Tag Archive for: Britons

Britons must ‘strengthen defences’ against growing threat of AI-assisted ransomware, cyber security chief warns | UK News

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Britons must “strengthen their defences” against the growing threat posed by ransomware developed or enhanced using artificial intelligence (AI), the head of the UK’s cyber security agency has warned.

It comes as a new report from the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) has found that AI is lowering the barrier of entry to novice cyber criminals.

The NCSC – which is a part of GCHQ – has also warned that bad actors are using AI to better find and target victims and that the technology will almost certainly increase the volume and impact of cyber attacks in the near term.

The agency has previously identified ransomware as the biggest cyber threat facing the UK.

NCSC chief executive Lindy Cameron said: “We must ensure that we both harness AI technology for its vast potential and manage its risks – including its implications on the cyber threat.

“The emergent use of AI in cyber attacks is evolutionary not revolutionary, meaning that it enhances existing threats like ransomware but does not transform the risk landscape in the near term.

“As the NCSC does all it can to ensure AI systems are secure by design, we urge organisations and individuals to follow our ransomware and cyber security hygiene advice to strengthen their defences and boost their resilience to cyber attacks.”

Handout screengrab of Lindy Cameron, CEO of the UK's National Cyber Security Centre, speaking at an Institute of International and European Affairs (IIEA) event, where she praised the Irish Government for refusing to pay ransom over HSE cyber attack. Issue date: Friday June 25, 2021.
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Lindy Cameron, CEO of the UK’s National Cyber Security Centre. File pic

Ransomware involves hackers gaining access to a user’s system and then either stealing or locking access to files using encryption, demanding a ransom to return the data.

One of the largest incidents seen so far was the 2017 WannaCry attack, which affected computers worldwide, including car firms such as Nissan, Honda, and dozens of NHS trusts across England.

The attack, believed to have originated from North Korea, severely disrupted services and left thousands of appointments cancelled, while an October 2018 report found the hack and the fall-out from it had cost the NHS as much as £100m.

North Korea has been widely blamed for the WannaCry ransomware attack
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North Korea has been widely blamed for the WannaCry ransomware attack

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Eight Britons arrested over hacking phones of US celebrities | UK News

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Eight British men have been arrested for allegedly hacking the phones of US celebrities.

The men, all aged between 18 and 26, were arrested in England and Scotland by a number of police forces across the country.

The suspects are alleged to have targeted sports stars, musicians and influencers in the “sim swapping” attacks, which saw them take control of their victim’s phones, according to the National Crime Agency (NCA).

Reset your password
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Hackers change passwords when they have control of their victim’s number

The technique would have meant they could steal money, cryptocurrency, personal information and contact details, as well as access social media accounts and send messages pretending to be their victim.

The alleged hackers were identified by NCA cyber crime officers, working with agents from the US Secret Service, Homeland Security Investigations, the FBI and the Santa Clara California District Attorney’s Office.

UK and US investigators told the victims when they had been targeted, and where possible, before the criminals could cause damage.

Sim swapping is the process of taking over someone else’s phone by deactivating the victim’s sim card, and then transferring the phone number to another device.

It is often helped by “corrupt insiders” at mobile phone service providers, who perform the swap on their behalf, according to the NCA.

Once the hacker has control of the phone number, the “change password” function can be used on apps and services, which sends out reset codes via text message or to the newly-compromised email account, enabling passwords to be reset.

It means the victim loses access to those services, and the hacker can control contacts, banking apps and social media.

Paul Creffield, head of operations in the NCA’s National Cyber Crime Unit, said: “Sim swapping requires significant organisation by a network of cyber criminals, who each commit various types of criminality to achieve the desired outcome.

“This network targeted a large number of victims in the US and regularly attacked those they believed would be lucrative targets, such as famous sports stars and musicians.

“In…

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Half of Britons want UK to increase Russia sanctions to combat threat, poll shows – The Independent

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Half of Britons want UK to increase Russia sanctions to combat threat, poll shows  The Independent

Half of Britons want the government to impose further sanctions on Russia to combat the threat from Moscow, a poll has revealed.

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