Latest news with #CyberUK
Yahoo
19-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Plan for phase two of cyber park near GCHQ revealed
The second stage of a cyber security centre planned near GCHQ has been unveiled. The Golden Valley development aims to confirm Cheltenham as the UK's cyber capital. Property developer HBD and Cheltenham Borough Council unveiled the project's second phase, including the launch of the newly named "I/O Buildings", at a CyberUK conference event held earlier this month. Councillor Rowena Hay, leader at Cheltenham Borough Council, said the CyberUK event offered the "perfect opportunity" to showcase phase two of the project. The first phase of construction is the cyber park itself, which includes 1 million sq ft (93,000 sq metres) of commercial space, a car park and bus stops for services to Cheltenham Spa railway station. Work could begin by October if Cheltenham Borough Council approves two key applications, which include feedback from public consultations, this summer. The two I/O Buildings (INPUT and OUTPUT) are a key element within the second phase of Golden Valley and will provide space for leaders and innovators to work together, the Local Democracy Service reports. More news stories for Gloucestershire Listen to the latest news for Gloucestershire INPUT is intended to foster collaboration between education, business and government, focusing on academia, skills and talent. OUTPUT will seek to bring together industry peers to shape the future of technology. The building will create space for quiet focus and provide state-of-the-art facilities for business. Ed Hutchinson, managing director of HBD, said: "Work is due to begin on site later this year so it's great to be able to share new CGIs of the scheme, including the I/O Buildings within phase two, and bring the development to life." Cabinet Office Minister Pat McFadden included Golden Valley within his keynote address at the CyberUK conference. "We're already making some big investments, like the billion pounds going into the new state-of-the-art Golden Valley campus near GCHQ's Cheltenham office. "That site alone is expected to create 12,000 jobs and be home to hospitality, retail businesses and 3,700 new homes. It's all growth." Follow BBC Gloucestershire on Facebook, X and Instagram. Send your story ideas to us on email or via WhatsApp on 0800 313 4630. How will a £1bn cyber park affect locals? Cyber development to receive £20m from government Cheltenham Borough Council CyberUK HBD
BBC News
19-05-2025
- Business
- BBC News
Next phase of Cheltenham's Golden Valley cyber project unveiled
The second stage of a cyber security centre planned near GCHQ has been Golden Valley development aims to confirm Cheltenham as the UK's cyber developer HBD and Cheltenham Borough Council unveiled the project's second phase, including the launch of the newly named "I/O Buildings", at a CyberUK conference event held earlier this month. Councillor Rowena Hay, leader at Cheltenham Borough Council, said the CyberUK event offered the "perfect opportunity" to showcase phase two of the project. The first phase of construction is the cyber park itself, which includes 1 million sq ft (93,000 sq metres) of commercial space, a car park and bus stops for services to Cheltenham Spa railway could begin by October if Cheltenham Borough Council approves two key applications, which include feedback from public consultations, this two I/O Buildings (INPUT and OUTPUT) are a key element within the second phase of Golden Valley and will provide space for leaders and innovators to work together, the Local Democracy Service reports. INPUT is intended to foster collaboration between education, business and government, focusing on academia, skills and will seek to bring together industry peers to shape the future of building will create space for quiet focus and provide state-of-the-art facilities for business. Ed Hutchinson, managing director of HBD, said: "Work is due to begin on site later this year so it's great to be able to share new CGIs of the scheme, including the I/O Buildings within phase two, and bring the development to life."Cabinet Office Minister Pat McFadden included Golden Valley within his keynote address at the CyberUK conference."We're already making some big investments, like the billion pounds going into the new state-of-the-art Golden Valley campus near GCHQ's Cheltenham office."That site alone is expected to create 12,000 jobs and be home to hospitality, retail businesses and 3,700 new homes. It's all growth."
