Business & Technology
Campaign urges UK cyber law reform to back researchers
The CyberUp Campaign has published a report calling for changes to the UK’s Computer Misuse Act 1990, arguing that the law now leaves the country behind others in protecting cyber security researchers.
The report, titled Protections for Cyber Researchers: How the UK is being left behind, says the UK’s legal framework has not kept pace with modern cyber threats or reforms introduced elsewhere. It argues that this gap affects cyber defence, recruitment, investment and the wider resilience of the digital economy.
At the centre of the case is the treatment of cyber security researchers who test systems or investigate vulnerabilities in the public interest. The report says several jurisdictions have introduced clearer legal safeguards for such work, while the UK has not created comparable protections under the Computer Misuse Act.
Those jurisdictions include Australia, Belgium, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Malta, Portugal and the United States. The campaign points to Portugal as a recent example of a country that updated its cybercrime law to create a legal exemption for cyber security research carried out in the public interest.
It argues that the UK’s position is increasingly exposed because the Computer Misuse Act predates the modern internet and has not been updated to reflect the current threat landscape. Without action from ministers, the report warns, the UK risks falling further behind peers that have revised older laws to match changes in cyber security practice.
A possible legislative route already exists. According to the campaign, the Cyber Security and Resilience Bill, currently before Parliament, is the clearest vehicle for modernising how cyber legislation interacts with criminal law.
Economic Cost
The intervention comes amid growing concern over the financial impact of cyber attacks on the UK economy. The report cites research estimating that cyberattacks cost the country almost £15 billion a year, equivalent to around 0.5% of gross domestic product.
That figure underpins the campaign’s argument that legal uncertainty around cyber security research is tied to the country’s wider economic interests. In its view, the current framework may make the UK less attractive to talent and investment at a time when businesses, public bodies and charities face more frequent and more complex attacks.
The CyberUp Campaign describes itself as a coalition of cross-party parliamentarians, academics and industry bodies, including the CBI and techUK. Its central goal is to reform the Computer Misuse Act so the law better reflects current cyber risks and established research practices.
Pressure for Reform
The report adds to a wider UK debate over whether criminal law drafted in an earlier era is now too blunt for a modern cyber security environment. Researchers and industry groups have long argued that the law can create uncertainty for legitimate work intended to identify weaknesses before malicious actors exploit them.
The campaign also raises a competitiveness question. If other countries offer clearer protections or exemptions for public-interest cyber research, the UK may be at a disadvantage in attracting specialists who want certainty over the legal status of their work.
Supporters of reform argue that this matters not only for private sector security teams but for the broader national ecosystem of universities, consultants, technology firms and researchers that contribute to cyber resilience. The report warns that inaction could weaken the UK’s ability to retain expertise as peer markets update their own frameworks.
It also presents the issue as one of alignment between policy ambition and legal structure. The UK has repeatedly stressed the importance of strengthening cyber defence, but that ambition is harder to realise, the campaign argues, if the law governing cyber activity remains rooted in 1990.
A spokesperson for the CyberUp Campaign put it this way: “Cyber attacks are growing in scale, sophistication and severity, with a devastating impact on infrastructure, businesses and charities. While other countries have moved to refresh their cyber laws in response, the UK’s Computer Misuse Act hasn’t been updated since before the modern internet – hardly the best platform for accelerating our defences into the next decade.
Portugal has demonstrated how to modernise their equivalent law through cyber legislation. We urge the Government to follow this example and act swiftly through the Cyber Security and Resilience Bill to achieve meaningful reform, or risk lagging even further behind our peers,” the spokesperson said.
The UK’s biggest grocer described the move as “one of the most revolutionary retailing improvements in decades” which would give customers access to a host of information about products via their smartphones.
QR codes will be applied to the packaging of 13 lines of Tesco’s own-brand sausages including Tesco Pork Sausages, Tesco Pork Chipolatas, Tesco British Pork Sausage Meat as well as British Cumberland Sausages and British Lincolnshire Sausages.
The codes can be used to provide additional product information to customers such as nutritional content, with shoppers being able to use them to access recipes and competitions.
Tesco said adopting the new codes would give it better information about products in stores, helping it to order more accurately and improve efficiency, reducing unnecessary waste.
In the event of product recalls, QR codes will allow retailers to identify specific batches instead of removing all items, avoiding throwing products away unnecessarily and improving availability.
Retailers will also be able to block the sale of affected items at the till and contact customers who may have purchased them.
It is part of a wider industry shift led by GS1, the global body responsible for barcode standards, which has set a target for retailers and manufacturers to be ready to accept QR codes.
Tesco development and change director Peter Draper said: “For customers, this is a tiny and almost invisible change at the checkout, but for the retail industry it’s a significant step forward.
“Moving to QR codes will help us reduce food waste, improve stock control and unlock new digital benefits for our customers.
“Customers will continue to shop and pay in exactly the same way, but they’ll have the option to access far richer information about the products they buy simply by using their smartphones.
“Over time, this opens up exciting possibilities, such as personalised digital tools to help customers manage the food they buy and reduce waste at home.”
Anne Godfrey, chief executive of GS1 UK, added: “Tesco moving to QR codes powered by GS1 across an entire range marks a significant step forward for UK retail.
