Industry Supporters
The CyberUp Campaign is supported by a coalition of industry partners, academics and professionals across the UK’s growing cyber security industry.
Some of our supporters describe why they back the campaign below.
“The government needs to take urgent action by updating and upgrading the Computer Misuse Act so our nation’s cyber defenders no longer have to act with one hand tied behind their backs, paralysed by the fear of being prosecuted for doing their jobs. In today’s uncertain international climate, the ability of cyber criminals and geo-political threat actors to disrupt our technology systems will only continue to grow. We must seize the opportunity to develop 21st century laws to allow the industry to flourish and make the country safer and more secure.”
Matt Hull, Global Head of Threat Intelligence
“techUK is delighted to be part of the CyberUp campaign, which is calling for the Government to explore ways to update and upgrade the Computer Misuse Act. This legislation is now 30 years old, and often undermines the efforts of the threat intelligence community working to protect the UK’s CNI and wider economy against a growing cyber threat landscape. The CyberUp campaign looks forward to working with Government to explore ways by which this legislation can be made fit for a 21st century purpose, supporting a mature, trusted industry to put its best foot forward in making the UK more resilient to cyber-attacks.”
Julian David, Chief Executive Officer
“Nettitude are committed to the reform of the Computer Misuse Act. The reforms proposed to the act underpin the basis by which security professionals are able to operate without fear of prosecution and ensures that those who seek to operate outside the law are properly dealt with.”
Phil Lynch, Principal Security Consultant
"F-Secure fully supports the CyberUp campaign’s efforts to make the Computer Misuse Act fit for purpose in the 21st century. The proposed reforms will aid investigations and help the cyber security industry defend the UK. We particularly welcome proposals, as expressed by the Criminal Law Reform Now Network, to add ‘required harms’ for offences and guidance on sentencing, which will promote skills development and growth. This will help our industry address the global cyber skills shortage and keep the UK at the leading edge of cyber security.”
Ed Parsons, UK Managing Director
“Cyber security professionals work hard to reduce digital crime to protect our customers and the nation. We do this in an environment where criminals operate free from constraints of the law or ethics, whilst defenders regularly halt actions in order to comply with the law. Over time this has contributed to an imbalance, where the cost of defence is much higher than the cost to the attackers. We believe that in updating the current legislation, we can find ethical and sound approaches to help address this imbalance. It will allow professionals to identify more victims, enable collaboration and discover valuable intelligence all of which will reduce harm. The digital world has moved on significantly from 1990 when the Computer Misuse Act became law; it’s time to bring it into the 21st Century.”
James Chappell, Co-Founder and Chief Innovation Officer, Digital Shadows
“For the UK to remain at the forefront of digital technology, it must also endeavour to be at the leading edge of cyber resilience. The Computer Misuse Act was introduced 30 years ago in a vastly different world. The legislation should be carefully updated to reflect today’s realities and support the UK’s cyber security professionals, who play a vital role in protecting our economy against a growing cyber threat.”
Confederation of Business Industry (CBI)
“As a specialist Cyber Threat Intelligence provider, that is British yet supplies a global market, the reform of the Computer Misuse Act is of strategic importance to both ourselves and the UK. We need to ensure that British companies can continue to deliver world beating Cyber capabilities, whilst free from the fear of potentially breaking the law. The CMA is 30 years old, yet we are operating in a highly dynamic and fast paced digital 21st century. We must take every opportunity to level up the playing field with the cyber threat actors in order to protect the public and our businesses.”
Rob Dartnall, CEO, Security Alliance
“The CMA strikes fear into any small security research company. As it is currently written, it enables large businesses to silence and intimidate anyone who discovers their wrong-doing, and attempts to responsibly disclose it.
Far from protecting data, it hamstrings more privacy focused legislation, such as GDPR, by preventing breaches from being disclosed without fear of prosecution. TurgenSec is committed to the reform of the CMA and prepared for the inevitable growth of the UK cyber security SME market that will result.”
TurgenSec
“The very basis of the CMA is broken at worst and flawed at best. It was commenced in 1990, one year before the World Wide Web was released to the public. The relevance of the CMA now is a bit like space exploration being determined by the Victorians' understanding of flight. The Act does not reflect even basic definitions used today: the computer is no longer a single entity sitting within a large beige box under a desk, it's inherent in every aspect of life, from the mobile phone to the doorbell. The CMA should be reformed to show clarity over disparity.”
Cygenta
“CyLon is very pleased to be supporting the CyberUp Campaign’s aim to update the Computer Misuse Act. We believe it is vital that cyber security professionals are able to conduct their important work free from fear of inadvertently breaking the law. The security of our future digital economy is going to be dependent on how successful entrepreneurs and innovators can be in developing technologies and solutions that combat the ever-evolving threat landscape, and it’s vital we give them the most permissive environment legally possible in which to do so.”
Nick Morris, CEO, CyLon
“As one of the world’s largest tech communities, Level39's aim is to support its member companies, offering access to opportunities and initiatives to help them achieve scale. We are supporting the CyberUp campaign to help voice and tackle the negative impact the Computer Misuse Act is having on cyber security companies, and we are proud to see that the coalition involves some of our alumni members, such as Digital Shadows and Security Alliance. We recognise the imperative part which cyber security plays in our digital economy, and so we will continue to advocate reform of an outdated law - ensuring entrepreneurs can continue to innovate and develop cyber capabilities in the U.K.”
Amy French, Director of Level39
“As an ISP, people won't necessarily appreciate that we have our own cyber-security functions, but many of us do. We're equally constrained by the current legislation that hinders security service providers, when it comes to doing the right things by our staff, customers and suppliers. The time has come for the law to reflect the age in which it exists and still be robust enough to carry forward through the various changes in the security landscape. Protecting individuals and organisations acting in the best interests of others is where it all starts, and the CMA must reflect this. Provisions should also be made to require organisations and service operators to adequately protect their systems, while at the same time embrace the security community, which is primarily concerned with protecting their interests”.
Mike Thompson, Information Security Manager, Zen Internet
“The CyberUp campaign is a brilliant example of how to implement effective and persuasive engagement with decision makers in this critically important task of securing legal protections for bona fide security researchers.”
Peter Coroneos, International Vice President Cybersecurity Advisors Network (CyAN) & Project lead of the International Zero Day Legislative Initiative
“The Criminal Law Reform Now Network facilitates collaboration between academics and other legal experts to discuss, draft and disseminate comprehensible proposals for criminal law reform (www.clrnn.co.uk). In line with our 2020 Report – Reforming the Computer Misuse Act 1990 – we are happy to support the CyberUp Campaign. The current law is outdated and damaging; and we should not hesitate to put it right.”
Criminal Law Reform Now Network
“CREST has supported and admired the efforts of the CyberUp Campaign since its inception. The Computer Misuse Act is out of date and its view of security testing and threat intelligence is not fit for today’s increasingly digitised world with ever growing and more sophisticated cyber threats. In 2021 CyberUp secured a comprehensive review of the Act so it is now important for industry in the UK to collaborate to ensure substantial reform happens. CREST will be working with the Campaign to help engage industry and drive forward successful reform.”
Rob Dartnall, UK Council Member, CREST
“Reform of the Computer Misuse Act, which is now over 30 years old, is an imperative in order to further support industry innovation, the cyber defence of our organisations and national prosperity. We should be bold with our vision and brave with our reform, otherwise we risk rationalising inaction to the detriment of our county's cyber resilience."
Ollie Whitehouse, Founder of BinaryFirefly
"RMG Cyber takes immense pride in driving Ethical Cybersecurity Evolution through our partnership with the CyberUp campaign and its fellow supporters. RMG stands as advocates for disrupting the status quo, recognising the urgent need to reform the Computer Misuse Act as a paramount mission. With this Act now surpassing three decades, its evolution is no longer a choice but a necessity, fostering innovation in the sector while safeguarding our clients. Guided by RMG’s core unwavering ethics, we're privileged to contribute and support this transformative vision, which entails modernising regulations in sync with emergent threats and the evolving landscape. In this pursuit, our commitment remains firm: to lead with integrity, redefine norms, and secure the nation's cyber resilience and safety, ensuring the best interests of all."
Ryan Green, Director of RMG Cyber
““The Cyber Scheme fully supports the CyberUp campaign in its efforts to reform the computer misuse act, it’s over 30 years since the inception of CMA and in that time malicious activity has grown exponentially and developed to threaten greater and greater parts of everyday life. The cyber security profession needs the act to be amended to facilitate “statutory defence” in order that cyber security professionals can operate at an optimum level and in the public’s interest to counter malicious activity, this is underpinned by the drive to professionalise the Cyber Security sector.”
Charles White, CEO of The Cyber Scheme
“The world has changed a great deal since the 29th June 1990 Royal Assent was granted for the CMA. Technology has transformed our society, industry, commerce and democracy. We are now without doubt a digitally enabled world. Criminal, ideological and geo-political threats that seek to undermine and subvert those digital benefits have evolved to become a threat to national security. The case for review is irrefutable.”
Craig Rice, Chief Executive of the Cyber Defence Alliance
“At Yet Another Cyber Company, we recognise the critical need for modernising the Computer Misuse Act (CMA) which is severely out of date, commensurate with how much the technology and threat landscapes have changed the past 30 years. The CyberUp Campaign is championing an essential cause, advocating for laws that support legitimate and responsible cyber security research, defence and innovation which is currently stifled due to CMA restrictions. Reforming the CMA will empower organisations like ours to better protect businesses, individuals and the UK as a whole in an increasingly complex and hostile digital world.”
Matt Lewis, Founder and Director, Yet Another Cyber Company
Find out which parliamentarians support the calls of the CyberUp Campaign: