Uk · The Guardian Technology
UK could face ‘hacktivist attacks at scale’, confirms head of security agency
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The UK could face “hacktivist attacks at scale” if it becomes embroiled in a conflict and the impact could be similar to recent high-profile ransomware incidents, according to the head of the country’s online security agency.
Key facts
- Richard Horne, chief executive of the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC), will warn today that nation states now account for the most significant incidents the NCSC deals
- Ransomware gangs – who demand a payment in exchange for unlocking IT systems they have encrypted – have hit a host of British targets in recent years including Marks & Spencer, Jaguar Land Rover
- The NCSC chief echoed the warning last year from Blaise Metreweli, the chief of UK spy agency MI6, who said the country was caught in “a space between peace and war” as tensions mount with Russia
- Were they to be in, or near, a conflict situation, the UK would likely face hacktivist attacks at scale
Summary
Richard Horne, chief executive of the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC), will warn today that nation states now account for the most significant incidents the NCSC deals with. “Were they to be in, or near, a conflict situation, the UK would likely face hacktivist attacks at scale. Ransomware gangs – who demand a payment in exchange for unlocking IT systems they have encrypted – have hit a host of British targets in recent years including Marks & Spencer, Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) and Royal Mail. Every public and private sector organisation needs to focus on cybersecurity in the face of such a threat, said Horne, whose agency is part of GCHQ.