Cyberattacks on major UK retailers, including Marks & Spencer, Harrods and Co-op, left the companies scrambling to reassure customers and staff about stolen data, pushing issues of cybersecurity and cyber resilience back into the national debate. Now the question is whether compliance managers should expect more technology regulations, or will legislators focus on corporate governance, internal controls and resilience.

Governments across the world are introducing digital and AI regulations to protect consumers and society from intentional and unintentional digital harm. But the ransomware attacks that disabled key players in the U.K. retail sector from April 25 aren’t a new phenomenon enabled by unregulated technology.

Ruth Prickett graduated from Cambridge University with a BA hons in History and has specialized in business and finance journalism for the past 20 years. She was editor of Financial Management, the magazine...