UK plans for cybercrime law reform would protect almost no one, experts warn

The UK government’s proposed reforms to the Computer Misuse Act 1990 are facing criticism from cybersecurity experts who believe they will offer minimal protection to researchers. The proposed changes would restrict the statutory defense to only scanning internet-facing systems and require researchers to cease activity upon vulnerability identification, effectively rendering disclosure worthless. Concerns have been raised about the limited scope of the defense, the accreditation requirements, and the potential impact on the global cybersecurity industry.