UK Cyber Risks Are ‘Widely Underestimated,’ Warns Security Chief

UK Cyber Risks Are ‘Widely Underestimated,’ Warns Security Chief

In his first speech on Tuesday, the new head of the U.K.’s National Cyber Security Centre warned that the country’s cyber risks are “widely underestimated.” Richard Horne, who took the position in October, says that hostile activity has “increased in frequency, sophistication and intensity,” largely from foreign actors in Russia and China. He highlighted the ransomware attacks on the British Library and pathology company Synnovis, which disrupted the NHS, illustrating a dependence on technology for…

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Starbucks, Supermarkets Targeted in Ransomware Attack

Starbucks, Supermarkets Targeted in Ransomware Attack

Starbucks and several major U.K. supermarkets experienced disruption due to a ransomware attack on the prominent supply chain software provider Blue Yonder. The company disclosed the incident on Thursday, Nov. 21, and it was still working to restore services the following Monday. The disruption to the Blue Yonder platform prevented Starbucks from paying its baristas and managing their schedules, according to the Wall Street Journal. As a result, cafe managers had to manually calculate their…

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Unlocking the Future Through the Industrial Strategy: A Policy Blueprint for the UK's Digital Transformation

Unlocking the Future Through the Industrial Strategy: A Policy Blueprint for the UK's Digital Transformation

In today’s fast-paced, technology-driven world, the UK stands at a critical juncture. The Industrial Strategy presents an opportunity to weave digital technologies as the golden thread through the UK’s economic plan. Moulding an economy that is fit for the modern world—with digital connectivity and skills as the cornerstone of economic growth—can spearhead efforts to secure the nation’s competitive edge in the industries of the future. With strategic direction and support from government, coupled with investment…

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1.1 Million UK NHS Employee Records Exposed

1.1 Million UK NHS Employee Records Exposed

Over a million NHS employee records — including email addresses, phone numbers, and home addresses — were exposed online due to a misconfiguration of the low-code website builder Microsoft Power Pages. In September, researchers with the software-as-a-service security platform AppOmni identified a large shared business service provider for the NHS that was allowing unauthorised access to sensitive data through insecure permission settings on Power Pages. Specifically, the permissions on some tables and columns in Power…

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NIS 2 Compliance Deadline Approaches: What You Need To Know

NIS 2 Compliance Deadline Approaches: What You Need To Know

On Oct. 17, the Network and Information Security 2 Directive takes effect. This means that relevant entities in industries such as energy, transport, water, healthcare, and digital infrastructure that carry out activities within the E.U. must comply with the relevant legislation. NIS 2, which was approved by the European Parliament in November 2022, aims to establish a consistent, minimum cybersecurity baseline across all E.U. member states, involving mandatory security measures and reporting procedures. Organisations subject…

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One-Third of UK Teachers Do Not Have Cybersecurity Training

One-Third of UK Teachers Do Not Have Cybersecurity Training

Teachers in schools in England are not receiving sufficient cybersecurity training, a new poll has revealed. A third of teachers haven’t completed any in the last academic year, while only 66% of those who did found it useful. These results come from a Teacher Tapp survey of teachers across England from the Office of Qualifications and Examinations Regulation, or Ofqual. It also revealed the prevalence of cyber attacks within the education sector in the U.K….

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Ransomware Trends: Most Attacks Hit Between 1am and 5am, Study Finds

Ransomware Trends: Most Attacks Hit Between 1am and 5am, Study Finds

Threat actors are taking advantage of when security professionals are off-duty to stage their ransomware attacks, new research has found. The ThreatDown 2024 State of Ransomware report from Malwarebytes has revealed most incidents in the last year occurred between 1 a.m. and 5 a.m. The report’s authors used data from the ThreatDown Managed Detection and Response team to conduct their research. It found that global ransomware attacks increased by 33% in the last year, with…

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10 Security Tips for Business Travellers This Summer

10 Security Tips for Business Travellers This Summer

Now the weather is hotting up, many workers may be considering spending some time away from their desk. You may be more inclined to head to that conference in Barcelona or take a trip with the family but keep the company phone on you. Whether you’re hopping on a plane or enjoying a staycation closer to home, taking your business away from your regular workplace brings about a new bevy of security risks. These include…

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UK Trails Behind Europe in Technical Skills Proficiency, Coursera Report Finds

UK Trails Behind Europe in Technical Skills Proficiency, Coursera Report Finds

The U.K. is the 25th most technically proficient country in Europe, a new report by online course provider Coursera has found. It sits well behind other digital leaders in the region like Germany, France and Spain. Globally, the U.K. came 45th out of 109 countries, which is an improvement from last year’s 64th place; however, considering the government’s significant investments into digital skills, the country’s rank suggests that current efforts may need to be reassessed….

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Top 5 Cloud Trends U.K. Businesses Should Watch in 2024

Top 5 Cloud Trends U.K. Businesses Should Watch in 2024

As business data demands increase, cloud providers and their customers find themselves having to consider the implications of increasing storage costs, security risks and environmental footprint. Such impacts are of particular importance to U.K. organisations, as it is the largest cloud market in Europe. TechRepublic spoke to U.K. cloud experts to identify the top five industry trends emerging from the country’s burgeoning reliance on the fundamental IT infrastructure. These cloud trends are: Premiumisation of cloud packages….

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