Latest news with #AndreaTaylorBurke
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
'I felt helpless': Bolton councillor hacked on holiday issues cybersecurity warning
A Bolton councillor has issued a stark warning about online safety after falling victim to a sophisticated cyber attack while on holiday in Spain. Cllr Andrea Taylor-Burke, who also works as a financial director at Bolton-based tech firm In4tech Ltd, had her personal email and bank accounts compromised while enjoying a break in Benidorm. What began as a relaxing evening turned into a two-hour fight to regain control of her digital life after she received a series of unexpected notifications. Cllr Andrea Taylor-Burke had her accounts hacked whilst she was on holiday. (Image: Martini Archive) First, a bank alert for a £28.99 transaction in Canada, followed by password change emails and then a chilling "ransom" message from a hacker claiming full access to her data. 'I have taken control of your email account,' the message read. 'I have access to all of your online accounts and I know your passwords. 'Pay me £500 or I will share your personal details and photos online.' The hacker was not bluffing. Within minutes, they had accessed Cllr Taylor-Burke's online subscriptions, catalogue accounts and even began impersonating her in chatrooms. READ MORE: Worst of cyber attack impact to be over by August, says M&S boss Morrisons 'bounces back' from cyber attack despite pressure on shoppers They also uploaded a photo of themselves to her profile and gained access to sensitive financial details through her Google Wallet. 'The hacker was very advanced and ultimately telling the truth,' Cllr Taylor-Burke said. 'Not only was he using my bank card, but he was also logging into accounts I have with catalogues and subscriptions to change those passwords. 'He was chatting to people posing as me in chat rooms and all this in under 30 minutes.' The hacker was able to gain access to Andrea's accounts through Google Wallet. (Image: Martini Archive) Thankfully, her husband, who is an IT professional, had brought his work laptop on holiday and was able to launch what became a two-hour battle to kick the hacker out of her accounts. Andrea added: 'At the start, as quickly as we changed the passwords, he had them again. 'He had full control of my Google account and was seeing what we were doing. "This included my Google Wallet, which meant when the new card was issued by my bank this was instantly uploaded…so he was using the new card before I had even received it in the post.' She said: 'What would have happened if I wasn't married to an IT professional? "I'd have lost everything, all those precious photos of my babies, holidays, occasions and memories of my late mother.' Now, she is urging others to take urgent action to secure their digital lives. Andrea said: 'Workwise we all have extra security with two-step authentication, but like so many others it's easy to neglect your personal accounts. 'Hackers don't just attack big companies, they attack the smaller vulnerable people… those who don't know how to protect themselves or recover. 'What would you have done in my situation if you didn't have a IT professional to hand….pay the £500 ransom or risk losing all your personal details, photos and email accounts. "Can you risk this happening to you? 'Cybersecurity is so important. Are you secure?' Earlier this week, the boss of supermarket chain Marks & Spencer has said he hopes to have the majority of the impact from its damaging cyber attack 'behind us' by August. It comes after M&S was forced to halt online orders after it was targeted by hackers in April. Customer personal data – which could have included names, email addresses, postal addresses and dates of birth – was taken during the attack. M&S revealed that the hack was caused by 'human error' and would cost it around £300 million. If you have been the victim of a scam, fraud or online crime (cybercrime) you can report it to Action Fraud on 0300 123 2040 or on its website.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Health
- Yahoo
Talks on plans for community centre with 'focus on mental health and well-being'
Councillors and police officers have come together at Little Lever Library to discuss plans for a facility, which has been in the works for two years. Dozens gathered to discuss the prospect of a new community centre in Mytham Road. The proposed centre would be open to the public and hopes to house numerous groups, ranging from mental health services to a safe place for youths to visit. The building on Mytham Road will be the proposed site for the hub. (Image: Google maps) Cllr Andrea Taylor-Burke said: 'This project has been going on for around two years using the empty community centre building on Mytham Road. 'I found out that it was a council-owned building and wanted to turn it into a mental health hub and wellness centre for people. "It's been an uphill battle trying to get this off the ground, but I have that fire because I know that this could be really beneficial for the area. READ MORE: 'There are lots of charities and organisations backing this. The community meeting invited councillors, local representatives and police officers. (Image: Bolton GMP) 'I envision it as somewhere people can come, especially young people, to spend time together and chill out, people who don't know where to turn. 'We want to dedicate a space to Marc Palin, who unfortunately took his own life. His story has really resonated with me and stuck with me for years. 'I never met him, but he's always in the back of my mind. I think, if he'd had somewhere to go, if he'd seen this place, he could have gone in there and found someone to chat to. The community meeting invited councillors, local representatives and police officers. (Image: Bolton GMP) 'We're looking at doing events and classes, such as yoga and sound baths, baby groups, that sort of thing. "The focus will be on mental health and well-being but there are no limits to what we can do with the space once we have it. 'We're currently waiting for the building use to go to council planning tender. It's a perfect asset that we've got that we haven't used. A Greater Manchester Police spokesperson said: 'This is a great idea for bringing the community together, whether it's for a brew and a piece of toast or just a chat.' Plans for the site are being considered by the council. The council has been contacted for comment about the plans.
