Five MSSP and channel partners leaders have weighed in on the UK government’s public sector ransomware ban, with some cautiously welcoming it and another calling it “impossible to enforce”.
Under a package of measures outlined earlier this week, UK public sector bodies and operators of critical national infrastructure, including the NHS, local councils and schools, will be banned from paying ransom demands to criminals.
Businesses not covered by the ban would be required to notify the government of any intent to pay a ransom, meanwhile.
The government press release featured comment from Shirine Khoury-Haq, CEO of Co-op – whose May Scattered Spider ransomware incident was recently voted by partners as the second most-significant cyber-attack of 2025 so far.
Last month, it emerged that an NHS ransomware attack last year has been linked to the death of one person.
Recent high-profile ransomware attacks “highlight the severe operational, financial, and even life-threatening risks they pose”, the government said.
But is banning payments the right move, and will it work?
IT Channel Oxygen canvassed views from five leaders of UK MSSPs and channel partners.
Here’s what they said…
“A strategically sound measure”
Marion Stewart, CEO Red Helix
The UK government’s ban on public sector organisations paying ransomware demands is a strategically sound measure aimed at removing the financial incentives that fuel cybercrime and in many cases puts public money in the hands of foreign adversaries or organised crime groups.
By removing the prospect of a pay out, this policy would send a clear signal to threat actors that targeting UK public institutions will no longer pay.
This proactive stance will not only strengthen national cyber resilience but also aligns with best practice in risk management, discouraging further attacks and encouraging investment in robust cybersecurity defences.
However, it must come with clear funding for these organisations to enable them to raise their levels of resilience and recovery capabilities which we know are currently underinvested in many cases.
The removal of financial rewards may take some time, and may well be tested by threat actors, before the acceptance that there is no more money to be extorted from this cohort.
Which MSSP leader hailed the move as a “bold step I view with cautious optimism”? See following page…
