The National Security Act 2023 has received Royal Assent, modernising the UK’s counter-espionage laws and replacing the Official Secrets Acts 1911 to 1939.
Key offences
- Obtaining or disclosing protected information for a foreign power (s.1).
- Obtaining or disclosing trade secrets for a foreign power (s.2).
- Assisting a foreign intelligence service (s.3).
- Sabotage, including damage to electronic systems and data (s.12).
- Foreign interference.
The Act also establishes the Foreign Influence Registration Scheme. For organisations in sensitive sectors, research, defence or critical infrastructure, it reinforces the importance of insider risk management, protecting intellectual property and monitoring for unusual access to sensitive information.
Source: National Security Act 2023 (legislation.gov.uk)
This update is general information, not legal advice. If you would like help assessing the impact on your information security or privacy programme, contact us.
