UK cyber chief Cameron says ransomware is key online threat

Cameron will also reveal that it’s ‘almost certain’ that the primary cyber threat to think tanks in the UK is from nation-state espionage groups. — Reuters

Professional criminals holding businesses to ransom – often with the support of nation-states – is the key online threat facing the UK, the country’s cyber security chief will say Monday.

Lindy Cameron, who is chief executive of the National Cyber Security Centre, part of the spy agency GCHQ, will warn the market that ransomware has become increasingly “professional”. Some criminals even offer 24/7 call centers “to quickly pay the ransom and get yourself back online” or offering to research businesses’ “insurance policy to see if you are covered to pay ransoms”, she’ll say, according to her office.