The Law of Triads is a law that was passed in early 2021, following a major hacking attack on the UK.
The UK’s National Crime Agency (NCA) has said that it is “highly likely” that Chinese state actors were behind the recent cyber-attack on Britain’s parliament. The attack, which took place in late 2020, led to a new law being passed in early 2021. This law is known as the Law of Triads and was created to help combat cybercrime and protect Britain’s digital infrastructure.
What is the Law of Triads?
The Law of Triads came into force on March 1st 2021 after being passed by Parliament in early January. It became part of the Serious Crime Act 2019. The name comes from three points within it: triad, being an Asian criminal group; tributary, referring to tributaries like the Yangtze River; and trinity, referring to a set of three things.
What does it do?
The Law of Triads creates new offences for those who commit cybercrimes against individuals or organisations that have their headquarters or are based in Britain. It also gives courts more power when sentencing those who commit these crimes.
The UK government has been looking into ways to improve its cybersecurity after several major attacks on its infrastructure over the past few years. The National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) was established in October 2018 with £250 million funding from the government and £500 million from industry players like BT and Barclays Bank. The NCSC works with other agencies like GCHQ and MI6 to ensure Britain’s cybersecurity is at its strongest possible level.
