Latest news with #DanJarvis
Daily Mirror
4 hours ago
- Daily Mirror
New cyber attack rules after tragic NHS patient death and M&S extortion bid
Home Office minister Dan Jarvis described ransomware as 'the most significant cyber crime threat of our time', with new laws being drawn up to tackle the growing crisis Hospitals, schools and government departments will be banned from handing over cash to hackers. New plans will also see new measures to tackle ransomware, which has been blamed for the death of an NHS patient last year. The Government says the move will make public services less attractive targets for online crooks. Businesses will also be required by law to report if they opt to pay a ransom to cyber criminals. Security Minister Dan Jarvis said this would bring cases "out of the shadows". In an update to MPs he said: "Ransomware is the most significant cyber crime threat of our time." Recent high profile cases include a strike on the British Library and an attempted cyber attack on the Co-op in April this year. And hacking group DragonForce demanded millions of pounds from Marks & Spencer after malicious software obtained a wealth of data. The company estimates the extortion effort has cost it around £300million. Giving evidence to MPs earlier this month, M&S chief Archie Norman claimed two hacks involving 'large British companies' had gone unreported in recent months. He called for a legal obligation to report cases. Mr Jarvis said: 'Ransomware is a predatory crime that puts the public at risk, wrecks livelihoods and threatens the services we depend on." He continued: 'By working in partnership with industry to advance these measures, we are sending a clear signal that the UK is united in the fight against ransomware.' Ransomware is software which is used maliciouslyto access victims' computer systems. Systems and data can be encrypted, or data stolen, until a ransom is paid. In June an investigation into the death of a patient at King's College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust concluded that a cyber attack had contributed to a patient's death. It found "a long wait for a blood test result" which affected their treatment. Co-op chief executive Shirine Khoury-Haq said: 'We know first-hand the damage and disruption cyber-attacks cause to businesses and communities. That's why we welcome the Government's focus on Cyber Crime. 'What matters most is learning, building resilience, and supporting each other to prevent future harm. This is a step in the right direction for building a safer digital future.'
North Wales Chronicle
5 hours ago
- Business
- North Wales Chronicle
Businesses to notify government about ransom payments in cyber crime crackdown
The Home Office's proposals come after Marks & Spencer has refused to say if it paid a ransom to hackers in a major attack earlier this year. New measures would ban public sector bodies and operators of critical national infrastructure from paying ransom demands to hackers. The Home Office said this would help 'smash the cyber criminal business model' and make UK public services and businesses a less attractive target for ransomware groups. Nearly three-quarters of respondents involved in a public consultation, opened in January, showed support for the proposal, it said. Furthermore, under the proposals, businesses not covered by the ban would be required to notify the government if they intended to pay a ransom. The Government hopes this would allow it to give affected businesses advice and support, including alerting them if such a payment would risk breaking the law by sending money to sanctioned cyber criminal groups, many of whom are based in Russia. Ransomware refers to software used by cyber criminals to access the computer systems of its victims, which can then be encrypted or data stolen until a ransom is paid. M&S was targeted by hackers in April, forcing it to shut down its website for six weeks and costing the business an estimated £300 million. Co-op also had to shut off parts of its IT systems after a cyber attack that resulted in all 6.5 million of its members' personal data being stolen – including names, addresses and contact information. M&S's chair Archie Norman said earlier this month that the hack was believed to be instigated by hacking group Scattered Spider and an Asia-based ransomware operation named DragonForce. He refused to say whether or not the retailer had paid a ransomware demand following the attack, but said the 'damage had been done' once its systems were compromised. Security minister Dan Jarvis said: 'Ransomware is a predatory crime that puts the public at risk, wrecks livelihoods and threatens the services we depend on. 'That's why we're determined to smash the cyber criminal business model and protect the services we all rely on as we deliver our plan for change.' The chief executive of the British Library, Rebecca Lawrence, said it had been the 'victim of a devastating ransomware attack in October 2023'. 'The attack destroyed our technology infrastructure and continues to impact our users, however, as a public body, we did not engage with the attackers or pay the ransom,' she said. 'Instead, we are committed to sharing our experiences to help protect other institutions affected by cyber crime and build collective resilience for the future.' Co-op's chief executive Shirine Khoury-Haq said she welcomed the Government's proposals, adding: 'We know first-hand the damage and disruption cyber attacks cause to businesses and communities.' The package of measures could also result in the introduction of a mandatory reporting regime, which would give law enforcement greater intelligence to track down perpetrators, according to the Home Office.
