Saudi Press

Saudi Arabia and the world
Friday, Aug 22, 2025

British firms warned to bolster cyber defences against threat of new Russian attacks

British firms warned to bolster cyber defences against threat of new Russian attacks

Ukraine was hit on 14 January by what Ukrainian officials described as a "massive cyber attack" that targeted some 70 government websites. The attack was suspected to have been carried out by Russia - which the Kremlin denies.
Britain's cyber security centre has urged UK organisations to check their cyber defences because of concern about the potential for new Russian cyber attacks linked to tensions with Ukraine.

The public-facing arm of the spy agency GCHQ encouraged everyone to read new guidance published on its website entitled: "Actions to take when the cyber threat is heightened."

Paul Chichester, director of operations at the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC), said: "While we are unaware of any specific cyber threats to UK organisations in relation to events in Ukraine, we are monitoring the situation closely and it is vital that organisations follow the guidance to ensure they are resilient.

"Over several years, we have observed a pattern of malicious Russian behaviour in cyber space. Last week's incidents in Ukraine bear the hallmarks of similar Russian activity we have observed before."

Ukraine was hit on 14 January by what Ukrainian officials described as a "massive cyber attack" that targeted some 70 government websites.

Oleksiy Danilov, the top security adviser to Ukraine's president, told Sky News at the time that he was 99.9% sure Russia was behind the assault.

The Kremlin has denied the claim.

Officials from the NCSC are "urgently" helping the Ukrainian government investigate the attack and discover who was behind it.

The cyber offensive unfolded as Russia amasses more than 100,000 troops and weaponry close to Ukraine's borders.

The military mobilisation has prompted fears in Western capitals of a new Russian invasion of its neighbour - eight years after President Vladimir Putin annexed Crimea and backed separatists in the east.

The NCSC said in a statement on Friday: "While the government is not attributing responsibility for the recent cyber incidents in Ukraine, the NCSC is urgently investigating them.

"Incidents of this nature are similar to a pattern of Russian behaviour seen before in previous situations."

This included a global cyber attack in 2017 that cost businesses around the world hundreds of millions of pounds.

The UK has previously accused Russian military intelligence of launching the NotPetya attack against government IT systems in Ukraine.

The malware then spread across 64 other countries, including the UK.

Cyber hostilities are a form of attack that can take place in a grey zone under the threshold of war or as part of a physical, military invasion.

The new NCSC warning appears designed to try to ensure British companies and other organisations are better prepared in case another cyber attack against Ukraine then infects the internet worldwide.

It is a sign of how a conflict in one part of the world can impact anyone, anywhere because cyber weapons do not respect geographical boundaries.

The "guidance encourages organisations to follow actionable steps that reduce the risk of falling victim to an attack", the cyber centre said.

These actions are listed on its new guidance, which was published last week - three days after the cyber attack against Ukrainian government websites became public.

They include things like patching systems; enabling multifactor authentication; and checking that backups and restore mechanisms are working.

Any organisation that falls foul of a cyber attack is advised to report the incident to the NCSC.
Newsletter

Related Articles

Saudi Press
0:00
0:00
Close
Dogfights in the Skies: Airbus on Track to Overtake Boeing and Claim Aviation Supremacy
Tim Cook Promises an AI Revolution at Apple: "One of the Most Significant Technologies of Our Generation"
Are AI Data Centres the Infrastructure of the Future or the Next Crisis?
Miles Worth Billions: How Airlines Generate Huge Profits
Zelenskyy Returns to White House Flanked by European Allies as Trump Pressures Land-Swap Deal with Putin
Beijing is moving into gold and other assets, diversifying away from the dollar
Cristiano Ronaldo Makes Surprise Stop at New Hong Kong Museum
Zelenskyy to Visit Washington after Trump–Putin Summit Yields No Agreement
High-Stakes Trump-Putin Summit on Ukraine Underway in Alaska
Iranian Protection Offers Chinese Vehicle Shipments a Cost Advantage over Japanese and Korean Makers
Saudi Arabia accelerates renewables to curb domestic oil use
Cristiano Ronaldo and Georgina Rodríguez announce engagement
Asia-Pacific dominates world’s busiest flight routes, with South Korea’s Jeju–Seoul corridor leading global rankings
Private Welsh island with 19th-century fort listed for sale at over £3 million
Sam Altman challenges Elon Musk with plans for Neuralink rival
Australia to Recognize the State of Palestine at UN Assembly
The Collapse of the Programmer Dream: AI Experts Now the Real High-Earners
Armenia and Azerbaijan to Sign US-Brokered Framework Agreement for Nakhchivan Corridor
British Labour Government Utilizes Counter-Terrorism Tools for Social Media Monitoring Against Legitimate Critics
WhatsApp Deletes 6.8 Million Scam Accounts Amid Rising Global Fraud
Nine people have been hospitalized and dozens of salmonella cases have been reported after an outbreak of infections linked to certain brands of pistachios and pistachio-containing products, according to the Public Health Agency of Canada
Texas Residents Face Water Restrictions While AI Data Centers Consume Millions of Gallons
Tariffs, AI, and the Shifting U.S. Macro Landscape: Navigating a New Economic Regime
India Rejects U.S. Tariff Threat, Defends Russian Oil Purchases
United States Establishes Strategic Bitcoin Reserve and Digital Asset Stockpile
Thousands of Private ChatGPT Conversations Accidentally Indexed by Google
China Tightens Mineral Controls, Curtailing Critical Inputs for Western Defence Contractors
OpenAI’s Bold Bet: Teaching AI to Think, Not Just Chat
BP’s Largest Oil and Gas Find in 25 Years Uncovered Offshore Brazil
JPMorgan and Coinbase Unveil Partnership to Let Chase Cardholders Buy Crypto Directly
British Tourist Dies Following Hair Transplant in Turkey, Police Investigate
WhatsApp Users Targeted in New Scam Involving Account Takeovers
Trump Deploys Nuclear Submarines After Threats from Former Russian President Medvedev
Germany’s Economic Breakdown and the Return of Militarization: From Industrial Collapse to a New Offensive Strategy
IMF Upgrades Global Growth Forecast as Weaker Dollar Supports Outlook
Politics is a good business: Barack Obama’s Reported Net Worth Growth, 1990–2025
"Crazy Thing": OpenAI's Sam Altman Warns Of AI Voice Fraud Crisis In Banking
Japanese Prime Minister Vows to Stay After Coalition Loses Upper House Majority
President Trump Diagnosed with Chronic Venous Insufficiency After Leg Swelling
Man Dies After Being Pulled Into MRI Machine Due to Metal Chain in New York Clinic
FIFA Pressured to Rethink World Cup Calendar Due to Climate Change
"Can You Hit Moscow?" Trump Asked Zelensky To Make Putin "Feel The Pain"
Nvidia Becomes World’s First Four‑Trillion‑Dollar Company Amid AI Boom
Iranian President Reportedly Injured During Israeli Strike on Secret Facility
Kurdistan Workers Party Takes Symbolic Step Towards Peace in Northern Iraq
BRICS Expands Membership with Indonesia and Ten New Partner Countries
Elon Musk Founds a Party Following a Poll on X: "You Wanted It – You Got It!"
AI Raises Alarms Over Long-Term Job Security
Saudi Arabia Maintains Ties with Iran Despite Israel Conflict
Russia Formally Recognizes Taliban Government in Afghanistan
×