Latest news with #Letitia
Fast Company
17-07-2025
- Business
- Fast Company
Apathy and indifference almost crippled a $100 million company
Sitting in his office updating next month's sales plans and with dreams of a big bonus, Paul, the sales director of a small manufacturing company, heard the CFO yell from across the hallway. Rushing into the CFO's office, he said, 'Letitia, what's wrong?' She pointed at her computer monitor and, panic-stricken, said 'What is going on?' On the monitor was a skull and crossbones image and the ransomware message: 'All your files are locked. Pay 6 BTC (≈ $500,000) to wallet [redacted] within 72 hours or everything will be deleted. Proof of life: send one small file to decrypt@ and we will unlock it. No payment, no recovery. No negotiations.' Throughout the company, production stopped. Invoices stalled. Months of sales momentum—along with Paul's bonus—vanished. It took three weeks for the company to recover. No production. No invoices. No revenue. Angry customers. Demoralized staff. Analysis showed that the ransomware attack had originated earlier in the week with a fraudulent email to Paul. 'Urgent, Updated Purchase Order,' it read. It appeared to be from his top customer, so Paul opened the PDF. Doing so, he unwittingly let loose the ransomware that spread across the network. This is not rare. The FBI logged 859,532 cyber‑crime complaints in 2024. Losses climbed 33% over 2023 to USD$16.6 billion. Ransomware was a component in 88% of breaches affecting SMBs. High‑growth companies are prime targets because speed outruns discipline—one distracted employee can undo years of work. WHY HACKERS LOVE HYPER-GROWTH COMPANIES Hackers target hyper-growth companies for a number of reasons, including: Growth Eats Up Money And Attention: Sales chases quotas, engineering ships features, and finance closes books—all while cybersecurity slips to 'tomorrow.' Little-Information Security Expertise: Management focuses on growth, not governance. IT focuses on production, not protection. No one's watching the store. Blind Spots Multiply: New apps, new vendors, and remote hires expand the attack surface faster than IT can manage it. 1. Stop Believing This Will Never Happen To You Or Your Business You are under revenue and your data are cash to a criminal. Solo founder or thousand‑person team, it makes no difference. Every laptop, server, and cloud is a target. If you refuse to pay, attackers are just as willing to wipe everything, because they lose nothing. Ransomware is so lucrative that it bankrolls entire underground economies. And AI just gave them light-speed acceleration. Put someone in charge. Provide them with cybersecurity expertise. Implement reasonable cybersecurity controls to protect systems and information, and prepare to maintain continuation of the business when the inevitable disruptions occur. 3. Use A Public Framework And Grade Yourself Use the NIST Cyber Security Framework: Small Business Guide or the Center for Internet Security Controls. These free roadmaps show exactly where you are weak and let the team measure progress in numbers leadership understands. 4. Make Sure Your Backups Are Safe And Test That You Can Restore The time will come when you need these backups. When you do, you don't want to hear, 'Oops.' 5. Practice Failure Emergency rooms practice. Armies practice. Hockey teams practice. You should practice, too. Run a tabletop drill. What do you do when? Who do you call when? A calm Tuesday practice means faster action when it is real. 6. Change The Culture Beyond training, change the phishing drills, plus short micro‑lessons, beat the annual slideshow. Add 'lunch and learns.' Teach staff how to protect their families. Use neuroscience to support cultural change. Culture shifts when leadership leads. DO THIS BEFORE FRIDAY Put someone in charge. Establish leadership. Set expectations for the company and the board. Review your cybersecurity incident plan for when you are locked out of your systems. Commit to improving it within a month. What would it take to make your recovery faster, more complete, and less costly? Test a restore from an offline, immutable backup. If it fails, fix it now. Schedule a phishing simulation for the entire company with no exceptions. Use it to learn, not to punish. Cybersecurity is not an IT project; it is an executive responsibility equal to cash flow and operations. Treat it that way and a single email won't shut you down. Ignore it and someone else will write Paul's story with your company as the example.
