UK under assault as number of ‘significant' cyberattacks doubles
Britain has suffered double the number of 'nationally significant' cyberattacks in recent months compared with the year before, according to GCHQ.
Richard Horne, chief executive of the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC), said that the GCHQ unit has managed 200 cyberattacks since September, which includes 'twice as many nationally significant incidents as the same period last year'.
In the year to September 2024 the NCSC said that there were 89 nationally significant incidents, '12 of which were at the top end of the scale and more severe in nature'.
Referencing the recent attacks on Marks & Spencer, Co-op and Harrods, Horne told the CyberUK conference in Manchester that 'the threat picture is diverse and dramatic' and called ransomware 'a persistent threat'.
Ransomware describes a form
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Telegraph
2 hours ago
- Telegraph
Captain Kemi needs ‘an army' but business not yet keen to follow her over the top
There was not much headroom, fiscal or otherwise, as the Tory leader spoke on the economy in the cramped basement of a City hotel. The ceiling was low but Kemi Badenoch's hopes were high as she addressed a conference of bankers who seemed under-enthused by the Chancellor's spending review. Tax Freedom Day, the point of the year when we stop working for the Exchequer, had just dawned, six days later than last year, and there was little sign of relief. The Institute for Fiscal Studies warned that Rachel Reeves was a 'gnat's whisker' away from having to hike taxes and most gnats are asking for the No 1 clippers these days. Add the grim news of GDP falling by 0.3 per cent in April, and the Chancellor's breakfast media round had been like someone trying to sing Good Vibrations to the tune of Beethoven's Funeral March. Speaking from a hospital surrounded by diagnostic equipment (all wisely unplugged to avoid images of flatlining) Reeves insisted she is 'determined' to deliver growth and that GDP is 'volatile'. This is the same Reeves who demanded an emergency Budget in 2022, when GDP fell by 0.1 per cent on the Tory watch. It was not a bad time, therefore, for a Conservative to remind those in the City who their friends are. Badenoch had come to play FTSE with financiers, but she began with a nostra culpa. She admitted the Tories had left a ropey economy – blame Covid, blame Putin, blame the Treasury, don't blame me – 'but it was not this bad'. Productivity, she added, was 'stuck in first gear' and London was experiencing the greatest exodus of wealth of any city save Moscow. She pronounced it the American way to rhyme with cow. Labour don't 'get' business because hardly any of them have a background in it, she added, which may be true but only one of the Beach Boys knew how to surf. Reform, she contended, was running a scam. 'No one is making the argument for business any more except me and my party,' she said. 'Business is a good, in and of itself, and it pays for everything.' Especially, she hoped, at that night's Tory donors' summer party. Their tummies suitably tickled, Badenoch then returned to bashing the Government, saying that borrowing is so high there is a 'significant risk of a death spiral' and that Labour is pessimistically pursuing a path of managed decline, exacerbated by a compliance culture that strangles innovation. So far so punchy, but what would she do better? Badenoch's shirt cuffs were unbuttoned but she had little up her sleeves. Her opposition to VAT on school fees was reprised and she promised to 'reverse changes to APR and BPR' (agricultural and business property relief), thus giving CPR to the economy. Beyond that, she had nothing. It is, to be fair, early in the parliament for policy. What she most wants now are allies ('Quite frankly, we need an army.') 'I'm on your side,' she told them, 'but I need you to be on mine too. You can't sit back and hope that someone else is coming along to fix this. You need to speak up. Don't just wait for other politicians to do it. You need to get on the pitch too.' Building to her conclusion with a plea for ideas, Captain Kemi hit a poetic, if metrically flawed, note. 'Back us, put your name to the cause,' she said, 'for we're not going to turn the country around with quiet applause.' She then left the stage to quiet applause. The pin-striped army liked her tone, but they are not quite ready to follow her over the top.
