Chris Woods

Advanced Computer Software Group is likely to be fined £6 million by ICO after 2022 ransomeware attack. The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) has announced a provisional decision to fine Advanced Computer Software Group for failing to implement measures to protect the personal information of 82,946 people who were affected by the attack, which included some sensitive information. In August 2022, hackers accessed a number of the firm’s health and care systems via a customer account which did not have multi-factor authentication. Many homecare providers suffered for months after the ransomeware attack, having to plan tens of thousands of visits using Excel spreadsheets. Some councils initially declined to pay providers without roster data, which they couldn’t supply, though this was addressed. Much of the attention at the time was on supporting NHS providers and the Homecare Association and others lobbied hard to ensure social care was also on the radar of the National Cybersecurity Centre and the government. Affected homecare providers had to switch to other suppliers, which was time-consuming and costly. The financial performance of care organisations was adversely affected and commercial issues are continuing. This incident highlights the critical importance of cybersecurity in care organisations. As a care provider, you could face huge fines from the ICO for loss of personal data after a cyberattack. You could also face severe disruption to your operations and a significant hit to your financial performance. There’s loads of free support on cybersecurity and all things digital available for care providers at the Digital Care Hub. Cybersecurity needs to be high on the risk register of all health and care organisations. Our partners at Towergate Insurance can help care providers with insurance against this risk. Members of the Homecare Association get a discount on insurance with Towergate. https://lnkd.in/dHP5Dupc #cybersecurity #socialcare #homecare #carehomes #DigitalCareHub

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Interesting to see this peddled again “a lack of basic cyber hygiene”. Reviewing the latest #CyberBreach survey from HMG is sobering reading. 75% of UK business report #Cyber as being a key area for the board, yet this (again) results in total lack of #Governance: - 33% of businesses have a formal security policy - 31% have conducted a risk assessment - 30% have a board member with cyber responsibility (this has returned to the levels of 2016-18) - 27% have asset management activities - 13% are aware of the NCSC 10 Steps Guidance, but only 3% have actioned all 10 steps - 11% have conducted a pen test - 11% have reviewed their supply chains - 12% are aware of CyberEssentials (up from 8% in 2016) - 3% review NCSC/ICO guidance on Cyber (up from 2% since 2016) This is damning, we have excellent guidance on the NCSC website for Cyber and on the ICO website for Data Protection. 41% of the business are consulting externally, so why are those consultants not advising their clients correctly? I have a real issue when we fete the current #CyberSecurity strategy yet in every demonstrable metric it’s failing to engage and inform. I hope that the new government looks to reset the foundations before pushing on with anything else. Within our clients, we place baseline guidance for Cyber and Data Protection at the centre of the engagement. This ensures that governance is reset and a solid foundation can be provided for improvement.

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We've published a response to Lancashire Unison's recent statement advising against the use of Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) on personal devices. In a time when cyber threats are increasingly targeting educational institutions, it's essential to take every precaution to protect sensitive data. Read our full response and understand why MFA is a critical component of cybersecurity for schools and all businesses. #CyberSecurity #MFA #Education #DataProtection #EdTech #ANME Read more: https://lnkd.in/eEeeHqWh

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We think incorporating MFA into your data protection strategy is not just an option but a necessity. As cyber threats evolve, so must our defences and everyone should move with the times. #dataprotection #cybersecurity #ANME #dataprotectioneduction

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🚨 Cybersecurity Alert: Lessons from the NHS Data Breach 🚨 At Acora One, we understand the critical importance of robust cybersecurity measures. The recent news of a major NHS IT provider facing a £6m fine after a cyber attack compromised nearly 83,000 medical records is a stark reminder of the existing vulnerabilities. 🔒 Key Takeaways: 🛡️Data Protection: The breach highlighted the necessity of multi-factor authentication (MFA) to prevent unauthorised access. 🛡️Impact: The attack disrupted essential services, including ambulance dispatch and emergency prescriptions. 🛡️Responsibility: Organisations handling sensitive data must prioritize security to protect personal information and maintain trust. Let’s work together to strengthen our defenses and ensure such incidents are averted. 🤝 #CyberSecurity #DataProtection #NHS #AcoraOne #ITSecurity

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The NHS needs to conduct a full security vulnerability assessment and urgently identify single points of failure of vendors and IT systems, claims former head of NCSC. Prof Ciaran Martin, the founding CEO of the UK's National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC), is not surprised by recent outages and claimed that the NHS is not doing enough to protect its systems and patients from cyber attacks. Last month Synnovis, a joint venture of pathology services with two of London's largest NHS trusts was attacked and held to ransom by Russian group 'Qilin'. The attack resulted in cancellations of services while exposing patients to increased clinical safety risk when systems were locked out. Chronically out of date IT infrastructure and cybersecurity across the NHS wastes 13.5 million hours annually for doctors alone - time that could be spent treating patients - but it also creates an open door to cyber terrorists. The problems however are not just about upgrading systems from Windows 7, a no longer supported Microsoft operating system, and connected medical devices that have never been patched their whole life, they are about missing basic security controls and a woefully inadequate NHS security budget. Despite numerous cyber attacks, the NHS still fails to prioritise cyber security. The Russian-based hacking group Qilin, believed to be part of a Kremlin-protected cyber army, demanded a £40m ransom. When the NHS refused to pay, the group published stolen data on the dark web. This incident reflects a growing trend of Russian cyber criminals targeting global healthcare systems. https://lnkd.in/dK8pSwJj