Daily Mail
23-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Race Across The World stars reveal the lie they told to trick BBC competitors as part of game plan
Race Across The World stars Brian and Melvyn have revealed the lie they told to trick their competitors in a bid to win the BBC show. The brothers took part in the most recent series of the programme - and they weren't afraid to play a little dirty as part of their sneaky game plan. The fifth series of the beloved show wrapped up in on June 19 and treated fans to a reunion show to show the best bits of the season. Gaz and Yin, Elizabeth and Letitia, Fin and Sioned, Caroline and Tom and the siblings appeared on the reunion to catch up and discuss their time on Race Across The World. During the reunion episode, their co-star Letitia - who placed second alongside her sister Elizabeth - pointed out that the brothers were always short for cash. Brian said: 'We did tell a few porky pies didn't we?' The brothers took part in the most recent series of the programme - and they weren't afraid to play a little dirty as part of their sneaky game plan. Melvyn replied: 'No we didn't!' Letitia replied: 'I think it was when we saw you guys on the luxury bus, we were like "What?!"' Melvyn told viewers: 'The other teams would come into checkpoint and they'd say, 'Well, how do you think you're doing?' and we'd say, "God, that was an expensive leg".' The pair didn't feel bad about it at all as they showed a number of clips of them lying throughout the series. Brian even went on to say that they all did it - but Sioned, who took part with boyfriend Fin, told him: 'I didn't. It was just you!' A shocked Melvyn asked: 'So we were the only ones who were bulling?' Brian and Melvyn narrowly missed out on the top spot as they ended up placing fourth. But they did all the could in a bid to be crowned winners of the fifth series of the beloved show. It comes after Race Across The World star Yin broke down in tears as she broke down in tears over the 'bizarre' situation with her ex during the reunion episode. The instalment got very emotional, especially when exes Yin and Gaz - who were the first out of the show - opened up about their time on the programme. The former couple were married for more than 30 years but split three years ago. Speaking about how it works between the two, Gaz said: 'It probably has brought us more together. What we want in life for the pair of us is to just be happy.' He added: 'Whether I or Yin find love again, we will always be in each others' lives because we are just great friends. Speaking about how it works between the two, Gaz said: 'It probably has brought us more together. What we want in life for the pair of us is to just be happy' 'It probably looks bizarre to the outside world, but to us it's normal.' Yin looked touched as Gaz said: 'All I've ever wanted was the best for Yin and I'm just very proud of how Yin has become.' Yin also opened up about just how much being part of the much-loved series has changed her as a person. Talking to the camera, Yin said: 'Since leaving Race, I recognised that I was struggling already with what China means to me personally. 'My heritage is Chinese and I do identify as a Chinese person. 'Where I struggle is, with my upbringing, it was in a very traditional household. 'I didn't leave home on good terms with my parents.' Clearly getting very emotional at the dining table with the rest of her co-stars, she continued: 'Some of the struggles I went through are probably quite unique in the sense of because I look Chinese, I don't speak mandarin. 'I've struggled with my Chinese heritage.' She then explained that the death of her partner is what really encouraged her to take part. Yin continued: 'When I came back from Race I reconnected with my siblings and recognised that has to be addressed. 'The real gift that Race gave me was to address that then move forward with my life... 'My partner, who I had been with for three years, had passed away very suddenly in September 2023. 'One of the reasons to come on Race was to give me energy to see what is out there. 'The relief and lightness I now feel, I do feel like one of the biggest things that I've probably hanged about my self, life is there to live. 'It was the catalyst to enable me to move forward.' This year's series of Race Across the World hit our screens on 23 April. After nine episodes, the show finished last week. And it was mother-son duo Caroline and Tom who were crowned winners. It comes after Gaz left his ex-wife Yin emotional with a heart-wrenching confession live on Lorraine. Ranvir Singh stepped in for Lorraine and hosted the ITV morning show on Tuesday. The pair have been separated for three years and at one point during the interview, discussed their marriage breakdown on Lorraine. Gaz reflected: 'Like all break ups it was hard, I'm of that generation where what do you do? You try and blank it out, have a few beers and sort of forget about it.' He admitted that Yin 'helped' him and explained: 'She's an amazing person and I don't think I would be here if it wasn't for Yin. 'It wasn't that bad but it got to the point where I didn't like myself, I didn't like what I was doing, I just didn't want to be around anybody, very insular. 'Yin was the one that kept pushing me.' Yin appeared to be emotional as she interjected with praise for her former husband and said: 'He put in so much hard work and I'm just so proud of him.' Race Across The World is available to stream on BBC iPlayer.
BBC News
12-06-2025
- Entertainment
- BBC News
Race Across the World sisters 'happy' with finale
Warning: This article reveals the winners of Race Across the World. Two West Sussex sisters have said they are "happy" to have placed second in BBC One contest Race Across The and Letitia, from Worthing and Lancing respectively, spoke to BBC Radio Sussex following the Bafta-award winning's show's tense finale on Wednesday night. The duo finished their 8,700 miles (14,000km) journey from China to India just 19 minutes after the Season Five winners, mother and son pair Caroline and Tom said: "We really pushed ourselves towards the end and we were so determined. We're really happy with the result anyway. " She added: "We are just proud of ourselves and it was such a big accomplishment."The programme saw five pairs of contestants race from Great Wall of China, north of Bejing, and Kanniyakumari, the southernmost tip of India, in a bid to win £20, pair had to pass seven checkpoints on a £1,140 budget and were banned from using air the sisters say they are going to celebrate the experience by travelling at an entirely different pace. Elizabeth said: "We'd like to take a holiday, just relax, something chill, not in race mode." Elizabeth and Letitia say their adventure has helped them grow closer as sisters. Elizabeth said: "Being in the experience and being in different countries - you need someone to share that with. "I'm glad I was able to share that with my sister." Despite narrowly missing out, the five couples still stay in touch via group chat and meet up said: "We're looking forward to another reunion."
