The National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) has revealed it has protected the UK from more than 600 cyber-attacks in the past year
This announcement comes as the NCSC releases its third annual review where it also explains other actions it has taken to protect the public. This includes an initiative to stop hundreds of thousands of people losing money to credit card fraud.
It was able to achieve this through its Operation Haulster which automatically flagged fraudulent intention against over a million stolen credit cards.
In the past year, the organization has handled 658 incidents, putting the total since it was formed in 2016 to 1,800. The body stated that a significant number of these have been from hostile states.
In the review the body stated how it used a machine to improve the efficiency of information sharing around threats across the UK.
The government sector received the most support from the NCSC, followed by academia, IT, managed service providers, health and transport.
Minister for the Cabinet Office Oliver Dowden said, “We’ve made great progress on making the UK safer since launching our world-leading £1.9 billion cyber security strategy in 2015. Establishing the NCSC was a key part of this and has played a central role in tackling online threats posed by criminals, hacktivists and hostile nation states.
“As the Cabinet Office Minister responsible for resilience against cyber-attacks and protecting our critical national infrastructure, I very much welcome the achievements laid out in this Annual Review which shows that we are making the UK a more challenging place for our cyber adversaries to operate in.”
NCSC Chief Executive Ciaran Martin said, “This review gives a real insight into the breadth of outstanding work done by the NCSC and underlines why we are a world leader in cyber security.
“From handling more than 600 incidents – many from hostile nation states – to equipping the public with the tools they need to stay safe online, we are employing our expertise on a number of fronts.
“I am proud to lead this organisation and optimistic that, in a constantly evolving landscape, we can help make this the safest country to live and work online.”
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