Latest news with #GraemeStewart
Press and Journal
30-05-2025
- Sport
- Press and Journal
STARTING XI: Graeme Stewart on title joy with Buckie and early days at Caley Thistle
Former Buckie Thistle manager Graeme Stewart takes on this week's Q&A feature. The man known as 'Spider' – who stepped down as Jags boss after leading the club to the Highland League title in 2024 – looks back on his playing and managerial career to date. It was for Caley Thistle in a League Cup tie at Stenhousemuir in July 1999. We won 3-1 and I played an hour. I was 17 and just remember everyone seemed so big and quick. I enjoyed it, but was out my depth and it made me realise I had a lot of work to do to be able to play at that level. Winning the league with Buckie Thistle four times as player and manager. I won promotion with Peterhead for finishing second one season but nothing comes close to the feeling of winning the league and knowing all the hard work paid off. Bobby Mann and Barry Robson at Inverness were both brilliant. If Bobby had pace he could have played at any level, in my opinion. In the Highland league, Ian Murray was an outstanding striker and could have played at a higher level. There are a few others that stand out – Tommy Wilson, David Macrae and Zander Sutherland were all terrific. I always had hard games against Rab Brown, and we ended up being teammates. He was a very good hard player, which every team needed. Kyle MacLeod and Andrew MacAskill had the worst gear I've ever seen. It was like they were trying to look bad and the clothes were either too bright, too big, or too small. Hopefully as enthusiastic and encouraging. I was always talking and trying to help those around me. However, in my early 20s, they might have said a few different things. You only get out of something what you are willing to put in. I don't think it's a coincidence that the most successful people tend to work the hardest. I used to love playing against Fraserburgh at Bellslea Park. There was a big rivalry between the clubs and they always had a big, strong and aggressive team. The games were a battle and usually ended in a red card or two. When I went there as a manager, it made me miss playing. I didn't score many, but my favourite would have been against Morton in the Scottish Cup for Buckie. We were away from home and losing 2-0 and I scored to make it 2-2. We ended up conceding in the last minute to make it 3-2, but if we held on, it would have been one of the best results in Buckie's history. I would probably take Daniel Bell as he is one of my best friends. I'm not sure if he would be able to help catch any food, but at least we could have a laugh. Well, I have been away from football for 12 months now, so I have had plenty time to relax and spend time with my family. I have two daughters and it has been good being able to do things with them at the weekend. I also enjoy watching football matches on TV or going to grounds when I get the chance.
Daily Mirror
18-05-2025
- Business
- Daily Mirror
Clues to M&S cyber gang - with copycat attack on another retailer 'inevitable'
Experts say it is matter of time before another British high street chain falls prey to a ransomware hack, with a surge in attacks in recent months, after Marks & Spencer was plunged into crisis Shoppers have been warned another potentially crippling cyber attack on a British retailer is 'inevitable'. Marks & Spencer has been plunged into crisis after hackers managed to steal personal details of potentially millions of its shoppers - and hold the high street giant to ransom. Co-op was also struck, with the convenience chain 'pulling the plug' on IT systems which saved it from the same fate as M&S, but still led to widespread gaps on shelves. Bosses say they hope to have resolved supply issues by this weekend. Upmarket department store Harrods also fell prey to an attack. Graeme Stewart, head of public sector at security company Check Point, said attempted 'ransomware' attacks on UK retailers had surged in the past two months, with the sector going from the twelfth most targeted to fifth. The top four, ominously, are all in the public sector, typically higher education, the NHS, local government and the Ministry of Defence. Asked if it was inevitable that another retailer would fall prey to cyber attackers, Mr Stewart said: 'Yes, because what happens with these sorts of things is that they come in waves.' Mystery surrounds the criminals whose toxic software was used by hackers to target M&S, the Co-op and Harrods. A gang known as DragonForce has been implicated in the first two of those, but speculation is rife about who - or what - it is. While the