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Cheltenham cyber company is first official local cyber advisor under new government scheme 🌐🔐 A managed IT service and security provider (MSP) based in Cheltenham has become the first MSP in the local area to be accredited as both a Cyber Advisor and a Cyber Essentials Certification Body. This new accreditation will place ReformIT among an elite group of cyber advisers and cyber essentials certification bodies across the UK. The Cyber Advisor scheme was launched by the Government’s official National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) and The IASME Consortium, aimed at helping businesses to protect themselves from increasing cyber threats. Initially developed for IT products and services suppliers to the central UK government, the Cyber Essentials and Cyber Essentials Plus certification demonstrates that an organisation has an essential level of cyber protection in place. NCSC approved Cyber Advisors provide small and medium-sized organisations across a range of industries with reliable and cost-effective cyber security analysis, advice and practical support, focusing on the key areas of the Cyber Essentials criteria. Continue reading... https://lnkd.in/ePsfWJme #technology #cyber #innovation #government #advising #cybersecurity #businessnews #businessintelligence

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Uncover the growing cyber threats in the UK with NCSC's latest report. Sophisticated attacks are on the rise—learn why robust defenses and collaboration are crucial now more than ever. #cybersecurity #security #news https://lnkd.in/erMZ2Yve

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🚨 3TB of stolen patient data leaked on dark web following a cyber attack back in March on NHS Dumfries and Galloway. ⚠ This recent development showcases the ruthless nature of ransomware groups and the potential consequences that can occur following a cyber breach. 🛡 As cyber attacks become more sophisticated, cyber security defenses must continue to advance, for the sake of both organisations and the people that trust them. #CyberSecurity #Ransomware #CyberNews

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GCHQ director speaks on cyber challenges facing UK Government Communications Headquarters (GCHQ) director Anne Keast-Butler delivers a keynote address at CyberUK 2024, discussing why the next few years will be the most threatening and transformational in cybercrime, and how we can navigate those risks in a time of unprecedented acceleration of technology. Keast-Butler shares with you the future threats that she predicts, and how GCHQ and their partners can counter them. Watch here: https://loom.ly/WBHgtUI #GCHQ #CyberUK #CyberConference #CyberCrime #RansomWare #CyberChallenges #CyberProtection #ExtechCloud

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AXREM publishes position paper in wake of NHS cyberattack The UK trade association has published its position paper, addressing critical cyber security challenges in UK healthcare following the ransomware cyberattack on the NHS To read more, follow the link to the Building Better Healthcare article #cyberattack #NHS #UKhealthcare #ransomware

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Did you miss the 2024 UK Cyber Security Breaches Survey? We've summarised everything you need to know including the key findings and statistics that UK businesses need to know. Find the key takeaways here: https://okt.to/waKo4q #businesschangingIT #cybersecurity #survey #cybersecuritypartner

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Black Arrow Cyber Threat Intelligence Briefing 09 August 2024: -UK Business Struggling to Prioritise Cyber Security Needs -The C-Suite Conundrum: Are Senior Executives the Achilles’ Heel of Cyber Security? -Ransomware in 2024: More Attacks, More Leaks, and Increased Sophistication -Malware-as-a-Service and Ransomware-as-a-Service Lower Barriers for Cyber Criminals -How the Theft of 40M UK Voter Register Records was Entirely Preventable -18-Year-Old Security Flaw in Firefox and Chrome Exploited in Attacks -99% of Global 2000 Companies Directly Connected to a Supply Chain Breach -Email Attacks Skyrocket 293% -Police Recover Over $40m Headed to BEC Scammers -Russia's Priorities in Prisoner Swap Suggest Cyber Focus -Point of Entry: Why Hackers Target Stolen Credentials for Initial Access -FBI: BlackSuit Ransomware Behind Over $500 Million in Ransom Demands -Survey: 78% of Ransomware Victims Paid and 74% Suffered Multiple Strikes -Finance Should Pay Much More Attention to Undersea Cables Risk #blackarrowcyber #cyber #threatintelligence #threatreport #opensourceintelligence #riskmanagement #grc https://lnkd.in/eRPYZwZ5

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🏥‘Massive’ cybersecurity risk in NHS supply chain, trust and ICB leader warns 📰📰In the News Last week’s cyber attack on NHS pathology systems exposed massive supply chain risks. Lena Samuels, chair of two London trusts, emphasised the need for enhanced cybersecurity across the board, highlighting the importance of embedding cybersecurity leadership and expertise at all organisational levels to ensure resilience and protection. #NHSITSecurity #CybersecurityInHealthcare #SupplyChainRisks #HealthTechChallenges #ITLeadership https://lnkd.in/e9kU325K

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🔧NCSC Free Tools: What is Exercise in a Box?⚙️ The National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) is the UK’s technical authority on cyber security, providing businesses and individuals with up-to-date guidance on all things cyber. One resource they offer is Exercise in a Box, which helps organisations find out how resilient they are to cyber-attacks and allows them to practice how they would respond to an incident. Find out more about Exercise in a Box, and how it can help your business here 👉 https://bit.ly/44uw98E #ECRC #cyberresilience #smallbusinesssupport #cybersecurity #ITsecurity #cyberaware #cyberessentials #cybercrime #cyberfraud #hacking #cyberattacks #phishing #cyberthreat #ransomware

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The SCC Digital Cyber Maturity Report 2024 has landed!   Grab your FREE copy to find out more about:   The attacks threatening UK businesses today The key blockers to increasing cyber maturity The latest threat actor analysis The rise of AI in security   Download all of this and more at: https://lnkd.in/ey7gWMat #SCC #Cybersecurity #Cybermaturity #AI

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