“It shows how the next generation of barcodes can support a more connected, transparent future. We hope this progress encourages others to follow Tesco’s lead so that consumers and businesses alike can benefit from richer, more trusted product information.”
Broadband switching in the UK rose 24% year on year in March, according to data from Uswitch, as April bill increases prompted more households to shop around.
One in five broadband customers either switched provider before the rises or planned to do so within the next three months. Three million households had already changed provider in time to avoid higher charges.
The figures suggest a sharp consumer response to increases across several essential services at once. Households faced an average annual rise of £216 across council tax, water, TV licences, mobile contracts and broadband, bringing the total national increase to £6.9 billion.
Broadband accounted for an average increase of £39.60 a year, based on a monthly rise of £3.30. Some customers faced fixed increases of £4 a month, adding £48 over a full year.
Cost pressure
Affordability is now a central factor in broadband buying decisions. Some 24% of broadband customers chose their current provider primarily because it offered the lowest monthly price.
That pressure has coincided with stronger competition, particularly from regional network operators. These providers have offered some of the strongest broadband deals on record, including tariffs that in some cases avoid annual in-contract price rises, prompting larger providers to improve their own offers.
Uswitch’s internal data showed March was the busiest month for broadband switching since its records began in October 2016. Its measure of broadband deal value also reached its highest level since the index began in August 2023.
Not all customers moved quickly. Some 39% of broadband bill payers knew their bill was going up but did not plan to act, leaving them exposed to the full increase.
Market shift
The pattern suggests a widening gap between households willing to switch and those staying on existing contracts despite higher costs. Customers who stay with the same provider after their contract ends often move on to more expensive terms, while rival offers for new customers can be materially cheaper.
A household reaching the end of a broadband contract could save an average of £329 a year by taking a new deal. That adds to evidence that bill rises are prompting more active shopping around in a market where price has become a stronger differentiator.
Some of the biggest broadband brands have adopted fixed annual uplifts for new customers rather than the inflation-linked formulas criticised in previous years. While that offers more certainty, it still means higher charges each April for customers who remain in contract.
Regional providers have used that backdrop to compete on price and on promises of no annual rise. The result is a more competitive market at a time when household budgets are under strain from multiple directions.
Ernest Doku, broadband expert at Uswitch, said: “By moving in record numbers this year, broadband customers are sending a clear message that they will not pay over the odds while budgets are already under such intense pressure.
“What we are seeing is a significant shift in the market. The expansion of regional networks – both aggressively priced and keenly focused on customer service – has created a level of competition that hasn’t been seen in years.
“These providers are offering high speeds and great reliability on their networks at much lower price points, which is finally forcing the bigger brands to offer much more to keep their customers.
“If you have faced a price rise this April, it is not too late to check your contract. With the market as competitive as it is right now, there is a real opportunity to find a deal that protects your household budget.
“The average household coming to the end of their contract could save £329 a year by switching to a new deal, so it really pays to see what else is out there.”
The hotel has reported its busiest period for canine stays, driven by rising staycation demand and warmer seasonal weather.
This trend is expected to continue, with April through to August proving especially popular for dog-owning families, aligning with school holidays, longer daylight hours and increased leisure travel across the UK.
Easter weekend stood out as the peak period for dog stays, where the hotel welcomed a 50 per cent increase in four-legged guests.
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Fine weather helped create a relaxed, outdoor-focused atmosphere, with over 20 dogs making full use of the hotel’s gardens, riverside setting and expansive grounds, over Easter
The strong performance reflects a wider staycation boom, as more travellers choose to holiday closer to home.
Set within 30 acres of scenic parkland on the banks of the River Thames, Voco Oxford Thames is ideally positioned as a base for exploring the southern Cotswolds.
The hotel is also seeing growing demand for dogs to be included in wedding celebrations. The properties regularly accommodate canine companions of wedding couples, adding a personal and memorable touch to special occasions.
Logesh Waran, hotel manager at voco Oxford Thames, said: “We’re seeing a clear rise in guests choosing to travel with their dogs, particularly during peak leisure periods.
“Our spaces, grounds and pet-friendly rooms and dining areas make it easy for owners to include their pets in the full travel experience. From weekend breaks to weddings, dogs are always welcome!”
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Dog-friendly rooms at the hotel offer patio access, allowing guests easy access to outdoor spaces – an amenity that has proven especially popular with pet owners.
Guests are also taking advantage of nearby attractions including Bicester Village for premium outlet shopping, as well as Blenheim Palace and the historic town of Woodstock, both offering a rich mix of cultural, heritage and leisure experiences.
Pet Owners could book a Pet Getaway package or just book room only with small charge per pet.
The hotel, located in Sandford on Thames, dates to the Middle Ages and boasts a leisure club, spa, restaurant.
After the COVID-19 pandemic drove an increase in the number of dog friendly households, pet tourism has only surged.
Research from the University of Surrey suggests the potential that the dog-friendly travel market will be worth $50.1 billion by 2030.
Another report from Roch Dog, a certification body for dog friendly hotels, states that hotels that welcome dogs are likely to experience 15 to 20 per cent higher occupancy rates than those that don’t.
Hotels in the Cotswold’s like Bowden Hall Hotel, The Lygon Arms Hotel, and The Swan Hotel are all highlighted on Tripadvisor as excellent dog friendly hotels.
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