Tag: UK

UK ministers consider banning public bodies from making ransomware payments

January 15, 2025

The UK government is proposing a ban on schools, the NHS, and local councils from making ransomware payments to tackle cyber-attacks. According to The Guardian* this ban will also extend to critical national infrastructure operators. Private companies will need to report ransomware payments to the government, which could block payments to sanctioned groups or foreign … More UK ministers consider banning public bodies from making ransomware payments

Hacker leaks millions of genetic data profiles

October 20, 2023

A hacker has leaked an additional 4.1 million stolen 23andMe genetic data profiles for people in Great Britain and Germany on a hacking forum. Earlier this month, a threat actor leaked the stolen data of 1 million Ashkenazi Jews who used 23andMe services to find their ancestry info and genetic predispositions. 23andMe told BleepingComputer* that … More Hacker leaks millions of genetic data profiles

Is backdoor access oppressive? – Week in security with Tony Anscombe

July 31, 2023

Bills granting access to end-to-end encrypted systems, opportunity for cybercriminals, abuse by authority, human rights, and tech companies leaving the UK? If passed as a law, the UK government’s Online Safety Bill could force technology companies to give the UK government backdoor access to any end-to-end encryption systems.  The legislation itself is quite complex and the … More Is backdoor access oppressive? – Week in security with Tony Anscombe

Twitter hacker sentenced to five years in prison

June 26, 2023

A British man who hacked high profile Twitter accounts as part of a Bitcoin scam has been jailed in the US, writes the BBC*. Joseph O’Connor, from Liverpool, hijacked more than 130 accounts in July 2020, including those of Barack Obama, Joe Biden and Elon Musk. The 24-year-old pleaded guilty to hacking charges last month. … More Twitter hacker sentenced to five years in prison

On course for a good hacking

August 4, 2021

A story of how easily hackers could hit a hole-in-one with the computer network of a premier golf club in the UK. Golf clubs and cybercrime couldn’t really sound further apart, but when it comes to cybersecurity, businesses of all sizes are targets and their owners must never assume anything is completely watertight. Golf is, however, more associated with business, so when I was recently asked to investigate and test the cybersecurity of an … More On course for a good hacking