Daily Mail
2 hours ago
- Daily Mail
Do house prices really double every 10 years? Why where you live has made a big difference
The old adage that house prices double roughly every 10 years may be broken, according to new analysis by Zoopla. It revealed that on average, prices have failed to double - even over the last two decades. House prices across Britain have increased by an average of 74 per cent over the last 20 years, according to the property portal, rising from £154,300 to £268,200. Consumer prices inflation has been about 76 per cent over the same period, while retail prices inflation has been 107.5 per cent, our inflation calculator shows. Zoopla says the ratio between house prices and earnings has also stayed broadly the same during that time, with the average home costing 6.4 times the typical annual salary. This would suggest that house prices are no less affordable than they were two decades ago. However, this is not entirely true given that house price increases vary significantly across regions. Where have house prices risen most? London has seen the most significant house price increases over the last twenty years, according to Zoopla's data. It says the average home in the capital has risen by 119 per cent since 2005, going from £244,200 to £534,400. House prices in the South East and Eastern England have also seen house prices register greater percentage gains than the national average over the past 20 years. Both regions have seen average property prices increase by 87 per cent during that time. House price to earnings ratios have also increased in both regions, from 7.8 to 8.6 in the South East and 7.1 to 7.7 in Eastern England. Why exactly where you live matters for house prices But even within each given region, there are local areas that have done better than others. Within the South East, the town of Elmbridge in Surrey has seen the biggest average increase in house prices over the last two decades, up from £338,800 to £712,700 - a 110 per cent increase. Despite its high property prices, the area's excellent transport links to London and picturesque countryside make it a highly attractive location for families. However, there are also more affordable areas in the South East, with Southampton in Hampshire registering the lowest average price increases in the region over the last 20 years, up 63 per cent from £138,500 to £225,500. In Eastern England, average house prices in St Albans have seen the most significant increase in the region since 2005, up 108 per cent from £298,600 to £622,100. Just 25 miles away from London, the city is popular with commuters as well as history enthusiasts due to its spectacular cathedral and Roman architecture. However, like the South East, there are more affordable pockets in Eastern England, with the popular coastal town Great Yarmouth seeing the lowest growth in average house price increases in the region over the last 20 years, up 77 per cent from £105,900 to £187,700. The North-South divide: what's happening? What's clear from Zoopla's data is that there is a gap between the North and South of England - but this been closing in recent years. Average house prices have increased by 39 per cent over 20 years in the North East, the smallest rise of any region. House price to earnings ratios have improved the most in the North East compared to the rest of the UK, falling from 5.7 to 4 over the last twenty years. Sunderland has registered the lowest average house price increases in the region, with prices rising from £101,600 to £124,000 - a mere 22 per cent change. Elsewhere, affordability has also improved in the North West and Yorkshire, with house price to earnings ratios falling from 6 to 5.1 in the North West and 5.7 to 5 in Yorkshire. In Blackpool on the North West coast, average house prices have increased by just 26 per cent, with homes now costing £124,300 on average, up from £98,400 in 2005. In Hull, the fourth-largest city in Yorkshire, average house prices have increased by 49 per cent, or £38,100 over the last 20 years. 'The picture is far from uniform across the UK,' said Daniel Copley, consumer expert at Zoopla. 'Our data shows that while some areas have seen dramatic increases, house prices have risen slowly, in line with incomes in northern regions.' For anyone now looking to buy, it means the north will represent much better value for money than in the past. 'If you grew up in north-east England, bought in London and are now returning to your roots, you're in luck,' said Tom Bill, head of UK residential research at Knight Frank. 'You will get significantly more bang for your buck and the equity accumulated means your mortgage could be wiped out altogether. 'The gap between the capital and the rest of the country has narrowed in recent years as more affordable parts of the UK have seen stronger house price growth. 'The squeeze in London means more buyers are looking beyond the M25 and that often includes locations where they have roots, a trend that was accelerated by the pandemic and shifting work patterns.' Best mortgage rates and how to find them Mortgage rates have risen substantially over recent years, meaning that those remortgaging or buying a home face higher costs. That makes it even more important to search out the best possible rate for you and get good mortgage advice, whether you are a first-time buyer, home owner or buy-to-let landlord. Quick mortgage finder links with This is Money's partner L&C > Mortgage rates calculator > Find the right mortgage for you To help our readers find the best mortgage, This is Money has partnered with the UK's leading fee-free broker L&C. This is Money and L&C's mortgage calculator can let you compare deals to see which ones suit your home's value and level of deposit. You can compare fixed rate lengths, from two-year fixes, to five-year fixes and ten-year fixes. If you're ready to find your next mortgage, why not use This is Money and L&C's online Mortgage Finder. It will search 1,000's of deals from more than 90 different lenders to discover the best deal for you.
Reuters
2 hours ago
- Reuters
UK hiring slows again in May but downturn might be easing, recruiters say
LONDON, June 13 (Reuters) - British businesses hired staff at a slower pace in May as demand for staff fell for an eighth consecutive month, but there were some signs that the downturn was beginning to bottom out, a survey of recruiters showed on Friday. The Recruitment and Employment Confederation said its members reported a further big fall in hiring for permanent jobs but spending on temporary staff fell by the least in six months. "More encouraging signs in temp billings, vacancies and stabilising private-sector demand offer a measure of optimism as we head into the second half of the year," REC Chief Executive Neil Carberry said. Britain's labour market is facing headwinds including weak economic growth, a sharp rise in employers' social security contributions and a near-7% rise in the minimum wage which took effect in April. Tax data showed that the number of employees on company payrolls dropped by the most in five years last month, while the unemployment rate for the three months to April rose to its highest in nearly four years at 4.6%. REC said its members reported that the number of candidates seeking work had increased at the fastest pace since December 2020 last month "amid reports of redundancies and fewer job opportunities". The Bank of England - which is expected to keep interest rates on hold next week - has said that developments in the labour market will be key to determining how fast it lowers interest rates. Private-sector regular pay growth slowed to 5.1% in the three months to April from 5.5% in the first quarter of 2025 but still remains well above levels the BoE views as consistent with getting inflation back to its 2% target. REC said starting salaries for permanent staff had picked up in May to rise at the quickest pace since August 2024 and that wages for temporary staff rose by the most in a year. But - unlike the official wage data - REC said its measures of pay growth remained below their long-run averages.
