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How much did WannaCry hackers receive from their ransomware attacks?

When the WannaCry ransomware attack was unleashed on 12^th May 2017, it was first believed that it was contained in the U.K. NHS systems – but further reports and investigations showed that the ransomware transpired to be a global epidemic, with over 150 countries affected.

The ransomware attack targeted computers running the Microsoft Windows XP operating system by encrypting data and demanding payments in Bitcoins, ranging from $300 to $600 (£233 to £466). Within a matter of hours, the ransomware had infected systems within various organisations, which included government departments.
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Manchester Police fined for losing videos of violent and sexual crime victims

The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) has concluded their investigations into the Greater Manchester Police (GMP) after video footage of crime victims were lost in the mail.

The video footage included interviews with vulnerable victims speaking about crimes of a violent and/or sexual nature. The package containing 3 DVDs were sent by recorded delivery to the Serious Crime Analysis Section (SCAS), but never arrived.

The footage was not encrypted.
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Cyber insurance surges in demand amidst growing concerns over cyber security

As cyber-crime continues grow, companies are recognising the need for cybercrime insurance.

The industry is reported to be worth around a staggering £7.7 billion. The demand is ever increasing as companies and authorities are finally starting to see the true impact cyber-crime can have. Entities of all shapes and sizes are being targeted by intelligent cyber criminals who have the programming skills to bring security systems down and access any number of data once thought safe.
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Up to 40 car wash companies hit by cyber-attack – Possible credit card details stolen!

A local car wash company in the U.S. has put their customers’ financial details in jeopardy following a string of reports from car wash companies across the U.S.

Yankee Car Wash & Detailing says it was told on 27^th March 2017 that their point of sale system was hacked, and has most probably compromised customers’ credit card information if they used the service between 8^th February and 3^rd March.
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New York medical records discovered on an unsecured server

Medical records are known to be a treasure trove for hackers. Once cyber-criminals have access to these, they can sell them on the black market for up to $10 (£7.67) per record, according to Anthony James at U.S. security firm, TrapX.

But it seems cyber-criminals don’t have to hack into computer systems to access records as a ‘huge trove’ of confidential U.S. medical records were found on an unsecured server; accessible to malicious hackers and cyber-security professionals.
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The rise of machine learning and how it can impact cyber-security

Throughout the past two years, we have seen breach after breach. From the Yahoo breaches to the international cyber-hack involving the NHS in May 2017, they never seem to stop!

So what can be done about it? This year, we expect to see the rise of machine learning to identify attacks quickly. Unlike the ransomware that crippled our NHS along with other organisations in 98 countries across the globe on the 12^th May 2017, not all data breaches flash on your screen with a frightening message demanding payment next to an intimidating timer. Many data breaches occur without companies being ever aware of it. Like the Yahoo data breaches, it took them years to realise their security systems had been compromised.
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Starbucks shifts data protection responsibility onto customers

The Starbucks saga continues…

Customers of Starbucks have been struck by multiple counts of fraudulent activity in recent weeks. Like many modern businesses, Starbucks was not prepared to be left behind in the digital world. So, they created an app where customers can easily purchase drinks and snacks on their phones. Around a third of all purchases are reportedly now made through this popular and easy to use app, and whilst the app is responsible for $1 billion worth of purchases, Starbucks have arguably overlooked key security measures.
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Third Party companies may be your biggest security risk

A large number of security risks are caused by third party vendors.

As we saw with the recent Debenhams Flowers cyber-attack, using a third party company or service provider can leave your network vulnerable to security breaches. Whilst your company could have top of the line security measures put in place, the company that handles your packaging and shipping, or the company who processes customer purchases, may have weak to non-existent security measures.

This is a clear risk.
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The bigger the company, the bigger the target for cyber-crime!

Companies need to start ramping up their security measures as cyber-crime continues to rise!

According to a survey carried out by the British Chamber of Commerce, the bigger the company, the bigger the threat when it comes to cyber-attacks.

Still reeling from the recent WannaCry cyber-attacks that threw 99 countries into panic, companies may be finally starting to turn to their security researchers to see how to defend themselves against such an attack in the future. We all know that the hackers will try again in the future: it’s not a case of if, but when…
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Are companies prepared enough to respond to a data hacks and breaches?

Though most organisations have cyber-security systems in place, the effectiveness of preventing potential incidents is highly questionable.

It seems the media is portraying how companies are becoming increasingly less prepared in the event of a cyber-attack. For the most part, their cyber-security seems to be reactive rather than proactive. However, this theory may not be completely unfounded as the Global CISO study shows that 78% of Chief Information Security Officers (CISOs) are worried about their ability to detect breaches in the first place.
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