UK’s data watchdog warns against ‘complacency’ after fining Interserve £4.4m over cybersecurity breach October 24, 2022 The head of the UK’s data watchdog has vowed to fine firms falling short on cybersecurity after warning “complacency” within companies is the “biggest cyber risk businesses face”. The warnings come after the UK’s Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) today fined British construction firm Interserve £4.4m over its failure to protect its employees’ data from cyberattacks. [...]
Investment fraud soars to nearly £1bn as criminals increasingly exploit social media October 17, 2022 Almost £900m has been lost to investment fraud in the past year, as police warn about the rise in the use of social media for bogus schemes. The lure of so-called ‘get rich quick’ initiatives have become “rife” during the cost of living crisis, as millions look for fix to their finanical woes. In a [...]
Lloyd’s of London investigates possible cyberattack October 6, 2022 Lloyd’s of London has launched an investigation into “unusual activity on its networks” that could possibly be linked to a cyberattack. The centuries-old insurance marketplace said it has “turned off” all external connectivity and has begun “resetting the Lloyd’s network and systems” as a “precautionary measure,” whilst it investigates the possible hack. “We have informed [...]
Criminals turn to cross-blockchain tools to hide billions in cryptocurrencies October 4, 2022 Criminals are using complex new blockchain technologies to hide and launder billions in ill gotten gains. At least $4bn (£3.6bn) worth of illicit crypto-assets has been laundered via various “cross-chain” technologies, that let both legitimate and illegitimate users move funds between blockchains, analytics firm Elliptic said. Decentralised exchanges (DEXs), cross-chain bridges, and coin-swap services are [...]
Ashurst seeks to capitalise on consulting boom with launch of UK advice business October 3, 2022 City law firm Ashurst is set to expand its services offering by launching a UK consulting business. The Silver Circle firm plans to build on the successes it has had in Australia by launching a London based risk advisory business. Ashurst’s new consulting business will be led by a trio made up of current Ashurst [...]
UK’s financial sector faces new wave of brute force DDoS attacks September 14, 2022 The UK’s financial sector is experiencing a wave of brute force Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks, new data obtained through a freedom of information request shows. Hackers are increasingly using brute force tactics to launch cyberattacks against the UK’s financial sector, as they pivot away from using phishing and malware scams, the Financial Conduct [...]
UK’s cost-of-living crisis is driving uptick in scams, FCA exec warns September 7, 2022 A top executive at the UK’s financial watchdog has said the country’s cost-of-living crisis risks driving an uptick in financial crime. In a speech at the Financial Crime Summit, Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) executive director Sarah Pritchard said “we are already seeing more scams,” as she warned financial crime is set to become “even more [...]
World heading towards a ‘perfect’ cybercrime storm, cybersecurity experts warn September 6, 2022 THE COMBINATION of mounting geopolitical tensions, the looming economic downturn and the push to digitalise business processes is creating a “perfect storm” for hackers, cybersecurity experts told City A.M. NCC chief executive Mike Maddison said the digitisation agenda on the back of the global pandemic has created new opportunities for hackers in opening up new [...]
Lloyd’s of London says state-backed cyberattack policy is ‘responsible’ September 5, 2022 Lloyd’s of London has defended plans to stop providing insurance coverage for state-backed cyberattacks. In an interview with the Financial Times, Lloyd’s chief of markets Patrick Tiernan said the insurance marketplace is “being responsible” by taking a cautious approach. In a note last month, Lloyd’s explained that the potential for state-backed cyberattacks to spread could [...]
City Exclusive – SFO’s ‘unique skillset’ will be needed to tackle UK’s worsening fraud epidemic, Lisa Osofsky says September 2, 2022 The director of the UK’s Serious Fraud Office (SFO) has said the agency’s skillset will be needed to combat the mounting levels of increasingly complex and high-value frauds facing the UK’s court system. The letter comes in response to reports in this paper showing the number of fraud cases reaching the UK Crown Courts dropped [...]