Elevating Cyber-Resilience: PASA's New Guidance for UK Pension Schemes

The Pensions Administration Standards Association (PASA) has released its new guidance, Securing Tomorrow (July 2025), setting a higher bar for protecting member data across all UK pension schemes. The message is clear: trustees must demonstrate proactive cyber-resilience, not just baseline compliance. 

PASA Focus	What It Means in Practice
Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA)	All high-level user accounts (e.g. admin or trustee access) must use at least two factors (password + one-time code or biometric).
End-to-End Encryption	Data must be encrypted both in transit and at rest. No unsecured email attachments or file shares.
Continuous Risk Review	Formal incident-response plans, quarterly vulnerability scans and annual penetration tests.
Audited Third-Party Due Diligence	Trustees must evidence supplier assessments against recognised standards (ISO 27001, SOC 2).

How Life & Pension Systems Already Delivers

Capability	How It Protects You
ISO-aligned, Tier III Hosting	Keeps member data safe and resilient to outages or attacks.
Role-Based Access + MFA	Clear user permissions across Pension Master, Workflow Master and Portal Master. Prevents unauthorised access.
Secure Data Exchange Portal	Eliminates risky email attachments and ensures only approved users see the files.
Comprehensive Audit Trails	Every data action is logged and easy to report.

Why It Matters for Your Scheme 

• Reduces the risk of costly data breaches 

• Provides ready-made evidence for regulators  

• Boosts member confidence as dashboards go live 

• Future-proofs compliance while streamlining daily administration  With escalating threats and increasing regulatory scrutiny, protecting member data is not optional—it’s fundamental. By embracing key measures such as MFA, encryption, continuous risk assessments, and rigorous third-party oversight, trustees can safeguard their schemes and uphold their fiduciary duties. You can be rest assured that Life & Pension Systems already aligns with these expectations, offering robust, ISO-compliant solutions that not only protect data but also enhance operational efficiency and trust. Now is the time for trustees to lead with confidence, ensuring their schemes are secure, resilient, and ready for the digital future.