uk
UK fines 23andMe for ‘profoundly damaging’ breach exposing genetics data
The UK Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) has fined genetic testing provider 23andMe £2.31 million ($3.12 million) over ‘serious security failings’ that led to a ‘profoundly damaging’ data breach in 2023. The data protection watchdog said today that 23andMe failed to protect the sensitive data of UK residents who had their genotype data, health reports, and personal […]
Marks & Spencer faces $402 million profit hit after cyberattack
British retailer giant Marks & Spencer (M&S) is bracing for a potential profit hit of up to £300 million £300 million ($402 million) following a recent cyberattack that led to widespread operational and sales disruptions. In a Wednesday filing with the London Stock Exchange, the company cited losses related to recovery efforts, systems downtime, and significant […]
O2 UK patches bug leaking mobile user location from call metadata
A flaw in O2 UK’s implementation of VoLTE and WiFi Calling technologies could allow anyone to expose the general location of a person and other identifiers by calling the target. The problem was discovered by security researcher Daniel Williams. The flaw likely existed on O2 UK’s network since February 2023, and was resolved yesterday. O2 UK is […]
UK Legal Aid Agency confirms applicant data stolen in data breach
The United Kingdom’s Legal Aid Agency (LAA) has confirmed that a recent cyberattack is more serious than first believed, with hackers stealing a large trove of sensitive applicant data in a data breach. This confirmation of the data breach incident comes from the UK government, which was closely involved in the investigations that followed the […]
Hackers behind UK retail attacks now targeting US companies
Google warned today that hackers using Scattered Spider tactics against retail chains in the United Kingdom have also started targeting retailers in the United States. “The US retail sector is currently being targeted in ransomware and extortion operations that we suspect are linked to UNC3944, also known as Scattered Spider,” John Hultquist, Chief Analyst at […]
UK Legal Aid Agency investigates cybersecurity incident
The Legal Aid Agency (LAA), an executive agency of the UK’s Ministry of Justice that oversees billions in legal funding, warned law firms of a security incident and said the attackers might have accessed financial information. Approximately 2,000 providers, including barristers, solicitor firms, and non-profit organizations, deliver civil and criminal legal aid services in England […]
UK shares security tips after major retail cyberattacks
Following three high-profile cyberattacks impacting major UK retailers, the country’s National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) has published guidance that all companies are advised to follow to strengthen their cybersecurity defenses. The cybersecurity breaches that prompted NCSC’s alert are the recent hacks at Marks & Spencer, Co-op, and Harrods, all multi-million British retailers. The attacks started […]
UK NCSC: Cyberattacks impacting UK retailers are a wake-up call
The United Kingdom’s National Cyber Security Centre warned that ongoing cyberattacks impacting multiple UK retail chains should be taken as a “wake-up call.” Part of the GCHQ British intelligence agency, the NCSC provides support and guidance to private and public sector entities following major cybersecurity incidents to protect the UK’s critical services. In a statement […]
UK retailer Co-op shuts down some IT systems after hack attempt
British supermarket chain Co-op shut down parts of its IT systems after detecting an attempted intrusion into its network, disrupting back office and call center services. While A Co-op spokesperson confirmed the hacking attempts to GeekFeed, they have not shared whether these attempts were successful. “We have recently experienced attempts to gain unauthorized access to some […]
UK fines software provider £3.07 million for 2022 ransomware breach
The UK Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) has issued a £3.07 million fine on Advanced Computer Software Group Ltd for a 2022 ransomware attack that exposed the sensitive personal data of 79,404 people, including National Health Service (NHS) patients. The cyberattack was announced in early August 2022 when various NHS services, including 111 emergency services, suffered significant outages, pointing […]