Data centres, public services and other critical national infrastructure will come under new ransomware protections launched by the Home Office as it seeks to crack down on rising online threats.

Cyber crime, particularly ransomware, has been identified by the government as one of the most consistently damaging challenges to businesses and public services. 

The risk has only grown over recent years amid a rise in hostile action from Russian affiliated criminal gangs, according to the Home Office. 

Therefore, to protect critical national infrastructure including as of last September data centres, consultations on proposals to cut down the threat of ransomware attacks. 

New measures proposed include the banning of ransomware payouts by critical national infrastructure bodies, an expansion of the existing ban on payments by government departments. 

The Home Office also said it would bring in a mandatory reporting regime for ransomware incidents to give greater intelligence to law enforcement agencies. 

“Driving down cyber crime is central to this government’s missions to reduce crime, deliver growth, and keep the British people safe,” said Security Minister Dan Jarvis. 

“These proposals help us meet the scale of the ransomware threat, hitting these criminal networks in their wallets and cutting off the key financial pipeline they rely upon to operate. Today marks the beginning of a vital step forward to protect the UK economy and keep businesses and jobs safe.” 

In 2023, a record $1bn was seized by ransomware criminals globally. The National Cyber Security Centre’s annual review in 2024 said the disruption caused by ransomware attacks posed a greater risk than other cyber crimes. 

“Organisations of all sizes need to build their defences against cyber attacks such as ransomware, and our website contains a wealth of advice tailored to different organisations,” said National Cyber Security Centre CEO Richard Horne. 

“Organisations across the country need to strengthen their ability to continue operations in the face of the disruption caused by successful ransomware attacks.” 

Data centres have become a key pillar of the government’s growth mission. Last year, the government declared data centres critical national infrastructure, putting them on par with water, energy and emergency services. 

The Tech Department this week released its AI Opportunities Action Plan that included recommendations to simplify the process of constructing data centres. 

Research from UKTN found that data centre planning applications in England and Wales jumped 40% in 2024. 

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