gang seems to have first emerged up to two years, experts say they use operate in a similar way to others that specialise in creating 'ransomware'. It is a form of malicious software designed to burrow into companies' systems, steal commercially sensitive information, which is then locked, with crooks demanding their victims pay money before handing them the key. Rather than launch attacks themselves, those creating this 'malware' - malicious software - offer to sell the know-how to other gangs, who actually carry out the hacking. Aiden Sinnott, senior threat researcher at the Sophos Counter Threat Unit, says outfits such as DragonForce essentially 'rent' the malware to others who 'use it to launch attacks. They get the ransom payment and give them 20% of all they make. There are loads of these groups. DragonForce is just one of them. Over the past year we have tracked more than 100 of these different types of groups. Most of them are based out of Russia, that general area, and they will go onto the underground forums and advertise.' Professor Oli Buckley, a cyber security expert at Loughborough University, said: 'When ransomware hits, it's like setting off a digital bomb: data gets encrypted, systems go dark, and recovery means rebuilding safely from the ground up, not just turning things back on.' A gang known as Scattered Spider - with members said to be aged as young as 16 - is said to have used DragonForce's ransomware in the M&S attack. DragonForce's rumoured link to Russia has been fuelled by the fact that a number of other ransomware attacks have been launched from the country in the past. Then there is the apparent warning from the group not to attack targets in the Commonwealth of Independent States, a 10-nation bloc centred on Russia and former Soviet republics. Genevieve Stark, head of cybercrime, hacktivism, and information operations intelligence analysis for the Google Threat Intelligence Group, told the website The Register: 'The affiliate rules prohibit attacks on organizations in Commonwealth of Independent States nations and former Soviet Union countries; however, this restriction is extremely common and is not necessarily indicative of location.' Other reports have linked DragonForce to a pro-Palestinian group located in Malaysia. There has also been speculation about the group's motives, and that they could be political in some way. However, most experts believe their motivation is pure and simple. 'They are in it for the money,' Mr Stewart claimed.'This is old-school bank heist stuff. This is a gang that, 30 years ago, they would have been in a van knocking off a bank.' The size of the demanded ransoms can differ greatly, but Mr Stewart said it could run into millions or even tens of millions of pounds. Victims are urged not to pay up, threatening to fuel the crime wave, but the fact the global racket exists means some companies feel they have no choice but to cave in. Payment is almost always in untraceable cryptocurrencies, such as bitcoin. Mr Sinnott said: 'Usually what happens after an attack is that there is a period of negotiation, but you usually don't know if a ransom has been paid.' Dr Harjinder Lallie, a reader in cybersecurity at the University of Warwick, told Sky News:'It's just frightening. I've been in cybersecurity for 26 years - I've never known a time like this. Tens of thousands of businesses up and down the UK probably have hackers inside their network already and just don't know about it, I'm afraid. I don't want to scaremonger, but that is how it is working. They're sitting in your network, waiting to the point where they can attack.' M&S is keeping tight-lipped about the source of the attack, which it has described as 'sophisticated.' Only online clothing and homeware sales - rather than food - have been suspended, although this is a near £1.3billion a year business. It has said that customers names, email addresses, dates of birth, phone numbers and what they bought online were among personal information that had fallen into the hands of crooks. M&S insisted 'useable' payment or card details had not been stolen, and there was no evidence at this stage that the hackers have used any of the information. However, it urged shoppers to change their M&S account password, just in case. The attack has hammered the retailer's share price, with more than £1billion wiped off its stock market value. The fall-out, and why it is taking so long to resolve, is likely to be the focus of attention when M&S boss Stuart Machin announces the firm's annual results on May 21. But the longer it goes on, the more damage is being done to both its coffers and its reputation.