Telegraph
6 hours ago
- Business
- Telegraph
Public sector banned from paying online ransoms
Public sector bodies are to be banned from paying ransom to cyber criminals to deter attacks by gangs targeting the UK. Private companies and institutions hit by 'ransomware' attacks will be required to tell law enforcement before they make any payments. The Government will then use powers to block them from doing so if there is a risk that terrorist groups, sanctioned criminals or hostile states such as Russia and North Korea could benefit. Any company or organisation that paid a ransom to a sanctioned group would face fines of up to £1 million or half the value of the breach, whichever is greater. All public bodies using state money, including the NHS, local councils and schools and providers of critical infrastructure such as roads, rail, electricity and water, will be banned from making ransomware payments. The Home Office is also setting up a mandatory reporting system for ransomware cyber attacks so that the Government, law enforcement and intelligence services can build a clear picture of the extent of the threat. In ransomware attacks, hackers encrypt data and demand a ransom to decrypt the information. Security minister Dan Jarvis said: ' Ransomware is a predatory crime that puts the public at risk, wrecks livelihoods and threatens the services we depend on. 'That's why we're determined to smash the cyber criminal business model and protect the services we all rely on as we deliver our Plan for Change. 'By working in partnership with industry to advance these measures, we are sending a clear signal that the UK is united in the fight against ransomware.' The move follows cyber attacks on retailers, including the Co-op where all 6.5 million of its members had their data stolen. Another attack, on Marks & Spencer, crippled its online operations for months. The British Library suffered one of the UK's most serious ransomware attacks in 2023. Rebecca Lawrence, its chief executive, said: 'The attack destroyed our technology infrastructure and continues to impact our users; however, as a public body, we did not engage with the attackers or pay the ransom. 'Instead, we are committed to sharing our experiences to help protect other institutions affected by cybercrime and build collective resilience for the future.' The National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) managed 430 cyber incidents between September 2023 and August 2024, including 13 ransomware attacks. They included a key supplier to London Hospitals and Royal Mail. According to the crime survey for England and Wales, almost a million (952,000) computer misuse offences were committed against individuals in the two countries in the year ending June 2024. Previous research has suggested that as many as eight in ten British firms that fell victim to ransomware attacks paid the hackers to retrieve their information. JBS Foods and Colonial Pipeline are firms that have reportedly paid a ransom to get their systems working again. Research by security firm Proofpoint found that more than three-quarters of UK businesses were affected by ransomware in 2021. It also suggested that paying hackers is not an effective tactic, with only half of firms surveyed regaining access to data and systems after the payment, with criminals demanding more money.
