Tag: national cyber security centre
81 articles
UK Government's Cyber Resilience Pledge Gains 60 Signatories
The UK government's Cyber Resilience Pledge has gained momentum with 60 signatories, demonstrating a united front against cyber threats. By signing the pledge, businesses acknowledge that cyber resilience is a top priority, not just an IT issue, but a business imperative.
NCSC Offers Guidance on Thwarting Penetration Testers
Want to make life harder for hackers? The National Cyber Security Centre teamed up with penetration testers to share practical tips on building secure systems from the ground up.
Ransomware Strikes 323 UK Firms in a Year
Stay ahead of ransomware threats with proactive protection - keep your data safe with regular backups, strong access controls, and up-to-date systems. Every month, over 26 UK firms fall victim to these crippling attacks, with small and mid-sized businesses being hit the hardest.
UK Hackathons Expose 400+ Vulnerabilities in AI-Powered Code Scans
By empowering teams to build their own AI-powered tooling and iterate on the best approaches, the Government Cyber Coordination Centre (GC3) successfully uncovered over 400 vulnerabilities in a series of innovative hackathons. This collaborative, flexible approach allowed teams to create bespoke solutions that effectively scanned public code repositories across nine government departments.
Dutch Authorities Disrupt Massive Botnet of 17 Million Devices
In a major cybercrime crackdown, Dutch authorities have successfully dismantled a massive botnet comprising 17 million infected devices, seizing over 200 servers used to host its infrastructure. This significant takedown was made possible through a collaborative effort between the Police and the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC).
UK's ICO Unveils Five-Step Plan to Counter AI-Powered Cyber Threats
Boost your organization's defenses against AI-powered cyber threats with the UK's ICO five-step plan, and build public trust by putting robust security measures in place to protect personal data. By investing in cyber resilience, you can safeguard the data you hold and foster confidence in your organization's ability to keep it secure.
NCSC Warns of Impending AI-Driven Patch Surge
Get ready for a surge of software updates, warns the National Cyber Security Centre's CTO, as AI-driven patching is set to uncover and fix long-standing vulnerabilities across your tech stack. Prioritise your external attack surfaces and prepare for a "patch wave" to stay ahead of the threat.
UK Cyber Agency Warns of Impending Patch Wave Fueled by AI
The UK's National Cyber Security Centre warns that AI is about to expose decades of technical shortcuts, demanding a massive and urgent patching effort - and organisations must prepare to patch quickly, frequently, and at scale. Get ready for a surge in fixes as buried technical debt is brought to the surface.
UK Urges Adoption of Passkeys Over Passwords
Say goodbye to password headaches! The UK is leading the charge towards a more secure and user-friendly login experience with passkeys, which offer stronger resilience and eliminate many common cyber threats.
NCSC Warns of Flawed SOC Metrics
The National Cyber Security Centre is warning that common security operations center metrics are fundamentally flawed, and that the only metric that truly matters is whether attacks are detected and responded to in a timely manner. By focusing on easily quantifiable but misleading metrics, organizations may inadvertently be encouraging their teams to prioritize speed over substance.
NCSC Endorses Passkeys Over Passwords in New Guidance
Say goodbye to password headaches! The UK's National Cyber Security Centre now recommends passkeys as a user-friendly alternative that provides stronger resilience, making it easier to log in securely.
UK Confronts Escalating Russian Cyber Hostility
The UK is facing a sharp rise in Russian cyber hostility, with the National Cyber Security Centre now investigating around four major attacks every week. This surge in threats has led to a significant increase in cases, with over 200 nationally significant incidents handled last year - more than double the previous year's total.
Cyber-Insurance Payouts Soar 230% UK Stunning Costly Spike
Think cyber insurance is a safety net? With UK payouts up 230% in 2024, rising ransoms and recovery bills are forcing businesses and regulators to rethink who will shoulder the real cost of cyber attacks.
board-level readiness: Must-Have Critical Wake-Up
The NCSC and ministers have warned FTSE 350 chiefs that many boards are leaving the digital front door wide open—it’s time for executives to treat cyber as a strategic priority, not an IT problem. Stronger board-level accountability, realistic testing and smarter supplier checks can stop breaches from becoming boardroom crises.
cyber incidents Surge: Must-Have Defenses for Risky Times
Britain’s cyber agencies warn that although overall attack numbers stayed flat, high-severity incidents jumped about 50% in a year—fewer breaches are now causing far bigger damage. It’s a wake-up call for government, businesses and IT teams to harden defenses, rehearse responses and invest in resilience before the next catastrophic hit.
nationally significant cyber incidents: Stunning Dire Wave
The UK’s NCSC recorded a record 204 nationally significant cyber incidents — a staggering 130% jump — forcing a wake-up call about who gets hurt, what counts as “nationally significant,” and whether our defenses can hold against the next wave.
observability and threat hunting: Must-Have Critical Fixes
The NCSC warns many organisations are blind to attackers already inside their networks and is urging urgent improvements in observability and threat hunting. Its practical guidance shows how better telemetry, retention and detection engineering can help teams find, contain and recover from breaches faster.
Oracle EBS Must-Have Urgent Patch: Critical Risk
Britain’s NCSC is urging organisations to patch Oracle E-Business Suite immediately after the Clop ransomware gang was seen actively exploiting a critical flaw that could expose payroll, procurement and finance systems. If you run EBS, inventory your instances and apply the patch—or fast compensating controls—now to avoid disruption, data theft and costly ransom demands.
at war with Russia: Stunning, Risky Reality for Britain
Former MI5 chief Baroness Manningham‑Buller warns that a string of Kremlin‑linked sabotage, cyberattacks and targeted killings may already amount to an undeclared war with the UK. Her stark question — when hostile acts become war — forces Britain to rethink its defenses, legal rules and the balance between security and civil liberties.
Cisco firewalls Urgent Critical Fixes for Risky Flaws
Cisco firewall flaws are being actively exploited — U.S. and U.K. agencies are urging immediate patches and mitigations. Don’t wait: update ASA/FTD devices, boost monitoring, and isolate critical assets now to stop attackers using your perimeter as a foothold.
political attribution: Risky, Stunning Misstep
When bank apps, council sites and supermarket loyalty systems all hiccup, Chancellor Rachel Reeves pointed the finger at Moscow — but thin public evidence and sceptical security experts suggest the truth could be messier. The row highlights how rushed political blame can backfire and why the UK urgently needs clearer, evidence-based rules for naming cyber attackers.
HM Revenue & Customs Stunning Decline, But Risky Resurge
Good news: HMRC-branded email phishing fell sharply in early 2025, suggesting tech fixes and public awareness are having an impact — but don’t relax yet. Scammers are pivoting to SMS, social and AI-enhanced tricks, so stay sceptical, verify contacts and report anything suspicious.
script kiddie Risky Trend: Must-Have Parental Guide
Think a school outage means a shadowy hacker? More often it’s curious teens — the ICO says students cause over half of school cyberattacks — so parents can steer curiosity into clubs, supervised learning, and clear conversations about ethics before experimentation becomes real harm.
third-party vendors Risky Exposure: Must-Have Safeguards
A breach of school software isn’t just an IT problem — the Intradev attack that hit Affinity Learning Partnership shows how one supplier failure can expose staff and pupil data, disrupt operations and threaten safeguarding across many schools. Trusts need stronger vendor security and incident plans, and staff should update reused passwords and enable MFA to reduce the impact.