Sky News
30-04-2025
- Sky News
Who are Scattered Spider? How the notorious hackers linked to M&S cyber attack work
M&S may have been hacked by a group of notorious cyber-criminals known as Scattered Spider, some of whom are believed to be English-speaking teenagers. For more than a week, the British retailer has been unable to accept contactless payments and customers are also unable to shop online. On Monday, Sky News reported that hundreds of agency workers at its main distribution centre were told to stay at home as M&S grappled with the attack. Shoppers also complained of empty shelves around the country, as M&S confirmed there were "pockets of limited availability in some stores" as a result of measures to manage the cyber incident. Who are Scattered Spider, the infamous group being linked to the attack? "Scattered Spider is one of the most dangerous and active hacking groups we are monitoring," said Graeme Stewart, the head of public sector at security company Check Point. "Since they first appeared in 2022, they have been linked to more than 100 targeted attacks across industries such as telecoms, finance, retail and gaming," he said. In one of their most infamous hacks, members of the group locked up the networks of casino operators Caesars Entertainment and MGM Resorts International, and demanded hefty ransoms. Caesars paid the hackers about $15m (£11.2m) to restore its network. 1:55 Who are the members of Scattered Spider? "The group is made up of young, English-speaking individuals, mainly based in the UK and the US," said Mr Stewart. Some members are believed to be as young as 16, with the group meeting up on hacker forums online. The authorities have a hard time catching Scattered Spider members because they are just that: scattered. "This is not a loose group of opportunistic hackers. They operate more like an organised criminal network, decentralised and adaptive. "Even with several arrests made in the US and Europe, their structure allows them to regroup quickly." Last month, an alleged Scattered Spider member was extradited to the US from Spain and charged with offences including wire fraud and aggravated identity theft. How do they work? The group often targets human vulnerabilities, according to Mr Stewart, rather than system flaws. They use tactics like social engineering, where hackers trick people into letting them into systems, impersonating IT staff or SIM swapping. SIM swapping attacks are where hackers trick phone providers into transferring a victim's phone service to a SIM card under the hacker's control. This means the hacker can approve two-factor authentication and access the victim's private accounts as well as installing malware on certain devices. "The attack on M&S appears to be heavily financially motivated and focused on making as much money as possible," said Jake Moore, global cybersecurity adviser at cybersecurity firm ESET. "The gained notoriety focused on the brand - which is so entrenched in British culture and history - just places even more pressure on M&S to pay the growing demands." 1:14 What does M&S say? Sky News contacted M&S which referred us to its previous statement. "As part of our proactive management of a cyber incident, we have made the decision to pause taking orders via our M& websites and apps. "Our product range remains available to browse online. We are truly sorry for this inconvenience. Our stores are open to welcome customers. "We informed customers that there was no need for them to take any action. That remains the case, and if the situation changes we will let them know."
Sky News
30-04-2025
- Sky News
Who are Scattered Spider, the infamous young hacking group linked to M&S cyber attack?
M&S may have been hacked by a group of notorious cyber-criminals known as Scattered Spider, some of whom are believed to be English-speaking teenagers. For more than a week, the British retailer has been unable to accept contactless payments and customers are also unable to shop online. On Monday, Sky News reported that hundreds of agency workers at its main distribution centre were told to stay at home as M&S grappled with the attack. Shoppers also complained of empty shelves around the country, as M&S confirmed there were "pockets of limited availability in some stores" as a result of measures to manage the cyber incident. Who are Scattered Spider, the infamous group being linked to the attack? "Scattered Spider is one of the most dangerous and active hacking groups we are monitoring," said Graeme Stewart, the head of public sector at security company Check Point. "Since they first appeared in 2022, they have been linked to more than 100 targeted attacks across industries such as telecoms, finance, retail and gaming," he said. In one of their most infamous hacks, members of the group locked up the networks of casino operators Caesars Entertainment and MGM Resorts International, and demanded hefty ransoms. Caesars paid the hackers about $15m (£11.2m) to restore its network. 1:55 Who are the members of Scattered Spider? "The group is made up of young, English-speaking individuals, mainly based in the UK and the US," said Mr Stewart. Some members are believed to be as young as 16, with the group meeting up on hacker forums online. The authorities have a hard time catching Scattered Spider members because they are just that: scattered. "This is not a loose group of opportunistic hackers. They operate more like an organised criminal network, decentralised and adaptive. "Even with several arrests made in the US and Europe, their structure allows them to regroup quickly." Last month, an alleged Scattered Spider member was extradited to the US from Spain and charged with offences including wire fraud and aggravated identity theft. How do they work? The group often targets human vulnerabilities, according to Mr Stewart, rather than system flaws. They use tactics like social engineering, where hackers trick people into letting them into systems, impersonating IT staff or SIM swapping. SIM swapping attacks are where hackers trick phone providers into transferring a victim's phone service to a SIM card under the hacker's control. This means the hacker can approve two-factor authentication and access the victim's private accounts as well as installing malware on certain devices. "The attack on M&S appears to be heavily financially motivated and focused on making as much money as possible," said Jake Moore, global cybersecurity adviser at cybersecurity firm ESET. "The gained notoriety focused on the brand - which is so entrenched in British culture and history - just places even more pressure on M&S to pay the growing demands." 1:14 What does M&S say? Sky News contacted M&S which referred us to its previous statement. "As part of our proactive management of a cyber incident, we have made the decision to pause taking orders via our M& websites and apps. "Our product range remains available to browse online. We are truly sorry for this inconvenience. Our stores are open to welcome customers. "We informed customers that there was no need for them to take any action. That remains the case, and if the situation changes we will let them know."
