A senior UK minister [this week] will warn businesses to protect themselves a
gainst cyber threats after a spate of attacks on retailers including Marks & Spencer Group Plc.
“These attacks need to be a wake-up call for every business in the UK,” C
abinet Office Minister Pat McFadden, who is responsible for national security, will say in a speech at the CyberUK conferenc
e in Manchester next week, according to remarks released by his department. (Editor’s note: This Bloomberg article wa
s originally published on Friday, May 2, so the McFadden speech will take place this week).
McFadden on Friday led a briefing with security officials including Richard H
orne, chief of the National Cyber Security Centre, an arm of listening post GCHQ, in the wake of hacks on M&S and the supermarke
t chain Co-op. A ransomware attack was the cause of th
e disruption at M&S, with hackers using a potent kind of malware to lock down some of the British retailer’s systems and render them inaccessible.
Read more: Britain’s M&S Enters 2nd Week of Sales Disruption After Cyberattack
“In a world where the cyber criminals targeting us are relentless in their
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ursuit of profit, with attempts being made every hour of every day, companies must treat cyber security as an absolute priority,” McFadden will say next week.
The minister will announce further steps the government is taking to help protect businesses against hacking attempts, includi
ng through the Cyber Resilience Bill. As part of that legislation ministers will r
equire 1,000 companies providing IT services to critical national infrastructure to shore up their cyber defenses.
The NCSC also urged busi
ey should be taking to ensure they minimize the risks of hacks.