UK’s cyber industry now generates more than £13bn a year and supports 67,000 jobs across 2,000 companies.
New funding includes £6m to expand the government-backed Cyber Runway accelerator, which helps start-ups and scale-ups to grow and attract investment, and £10m to support the CyberASAP programme, designed to commercialise academic research.
A further initiative, TechFirst, will invest £187m to help one million young people develop digital and cyber skills, and provide training and job opportunities for 4,000 graduates and researchers.
Recent cyber incidents affecting Jaguar Land Rover, Co-op and Marks & Spencer were cited as reminders of the growing risks to UK businesses.
In response, the government plans to introduce a Cyber Security and Resilience Bill, expanding current regulations to include managed service providers and critical suppliers. The legislation will also strengthen the powers of regulators and improve the UK’s ability to respond to emerging threats.
Ms Lloyd said: “Resilience is not optional – it’s essential. We are acting to make sure the UK’s critical services and digital economy remain secure and trusted.”
The government is also refreshing its National Cyber Strategy, which will focus on resilience, innovation and the opportunities presented by emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence and quantum computing.
The minister concluded by urging businesses to adopt existing measures such as Cyber Essentials certification and the Cyber Governance Code of Practice, saying cyber security “is a team effort” between government and industry.
