The number of successful cyber attacks against UK law firms rose by 77% in the past year to 954, up from 538 the year before, according to a new study of the threat. Chartered accountants Lubbock Fine said that the wave is driven by criminals seeing law firms as prime targets for ransomware attacks or blackmail.
This is due to the sensitive personal and financial information they hold, which hackers can sell on the dark web or threaten to publish on the internet. Earlier this month, a global survey revealed that ransomware attackers have been paid off at least eight times in recent years.
Read more…
Source: The Law Society Gazette
Related:
- Microsoft says Clop ransomware gang is behind MOVEit mass-hacks, as first victims come forward
June 5, 2023
Security researchers have linked to the notorious Clop ransomware gang a new wave of mass-hacks targeting a popular file transfer tool, as the first victims of the attacks begin to come forward. It was revealed last week that hackers are exploiting a newly discovered vulnerability in MOVEit Transfer, a file-transfer tool widely used by enterprises to ...
- British Airways, Boots staff data compromised by payroll cyber hack
June 5, 2023
British Airways and retailer Boots said their staff were amongst those hit by a cyber attack on Zellis, a payroll provider used by hundreds of companies in Britain. British Airways, owned by IAG, said it had notified affected employees and was providing them with support. Read more… Source: MSN News
- Capita cyber-attack: 90 organisations report data breaches
May 30, 2023
About 90 organisations have reported breaches of personal information held by Capita after the outsourcing group suffered a cyber-attack, Britain’s data watchdog has said. The company, which runs crucial services for local councils, the military and the NHS, experienced the hack, which caused a significant IT outage, in March. Read more… Source: The Guardian
- NHS data breach: trusts shared patient details with Facebook without consent
May 27, 2023
NHS trusts are sharing intimate details about patients’ medical conditions, appointments and treatments with Facebook without consent and despite promising never to do so. An Observer investigation has uncovered a covert tracking tool in the websites of 20 NHS trusts which has for years collected browsing information and shared it with the tech giant in a ...
- IT security analyst admits hijacking cyber attack to pocket ransom payments
May 24, 2023
A former IT security analyst at Oxford Biomedica has admitted, five years after the fact, to turning to the dark side – by hijacking a cyber attack against his own company in an attempt to divert any ransom payments to himself. Ashley Liles, of Letchworth Garden City, Hertfordshire, pleaded guilty at Reading Crown Court to blackmail ...
- Dorchester school IT system held to ransom in cyber attack
May 23, 2023
A school has been left unable to use email or accept payments following a cyber attack. Thomas Hardye School in Dorchester said its screens and systems had been locked since being targeted on Sunday. It said the attack was accompanied by a ransom demand, payable on the dark web. Read more… Source: BBC News

