UK adds cyber and democratic risks to register

The UK government has announced updates to the National Risk Register and new resilience measures, including a national public awareness campaign and consultations on a broader role for regional mayors.

• The National Risk Register has been updated with seven new risks, including interference in the UK’s democratic process, cyber attacks on data infrastructure, water infrastructure and police systems, and digital resilience failure.
• The government says it will launch a national resilience campaign later this year and is consulting on giving regional mayors a formalised role in emergencies under the Civil Contingencies Act 2004; it also plans the largest UK home defence exercise in decades in 2027 under Operation ALBISTON SHADOW.
• The statement also cites progress on the UK’s 2023 Biological Security Strategy, including a new Pandemic Preparedness Strategy backed by around £1 billion and a Network of National Biosecurity Centers backed by £1.83 billion.