Two-fifths (40%) of business executives would be willing to pay at least a five-figure ransom to restore operations following an attack, going against the advice of governments and law enforcement, according to a new report. Arctic Wolf polled 500 decision-makers from UK firms with over 1000 employees to better understand their security challenges in the new hybrid workplace. Respondents’ readiness to pay their attackers is often cited as puzzling given that many (39%) don’t have comprehensive…

The UK Cyber Security Council has announced the appointment of four new trustees, taking its total number to eight. The new trustees come with a range of backgrounds and expertise, designed to add legal, governance and education expertise to the Board of Trustees of the Council. They were appointed following a recruitment and selection process overseen by the four existing trustees: Chitra Balakrishna: Currently a senior lecturer in cyber security, Open University, she has over 19 years…

Crime-fighters in Europe and the UK have signed a new agreement to boost cooperation on cybercrime and other investigations. The working agreement between the UK’s National Crime Agency (NCA), which investigates serious and organized crimes, and Europol will sit under the UK-EU trade and cooperation agreement (TCA). That’s the limited post-Brexit free trade agreement between the two parties signed at the end of 2020. Although the NCA claimed that “operational cooperation” between the two had…

A tragic case making its way through the courts in the US could prove to be the first recorded death due to ransomware. According to papers filed in June 2020 (via NBC), Teiranni Kidd of Mobile, Alabama, is accusing Springhill Memorial Hospital and its owners of failing to mitigate a crippling cyber-attack and then conspiring to hide its impact on patient care. Kidd’s daughter Nicko was born with her umbilical cord wrapped around her neck, a problem…