Epoch Times
15-05-2025
- Business
- Epoch Times
Systems Facing Increased Risk of AI-Enhanced Cyber Attacks, Warns NCSC
By 2027, artificial intelligence tools will significantly increase the ability of malicious actors to find and exploit vulnerabilities in our systems, the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) has warned. The NCSC, which is the UK's technical authority for cyber security and part of the GCHQ intelligence agency, said in its It also warned that the window between discovering and exploiting a vulnerability has already narrowed to just days, and that AI is expected to shorten it even further, making it harder for those working to keep networks secure. The cyber security specialists said that malicious actors, such as cyber criminals and those acting on behalf of hostile states, are very likely already using AI to enhance their existing tactics to penetrate systems, including through victim reconnaissance, vulnerability research, and malware generation. Critical Systems If cyber security does not keep pace with these advancements, 'there is a realistic possibility of critical systems becoming more vulnerable to advanced threat actors by 2027,' the report said. The NCSC says that in order to protect themselves, organisations must implement advanced strategies to counter AI-driven attacks, including continued monitoring and using AI-based defence systems. Paul Chichester, NCSC director of operations, said: "We know AI is transforming the cyber threat landscape, expanding attack surfaces, increasing the volume of threats, and accelerating malicious capabilities. Related Stories 4/30/2025 12/3/2024 'While these risks are real, AI also presents a powerful opportunity to enhance the UK's resilience and drive growth—making it essential for organisations to act. 'Organisations should implement strong cyber security practices across AI systems and their dependencies and ensure up-to-date defences are in place.' Serious Organised Crime The report's publication coincided with the first day of the annual security conference put on by CyberUK, which is hosted by the NCSC. In his keynote speech to the conference on Wednesday, Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster Pat McFadden called cyber attacks 'serious organised crime.' He told business leaders and tech experts: 'The purpose is to damage and extort good businesses. It's the digital version of an old-fashioned shake down. Either straight theft or a protection racket where your business will be safe as long as you pay the gangsters. 'And what we've seen over the past couple of weeks should serve as a wake-up call for everyone - for government and the public sector, for businesses and organisations up and down the country, as if we needed one, that cybersecurity is not a luxury - it's an absolute necessity.' Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster Pat McFadden delivers a keynote speech to the CyberUK conference at the Central Convention Complex in Manchester, England, on May 7, 2025. Ryan Jenkinson/PA Wire His remarks come after major British retailers Marks & Spencer, the Co-op, and Harrods all experienced serious cyber incidents. The minister announced that the government would be investing an extra £7 million in the Laboratory for AI Security Research, which was launched by the Labour administration in November and comprises of experts from organisations including Oxford University, the Alan Turing Institute, and the Department for Science, Innovation, and Technology (DSIT). DSIT said a further £8 million will be given to Ukraine for its cyber defences and £1.1 million will go to the Moldovan government to 'protect the country's upcoming Parliamentary Election.' China Becoming a 'Cyber Superpower' In his speech, the minister specifically highlighted China as a key point of discussion, saying, 'we need to be clear-eyed about the challenge posed' by the nation. He said: 'It is well on its way to becoming a cyber superpower. It has the sophistication. The scale. And the seriousness. 'It's one of the world leaders in AI, as the world's second largest economy it's deeply embedded in global supply chains and markets.' 'Disengagement economically from China is not an option. Neither's naivety,' McFadden said. 'Our approach should be to engage constructively and consistently with China where it is in the UK's economic interests, but also to be clear that we will robustly defend our own cyberspace,' he said. His comments come after British intelligence services have The NCSC's annual review published in December Last year, the then-Conservative government
Wales Online
13-05-2025
- Business
- Wales Online
Marks and Spencer says customers' information stolen in cyber attack
Marks and Spencer says customers' information stolen in cyber attack You will be prompted to reset your password People seen near Marks & Spencer Retail giant Marks & Spencer has revealed that customer personal data has been taken by hackers after being hit by a damaging cyber attack. Chief executive Stuart Machin said the data had been accessed due to the 'sophisticated nature of the incident' but stressed that this does not include payment or card details, or account passwords. In a social media post, Mr Machin said there is 'no need for customers to take any action'. 'To give customers extra peace of mind, they will be prompted to reset their password the next time they visit or log on to their M&S account and we have shared information on how to stay safe online,' he said. The number of 'nationally significant' cyber attacks in the last eight months has doubled on the same period a year ago, a security chief has warned. Richard Horne, chief executive of the National Cyber Security Centre, said that the agency had dealt with 200 incidents since September 2024, including twice as many causing widespread disruption as the same period last year. Speaking at the CyberUK conference in Manchester, Mr Horne warned that adversaries were 'probing for weaknesses' and operating daily in a grey area 'between peace and war' to pursue geopolitical goals. Russia will continue to target Ukraine and supporting countries with digital espionage in order to gain strategic ground in ceasefire negotiations, he said, while the UK faces further threats from Iran, China and North Korea. The intervention comes after a wave of cyber attacks on high-profile British retailers including Harrods, Marks and Spencer and the Co-op Group in recent weeks. In a speech to business chiefs and tech experts, Mr Horne said: 'In just the last few weeks, we have seen the very real impacts that cyber attacks can have and the kind of disruption they can cause for both businesses and individuals alike. Article continues below 'The threat picture is diverse and dramatic – at the NCSC we've managed more than 200 incidents since September last year. This includes twice as many nationally significant incidents as the same period a year ago.' Mr Horne said that behind the attacks were 'our adversaries', warning that 'hostile nation states have weaponised their cyber capabilities.' 