Yahoo
30-04-2025
- Yahoo
Who are Scattered Spider, the infamous young hacking group linked to M&S cyber attack?
M&S may have been hacked by a group of notorious cyber-criminals known as Scattered Spider, some of whom are believed to be English-speaking teenagers. For nearly two weeks, the British retailer has been unable to accept contactless payments and customers are also unable to shop online. On Monday, Sky News reported that were told to stay at home as M&S grappled with the attack. Shoppers also complained of empty shelves around the country, as M&S confirmed there were "pockets of limited availability in some stores" as a result of measures to manage the . Who are Scattered Spider, the infamous group being linked to the attack? "Scattered Spider is one of the most dangerous and active hacking groups we are monitoring," said Graeme Stewart, the head of public sector at security company Check Point. "Since they first appeared in 2022, they have been linked to more than 100 targeted attacks across industries such as telecoms, finance, retail and gaming," he said. In one of their most infamous hacks, members of the group locked up the networks of casino operators Caesars Entertainment and MGM Resorts International, and demanded hefty ransoms. Caesars paid the hackers about $15m (£11.2m) to restore its network. Who are the members of Scattered Spider? "The group is made up of young, English-speaking individuals, mainly based in the UK and the US," said Mr Stewart. Some members are believed to be as young as 16, with the group meeting up on hacker forums online. The authorities have a hard time catching Scattered Spider members because they are just that: scattered. "This is not a loose group of opportunistic hackers. They operate more like an organised criminal network, decentralised and adaptive. "Even with several arrests made in the US and Europe, their structure allows them to regroup quickly." Last month, an alleged Scattered Spider member was extradited to the US from Spain and charged with offences including wire fraud and aggravated identity theft. How do they work? The group often targets human vulnerabilities, according to Mr Stewart, rather than system flaws. They use tactics like social engineering, where hackers trick people into letting them into systems, impersonating IT staff or SIM swapping. SIM swapping attacks are where hackers trick phone providers into transferring a victim's phone service to a SIM card under the hacker's control. Read more from Sky News:Ransacked and looted: Sky reporter returns to family home in SudanTrump celebrates 100 days in officeSixteen-year-old detained after three people killed in Sweden This means the hacker can approve two-factor authentication and access the victim's private accounts as well as installing malware on certain devices. "The attack on M&S appears to be heavily financially motivated and focused on making as much money as possible," said Jake Moore, global cybersecurity adviser at cybersecurity firm ESET. "The gained notoriety focused on the brand - which is so entrenched in British culture and history - just places even more pressure on M&S to pay the growing demands." What does M&S say? Sky News contacted M&S which referred us to its previous statement. "As part of our proactive management of a cyber incident, we have made the decision to pause taking orders via our M& websites and apps. "Our product range remains available to browse online. We are truly sorry for this inconvenience. Our stores are open to welcome customers. "We informed customers that there was no need for them to take any action. That remains the case, and if the situation changes we will let them know."
