Talk Talk HACK is the beginning of a 'cyber arms race'

The latest Talk Talk hack is part of a "cyber security arms race" threatening all UK firms

THE Talk Talk hack is part of a "cyber security arms race" threatening all UK companies, Baroness Harding has cautioned.

 

Chief executive of TalkTalk, Dido Harding has warned of a "cyber security arms race" threatening all UK companies as she revealed she called in defence experts over the hack of its website.

Baroness Harding revealed Talk Talk has reached out to BAE Systems, which supplies cyber security to government agencies, following the devastating cyber attack.

An online gang – who have dubbed themselves "CYBER JIHADIS" – last week claimed responsibility for the staggering attack on popular home broadband provider Talk Talk.

 

Despite earlier reports that names, addresses, credit and debit card information had been stolen, a joint investigations between TalkTalk and the Metropolitan Police Cyber Crime Unit has revealed that this might not be the case.

The home broadband firm claimed data stolen in the attack would not allow criminals to plunder customers' bank accounts, as complete credit card details were not stored in its system and account passwords were not accessed.

TalkTalk said the cyber attack had affected its website rather than its "core systems".

 

The firm said it was "too early to say" how many of its four million UK customers had been affected by the attack. 

Baroness Harding told the Times: "This is a sort of cyber security arms race. Criminals are learning how to do things. One of the first calls I made on Wednesday was to BAE.

"Do I wish I had done more? Of course I do. But would that have made a difference? If I'm honest I don't know.

"This is happening to a huge number of organisations all the time. 

"The awful truth is that every company, every organisation in the UK needs to spend more money and put more focus on cyber security - it's the crime of our era."

 

Baroness Harding has claimed the hack is the latest in an ongoing "cyber security arms race"

The "Cyber Jihadis" last week posted a garbled message online, by those behind the TalkTalk attack.

It said: "We Have adapted To The Security measures Of The Web,, We Cannot Be Stopped... We Will Teach our Children To Use The Web For Allah.. Your Hands Will Be Covered In Blood.. Judgement Day Is Soon.

"WE Are In The Soviet Russia And Near Place, Your Europe, WE control Asia, We Control AMERICA." (sic)

 

Talk Talk posted the following message following news the devastating hack

Scotland Yard is investigating the ransom demand sent to the telecoms giant alongside the National Crime Agency, dubbed NCA.

The firm said it was not sure if the message was genuine.

The latest breach is the third in a spate of cyber attacks affecting TalkTalk in the last eight months, with breaches in August and February also resulting in customers' data being stolen.