September 8, 2023 Cyber ​​Week: United Kingdom on the front lines of cyber attacks

Welcome to this new edition of CyberHepto, your weekly meeting to stay informed about the latest cyber attacks reported around the world. In the past week, we have documented six major cyber attacks on media in five different countries: Jamaica (JM), United Kingdom (GBR), Spain (ESP), Morocco (MAR) and France (FRA). . The United Kingdom unfortunately stands out with two cases this week, the worst-affected country of the countries we analyzed.

We remind you that our press review focuses on significant cyber attacks and does not cover DDoS attacks or website defacements.

04/09/2023 – Abdelmalek Ezzadi University (MAR)
Moroccan higher education institution Abdelmalek Essadi University has launched an in-depth investigation following a security breach on its master’s nomination platform. The cyber attack, which took place on Monday, September 4, is considered a serious electronic crime under Moroccan law. In response, the university tightened the security and privacy of information on the compromised platform to prevent unauthorized access. He also assured that personal data and information of the students will be protected. To compensate for the disruption caused by this violation, the University has decided to extend the nomination period for postgraduate degrees. (Evidence)

04/09/2023 – Maiden Erlech Foundation (GPR)
Maiden Erlech Trust School in Earley was hit by a sophisticated cyber attack, leaving staff unable to access teaching and technology resources. As a result, teachers decided to end school early to allow them to plan lessons more effectively. A school’s computer system is infiltrated by an unauthorized third party using ransomware, temporarily blocking access to the network. After the attack, steps have been taken to contain and remove the malware and restore systems. (Evidence)

05/09/2023 – Financial Services Commission (FSC) (JAM)
The Financial Services Commission (FSC) has announced that it has been the victim of a cyber attack. He announced that a team of cyber security experts drawn from the Jamaica Cyber ​​Incident Response Team (JA-CIRT) and the Major Organized Crime and Anti-Corruption Agency (MOCA) were ‘actively working to assess the extent of the incident’. (Evidence)

05/09/2023 – Seville Town Hall (ESP)
Seville’s Ayuntamiento (Town Hall) has been the victim of a cyber attack by the Lockbit hacker group, which is demanding a five million euro ransom to restore access to blocked computer systems. Online services of various businesses and municipal organizations have been disrupted, forcing employees to change their work patterns. However, the Ayuntamiento said it will not negotiate with cybercriminals. (Evidence)

06/09/2023 – St Augustine’s Academy, Maidstone (GPR)
St Augustine’s Academy in Maidstone, whose principal Jason Feldwick, was the victim of a serious cyber attack. The computer attack was confirmed on Wednesday. There was no mention of whether any data had been compromised or what steps had been taken to resolve the issue. The impact of this cyber attack on the school and its students is unknown. (Evidence)

07/09/2023 – Group of Saint-Vincent Hospital in Strasbourg (ENG)
The Saint-Vincent Hospital Group in Strasbourg suffered a cyber attack that led to the shutdown of its IT system. The attack took place on the night of Wednesday to Thursday, September 7. Despite the attack, the clinics were able to maintain their operations, although IT equipment was still not available to staff. An investigation into the origin of the intrusion and whether any information was stolen is ongoing. (Evidence)

Journal review produced in part with ChatGPT. Read the explanations here.