The UK economy is facing a staggering annual bill of nearly £14.7 billion due to cyber attacks that threaten essential services like water, energy, and the NHS. In response, the government has unveiled a new legislative push to bolster the nation's digital defences, with Greater Manchester emerging as a key player in this critical fight.
New Powers to Protect National Infrastructure
This week, Parliament saw the introduction of the Cyber Security and Resilience Bill. This landmark legislation is designed to fortify the UK's critical national infrastructure by granting regulators enhanced powers. Suppliers of essential public services will now be legally required to meet minimum security standards.
The government asserts that these measures are vital for preventing widespread disruption, ensuring that the taps keep running, the lights stay on, and transport networks continue to move. The move follows a series of high-profile cyber incidents that have exposed vulnerabilities in key sectors.
The Staggering Cost to British Business
New independent research published by the government quantifies the severe financial impact of these digital assaults. The average cost of a significant cyber attack for a single business is now over £190,000.
However, this figure can skyrocket, as demonstrated by the recent attack on the Manchester-headquartered Co-op. In that incident, hackers stole data from all 6.5 million of the retailer's customers, a breach that reportedly cost the company at least £206 million.
Greater Manchester's Frontline Role
Following the bill's announcement, Minister for Digital Economy, Liz Lloyd, visited the GM Digital Security Hub (DiSH) in Manchester to see the region's pioneering work firsthand. During her visit on the week of November 18, 2025, Baroness Lloyd highlighted the collaborative environment in the North West.
"Today I saw at DiSH how a lot of the great research that's going on there is being commercialised with these start-ups who are really tackling tomorrow's problems today," she stated. "There's a really healthy business environment here... to support businesses in the UK and to support businesses globally in upping their cyber resilience."
Explaining the core objective of the new Cyber Bill, the Minister emphasised its focus on public safety: "We're trying to make sure that water, access to the NHS, to health care, access to energy, are protected from cyber attacks. This is to protect our critical national infrastructure."
The concerted efforts in Manchester and the new government bill represent a crucial dual approach to safeguarding the UK's economy and essential services from an escalating digital threat.