'While they might not be using them in pursuit or support of direct conflict, some are operating daily in the grey zone, that murky space between peace and war where states and non-state actors engage in competitive activity.' While Beijing remains the 'pacing threat' in the cyber realm with the Chinese Communist Party's 'vast ecosystem' of legislation and data, Moscow has been using criminal proxies to focus on acts of sabotage, he said. 'With our partners in MI5, including the National Protective Security Authority, we see a direct connection between Russian cyber attacks and physical threats to our security,' Mr Horne warned. 'These threats are manifesting on the streets of the UK against our industries and our businesses, putting lives, critical services and national security at risk. 'And so the role of our community is therefore not just about protecting systems, it's about protecting our people, our economy, our society from harm.' He added: 'Today, I can say for the first time, based on our assessments, that as we move closer to the possibility of a ceasefire in the Ukraine conflict it is almost certain that Russia will continue its wider cyber espionage activity against Ukraine and supporting countries to gain strategic advantage in its negotiation strategy.' Meanwhile, UK firms are being targeted by IT workers in the North Korean system to raise revenue for the country's regime and Britain also faces a heightened threat of espionage from Iran, he said. Mr Horne said the NCSC, which is a part of the UK's GCHQ spy agency, is able to gather intelligence about what adversaries are doing and an act on it at pace to disrupt hostile activity. But he said cybersecurity must be something that 'we all need to do together' to 'ensure our collective success'. 'We cannot control everything, but we must control the things that we can and be prepared for the things we can't,' Mr Horne said. Meanwhile, Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster Pat McFadden warned that Government systems are not 'bombproof' and remain in need of modernisation. Speaking at the conference, the senior Cabinet minister said: 'I can't stand here this morning and tell you that the Government systems are bombproof. This is not the case. 'We have new systems built on top of legacy systems and we are doing everything in our power to modernise the state and to upgrade these core systems but the Government and the country as a whole has to take this seriously if we are going to do it securely in the future.' Mr McFadden said the cyber attacks in recent weeks should be a 'wake-up call' for British businesses as he announces a £16 million package to boost defence at home and abroad. The Government has unveiled measures aimed at reinforcing systems against attack, including driving investment into CHERI, a 'magic chip' that builds advanced memory protections in microprocessors. Some £4.5 million will be spent helping firms bring the technology, which can block up to 70% of common cyber attacks, to market, the Cabinet Office said. A new software security code of practice will also be published on Wednesday, outlining essential steps the Government believes every organisation developing or selling software should be taking to secure their products. An extra £7 million for Britain's Laboratory for AI Security Research will be confirmed, along with investment of £8 million in Ukrainian cyber defences and more than £1 million to 'protect Moldovan elections'. Article continues below Mr McFadden said cyber would also be a prime target for economic growth in the Government's upcoming industrial strategy. 'There is enormous potential for cyber security to be a driving force in our economy – creating jobs, growth and opportunities for people. It's already a sector on the up – with over 2,000 businesses across the UK,' he said. 'It is going to be a significant commitment, a vote of confidence in your sector, and one that will tell the world: the UK plans to be a global player in cybersecurity for decades to come.'
Fashion United
08-05-2025
- Business
- Fashion United
UK plans 16 million pounds cybersecurity scheme following M&S and Harrods attacks
Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster Pat McFadden has announced a 16 million pound cyber security scheme following targeted attacks on Marks & Spencer, Harrods and Co-Op over the past few weeks. Speaking at the CyberUK conference this week, McFadden said 'cybersecurity is not a luxury but an absolute necessity', adding that the recent attacks on UK businesses 'should serve as a wake-up call' up and down the UK. Despite this, a press release later released by the UK government said that the cyber sector would be a 'prime target for economic growth' in the upcoming Industrial Strategy. As such, McFadden announced plans to invest seven million pounds into the Laboratory for AI Security Research, which launched in November 2024 and will now cooperate with US tech firm Cisco on managing risks, building up skills and seeking opportunities in the area of AI security. This will further be supplemented by an eight million pound investment into Ukrainian cyber defences and the injection of more than one million pounds to 'protect Moldovan elections'. McFadden's comments came after several British retailers were hit by cyberattacks last week, starting with department store Marks & Spencer, which is still dealing with the aftermath of what is believed to be a ransomware attack. This was followed by an attempt on supermarket chain Co-Op and a similar attack on luxury department store Harrods, which confirmed May 1 that it had 'experienced attempts to gain unauthorised access to some of our systems'. Retailers are being urged to review their cyber risk controls, particularly amid an already turbulent market hampered by waning consumer confidence and uncertainty surrounding global trade.