Leader Live
6 hours ago
- Business
- Leader Live
Businesses to notify government about ransom payments in cyber crime crackdown
The Home Office's proposals come after Marks & Spencer has refused to say if it paid a ransom to hackers in a major attack earlier this year. New measures would ban public sector bodies and operators of critical national infrastructure from paying ransom demands to hackers. The Home Office said this would help 'smash the cyber criminal business model' and make UK public services and businesses a less attractive target for ransomware groups. Nearly three-quarters of respondents involved in a public consultation, opened in January, showed support for the proposal, it said. Furthermore, under the proposals, businesses not covered by the ban would be required to notify the government if they intended to pay a ransom. The Government hopes this would allow it to give affected businesses advice and support, including alerting them if such a payment would risk breaking the law by sending money to sanctioned cyber criminal groups, many of whom are based in Russia. Ransomware refers to software used by cyber criminals to access the computer systems of its victims, which can then be encrypted or data stolen until a ransom is paid. M&S was targeted by hackers in April, forcing it to shut down its website for six weeks and costing the business an estimated £300 million. Co-op also had to shut off parts of its IT systems after a cyber attack that resulted in all 6.5 million of its members' personal data being stolen – including names, addresses and contact information. M&S's chair Archie Norman said earlier this month that the hack was believed to be instigated by hacking group Scattered Spider and an Asia-based ransomware operation named DragonForce. He refused to say whether or not the retailer had paid a ransomware demand following the attack, but said the 'damage had been done' once its systems were compromised. Security minister Dan Jarvis said: 'Ransomware is a predatory crime that puts the public at risk, wrecks livelihoods and threatens the services we depend on. 'That's why we're determined to smash the cyber criminal business model and protect the services we all rely on as we deliver our plan for change.' The chief executive of the British Library, Rebecca Lawrence, said it had been the 'victim of a devastating ransomware attack in October 2023'. 'The attack destroyed our technology infrastructure and continues to impact our users, however, as a public body, we did not engage with the attackers or pay the ransom,' she said. 'Instead, we are committed to sharing our experiences to help protect other institutions affected by cyber crime and build collective resilience for the future.' Co-op's chief executive Shirine Khoury-Haq said she welcomed the Government's proposals, adding: 'We know first-hand the damage and disruption cyber attacks cause to businesses and communities.' The package of measures could also result in the introduction of a mandatory reporting regime, which would give law enforcement greater intelligence to track down perpetrators, according to the Home Office.
South Wales Argus
7 hours ago
- Business
- South Wales Argus
Businesses to notify government about ransom payments in cyber crime crackdown
The Home Office's proposals come after Marks & Spencer has refused to say if it paid a ransom to hackers in a major attack earlier this year. New measures would ban public sector bodies and operators of critical national infrastructure from paying ransom demands to hackers. The Home Office said this would help 'smash the cyber criminal business model' and make UK public services and businesses a less attractive target for ransomware groups. Nearly three-quarters of respondents involved in a public consultation, opened in January, showed support for the proposal, it said. Furthermore, under the proposals, businesses not covered by the ban would be required to notify the government if they intended to pay a ransom. The Government hopes this would allow it to give affected businesses advice and support, including alerting them if such a payment would risk breaking the law by sending money to sanctioned cyber criminal groups, many of whom are based in Russia. Ransomware refers to software used by cyber criminals to access the computer systems of its victims, which can then be encrypted or data stolen until a ransom is paid. M&S was targeted by hackers in April, forcing it to shut down its website for six weeks and costing the business an estimated £300 million. Co-op's hackers accessed data from all 6.5 million of its members (Co-op/PA) Co-op also had to shut off parts of its IT systems after a cyber attack that resulted in all 6.5 million of its members' personal data being stolen – including names, addresses and contact information. M&S's chair Archie Norman said earlier this month that the hack was believed to be instigated by hacking group Scattered Spider and an Asia-based ransomware operation named DragonForce. He refused to say whether or not the retailer had paid a ransomware demand following the attack, but said the 'damage had been done' once its systems were compromised. Security minister Dan Jarvis said: 'Ransomware is a predatory crime that puts the public at risk, wrecks livelihoods and threatens the services we depend on. 'That's why we're determined to smash the cyber criminal business model and protect the services we all rely on as we deliver our plan for change.' The chief executive of the British Library, Rebecca Lawrence, said it had been the 'victim of a devastating ransomware attack in October 2023'. 'The attack destroyed our technology infrastructure and continues to impact our users, however, as a public body, we did not engage with the attackers or pay the ransom,' she said. 'Instead, we are committed to sharing our experiences to help protect other institutions affected by cyber crime and build collective resilience for the future.' Co-op's chief executive Shirine Khoury-Haq said she welcomed the Government's proposals, adding: 'We know first-hand the damage and disruption cyber attacks cause to businesses and communities.' The package of measures could also result in the introduction of a mandatory reporting regime, which would give law enforcement greater intelligence to track down perpetrators, according to the Home Office.
