UK Government Considers Computer Misuse Act Revision

according to Akshaya Asokan, the U.K. government is considering amending its three-decade-old Computer Misuse Act to include a statutory defence for security researchers. Security Minister Dan Jarvis said the government is looking at a legal change to the act, which was codified in 1990 and currently criminalises unauthorized access to computer systems and data.

He spoke at a Financial Times event on Wednesday, emphasising that researchers play an important role in increasing the resilience of U.K. systems and should not be shut out from legitimate security work. The proposals come amid concerns that the current law penalises white hat hackers for practices such as participating in bug bounties. The report frames the moves as part of efforts to welcome researchers and their work while strengthening the country’s cyber resilience.