The CyberUp Campaign Hosts Virtual Drop In Event for Parliamentarians

The CyberUp Campaign recently hosted a virtual ‘drop in’ event for parliamentarians to discuss the need for reform of the Computer Misuse Act. This event followed the announcement on 11 May from the Home Secretary that the Government will review the Computer Misuse Act and presented a chance for parliamentarians to familiarise themselves with the issues ahead of any potential legislation making its way before Parliament following the review.

This event was chaired by Simon Fell MP, who as the Chair of the APPG on Cyber Security, has worked closely with the Campaign and is all too aware of the barriers the Act currently poses to cyber professionals in their everyday working life. We also had speakers from Cyber Volunteers 19, a group of cyber security volunteers set up in response to COVID-19 who have been working to protect healthcare services across the UK from cyber attacks., and Dr John Child from the Criminal Law Reform Now Network, a network of academics and practitioners committed to bettering the criminal law.

During the event, speakers outlined the challenges they have faced, and how CMA reform would allow them to expand their preventative work, which is crucial amidst the rise in cyber attacks against the NHS and other healthcare providers.

The discussion itself was very positive and we are very grateful to our speakers and all the parliamentarians who took part. You can watch the event back in full below: