Last year, hackers attacked car giant Jaguar Land Rover (JPL), one of the U.K.’s biggest employers. The hack halted production for months and made a dent in the country’s economy. The damage was so severe that the U.K. government decided to bail out the company with a £1.5 billion (around $2 billion) payment, and estimates say the hack cost the British economy $2.5 billion.
For months, there was only speculation about who did it. Now, citing people close to the investigation, The New York Times reports that the hackers behind the breach were Russian, although it’s still unclear if they were working directly for Vladimir Putin’s government, were just criminals, or something in between, like criminals operating with the government’s tacit approval.
Read more…
Source: TechCrunch
Sign up for the Cyber Security Review Newsletter
The latest cyber security news and insights delivered right to your inbox
Related:
- GCHQ: Artificial intelligence is already a vital part of our missions
February 25, 2021
The UK’s top intelligence and security body, GCHQ, is betting big on artificial intelligence: the organization has revealed how it wants to use AI to boost national security. In a new paper titled “Pioneering a New National Security,” GCHQ’s analysts went to lengths to explain why AI holds the key to better protection of the nation. ...
- Silver Sparrow Malware Found Nesting on 30K Macs
February 19, 2021
Hard on the heels of a macOS adware being recompiled to target Apple’s new in-house processor, researchers have discovered a brand-new family of malware targeting the platform. Curiously, in the samples seen so far by analysts at Red Canary, the malware (dubbed Silver Sparrow) has been executing on victim machines with the final payload yet to ...
- British cyber gang ‘stole large amounts from US sports and music stars after accessing their phones’
February 10, 2021
Eight Britons have been arrested for hacking into the phones of US celebrities to steal money and personal information – even posing as them online. Britain’s National Crime Agency (NCA) said sports stars, musicians and their families had been targeted by the scam in which criminals gain access to their victim’s phones or accounts. This allowed them ...
- The ‘offensive cyber’ used by UK National Cyber Force to confuse Islamic State militants and prevent drone attacks
February 8, 2021
The UK has revealed new details about a secret cyber operation against Islamic State that targeted the group’s ability to fly drones, meddled with their phones and hit their propaganda. The mission – told to Sky News by the head of GCHQ and a top general in their first joint interview – gives a sense of ...
- UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) suffers ransomware attack
January 30, 2021
The UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) is dealing with a ransomware incident that encrypted data and impacted two of its services, one offering information to subscribers and the platform for peer review of various parts of the agency. UKRI is a public body of the Government of the United Kingdom, tasked with investing in science and ...
- World’s Most Dangerous Malware Emotet Disrupted Through Global Action
January 27, 2021
Law enforcement and judicial authorities worldwide have this week disrupted one of most significant botnets of the past decade: EMOTET. Investigators have now taken control of its infrastructure in an international coordinated action. This operation is the result of a collaborative effort between authorities in the Netherlands, Germany, the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Lithuania, ...

