UK broadens scope of cyber regulations to cover outsourced IT providers

LONDON (Reuters) - Britain said on Wednesday it would strengthen its cybersecurity laws to better protect essential services like water, energy and transport by bringing outsourced information technology services under the scope of existing regulations.

"The services we rely on for healthcare, water, energy and computing must not be brought to a standstill by criminals and hostile states," cyber minister Julia Lopez said.

(Reporting by William James, Editing by Paul Sandle)