National Cyber Security Centre Archives - Page 3 of 3 - Cyber Secure Forum | Forum Events Ltd
Posts Tagged :

National Cyber Security Centre

NCSC warns of growing cyber security threat to UK business

960 640 Stuart O'Brien

Criminals are launching more online attacks on UK businesses than ever before, according to a new report published by the the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC).

The NCSC, which is part of GCHQ, released the report to coincide with its flagship CYBERUK 2018 summit, which is taking place this week in Manchester.

The Cyber Threat to UK Business‘ was jointly authored by the NCSC and the National Crime Agency (NCA) in collaboration with industry partners, and details some of the biggest cyber attacks from the last year and notes that risks to UK businesses continue to grow.

Emerging threats are also highlighted, such as theft from cloud storage and cryptojacking, in which computers are hijacked to create crypto currencies such as bitcoin.

The report acknowledges that a basic cyber security posture is no longer enough and most attacks will be defeated by organisations which prioritise cyber security and work closely with government and law enforcement.

Ciaran Martin, Chief Executive of the NCSC, said: “We are fortunate to be able to draw on the cyber crime fighting expertise of our law enforcement colleagues in the National Crime Agency.

“This joint report brings together the combined expertise of the NCA and the NCSC. The key to better cyber security is understanding the problem and taking practical steps to reduce risk.

“This report sets out to explain what terms like cryptojacking and ransomware really mean for businesses and citizens, and using case studies, shows what can happen when the right protections aren’t in place.”

The report also notes that firms are under increasing threat from ransomware, data breaches and supply chain weaknesses which it says can mean serious financial and reputational damage.

It sites real-life case studies from businesses damaged by cyber crime, including ransomware attacks that have affected companies ranging from multi-national firms to independent restaurants.

Furthermore, the report states that while law enforcement and government have successfully battled many cyber threats this year, under-reporting of cyber crime by businesses means crucial evidence and intelligence about cyber threats and offenders is being lost.

Donald Toon, director of the NCA’s Prosperity Command, said: “UK business faces a cyber threat which is growing in scale and complexity. Organisations which don’t take cyber security extremely seriously in the next year are risking serious financial and reputational consequences.

“By increasing collaboration between law enforcement, government and industry we will make sure the UK is a safe place to do business and hostile zone for cyber criminals.

“Full and early reporting of cyber crime to Action Fraud will be essential to our efforts.”

 

Queen’s Uni rolls out £5m research scheme to tackle cyber threats

960 640 Stuart O'Brien

Queen’s University in Belfast is set to improve the research into hardware security with the launch of a £5m cyber-security centre, tackling threats in smart technology in particular.

With the increase in smart technology in everyday appliances, such as kettles, cars and toys, the focus will be to keep hackers out of the public’s homes.

Funded by the Engineering and Physical Sciences research Council (EPSRC) and National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC), the Research Institute in Secure Hardware and Embedded Systems (RISE) at Queen’s will be a global centre for research in hardware security over the next five years, one of four cyber security institutes in the UK.

“We will also work closely with leading UK-based industry partners and stakeholders, transforming research findings into products, services and business opportunities, which will benefit the UK economy,” said RISE director Prof O’Neill.

NCSC first year anniversary of protecting the UK

960 640 Stuart O'Brien

A report published to mark the first year anniversary of the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) protecting the UK from cyber threats has revealed that within 12 months the organisation received 1,131 incidents, with 590 classed as ‘significant’.

Part of GCHQ, the NCSC focuses on cyber security for the UK. The incidents listed within the report outlined the work undertaken by the organisation to help improve security of online transactions throughout the country, along with providing support for the UK Armed Forces.

“Our response has been to transform to stay ahead of them,” said Jeremy Flemming, director of GCHQ.

“The NCSC is a pivotal part of that transformation. It is a critical component not only of GCHQ, where it benefits from the data and expertise it has access to as part of the intelligence community, but of how the government as a whole works to keep the UK safe,” Flemming added.

In its first year, the NCSC has been credited for a 43% increase in the Cyber Security Information Sharing Partnership (CISP), leading the UK response to the WannaCry virus, hosting the three-day Cyber UK Conference in Liverpool and enrolling over 1,000 youngsters on the CyberFirst courses.

UK Cyber Attacks

UK company bosses ‘not trained to deal with cyber attacks’

960 640 Stuart O'Brien

Britain’s top firms and charities urgently need to do more to protect themselves from online threats, according to new Government research.

Undertaken in the wake of recent high profile cyber attacks, the survey of the UK’s biggest 350 companies found more than two thirds of boards had not received training to deal with a cyber incident (68 per cent) despite more than half saying cyber threats were a top risk to their business (54 per cent).

One in ten FTSE 350 companies said they operate without a response plan for a cyber incident, while less than a third of boards receive comprehensive cyber risk information.

The Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport says the report highlights the scale of the cyber security and data protection challenge in the UK, with only six per cent of businesses completely prepared for new data protection rules.

However, there has been progress in some areas when compared with last year’s health check, with more than half of company boards now setting out their approach to cyber risks (53 per cent up from 33 per cent) and more than half of businesses having a clear understanding of the impact of a cyber attack (57 per cent up from 49 per cent).

The Government says it is fully committed to defending against cyber threats and a five-year National Cyber Security Strategy (NCSS) was announced in November 2016, supported by £1.9 billion of transformational investment. This includes opening the National Cyber Security Centre and offering free online advice as well as training schemes to help businesses protect themselves.

Minister for Digital Matt Hancock said: “We have world leading businesses and a thriving charity sector but recent cyber attacks have shown the devastating effects of not getting our approach to cyber security right.

“These new reports show we have a long way to go until all our organisations are adopting best practice and I urge all senior executives to work with the National Cyber Security Centre and take up the Government’s advice and training.”

The FTSE 350 Cyber Governance Health Check is carried out in collaboration with the audit community, including Deloitte, EY, KPMG and PWC.