Daily Mail
11-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Race Across The World winners are revealed as they beat fan favourites in tense final chase
Race Across The World came to a dramatic end on Wednesday night as the winners were finally revealed following the 51-day cross-continent chase. Caroline, 60, and Tom, 21, were crowned the 2025 champions as they dashed to the finish line and beat runners-up Letitia and Elizabeth by a mere 19 minutes. It was a huge blow for brothers Melvyn and Brian, who had been firm fan favourites to win the BBC series, and couple Fin and Sioned, who fell behind in the final. The last episode followed the groups as they travelled from Goa, India, to the southernmost tip of India, Kanniyakumari - which lay 1000km away. But it was mother-son duo Caroline and Tom who took home the £20,000 prize and the pair broke down in tears upon arriving at Vattakottai Fort victorious. From A-list scandals and red carpet mishaps to exclusive pictures and viral moments, subscribe to the DailyMail's new Showbiz newsletter to stay in the loop. 'We must never doubt ourselves, ever, ever, ever again,' Caroline tearfully told her son. While Tom - who was diagnosed with cerebral palsy as a child - gushed: 'I'm lost for words, I can't believe it, fifty one days racing through countries I never thought I'd go to. 'I never thought we'd come this far, I never thought we'd achieve so much, and I've never been prouder of my mum – she got me through it.' While sisters Elizabeth and Letitia came in second, lagging just 19 minutes behind, Fin and Sioned came in third place 45 minutes later, while Brian and Melvyn took another three hours. Brian and Melvyn had been picked as early favourites to win the programme and won over fans with their hilarious banter, but suffered a blow as they set off last in the final dash and failed to pick up the pace. Following their victory, Caroline revealed she and Tom failed to keep their victory a secret and immediately told their family mere moments after winning. Caroline dished: '[We told] my husband, in the car on the way home - we couldn't hide it!' 'We had made a pact on the plane not to tell anybody, but within minutes of seeing him we let that one go, it was so hard to keep it in,' Tom added. Brian and Melvyn had been picked as early favourites to win the programme and won over fans with their hilarious banter, but suffered a blow and ultimately came in fourth place The pair have not yet decided how they want to spend their prize money, with Tom insisted he doesn't want to 'waste it'. He revealed he and Caroline have plans to go backpacking together, so will spend some of their prize money on their next travels. During the fifth series, the contestants travelled across areas of China, Nepal and India, covering more than 14,000km over 51 days. But fans will see the cast once again as they will reunite for a special reunion episode, which is set to air on Wednesday June 18 at 9pm.
BBC News
11-06-2025
- Entertainment
- BBC News
West Sussex sisters in final of Race Across the World
One of the sisters competing for £20,000 in this year's Race Across the World has promised viewers a "very intense" finish to the Bafta-winning and Letitia, from Worthing and Lancing respectively, have been pitting their wits against four other teams as they aim to travel from China to India without smart phones or credit pair are in second place - just seven hours behind leaders Caroline and Tom - ahead of Wednesday's ahead of transmission, Elizabeth admitted the experience has been "exhausting" but worthwhile. She told BBC Radio Sussex: "Normally when you're travelling, if you're feeling tired you can just sit down and relax... but, one, we want to have a lovely experience and we're trying to make the most of it, but two, you're in a race so it is exhausting."Balancing the desire to win against enjoying the experience has tested their resolve, and while Elizabeth says the pair know each other "way better" now, there's still a lot to learn."I feel like I have understood how much there still is to know about each other," she can only spend the cash equivalent of an airfare between the start and finish points of their travels, which span more than 8,700 miles (14,000km).Though being well-travelled and individually skilled proved helpful, the 33-year-old says the reality is "so different"."You're tired, you're confused, you think you know something... but anything can happen," she of Wednesday's finale, Elizabeth refused to reveal spoilers but said the episode is "very intense" as the remaining contestants bid to reach the final she would repeat the experience in a heartbeat, Elizabeth was depleted when she got home."I think I slept for a week in bed," she finale of Race Across the World airs on BBC One at 21:00 BST.
