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This is cyber security today. I'm your host Jim Love. Wirral university teaching hospital in Northwest England has declared a major incident due to cyber security reasons leading to the cancellation of all outpatient appointments and a call for the public to only use its emergency department for genuine emergencies.
While the exact nature of the cybersecurity issue hasn't been disclosed, the Trust confirmed on November 27th that it had detected suspicious activity on its network and isolated its systems to prevent further impact. Staff are now operating manually using paper based processes with hospital staff describing the situation as really difficult due to the reliance on digital systems for records and results.
And while no timeline has been provided, the trust reassured patients that it is working to return normal operations as soon as possible. We checked their site Sunday evening as we recorded this, and there were no changes to their situation posted on the website. This is just another in a growing crisis in cybersecurity and healthcare, where disruptions can have life threatening consequences.
The unprotected storage bucket contained 346, 000 files and was accessible to anyone without authorization. Despite initial disclosure notifications sent to WotNot, the data remained exposed for over two months before being secured, and this is not some isolated little startup. WotNot provides AI powered chatbots to 3000 businesses across industries, such as insurance, finance, and healthcare.
You cannot paste on cybersecurity after AI software is developed. A newly discovered phishing campaign is leveraging corrupted Microsoft Word documents to bypass security software and trick users into revealing their credentials. The campaign, uncovered by cybersecurity firm Any. run, Targets employees with emails, mimicking payroll and HR communications attaching intentionally corrupted word files.
The QR code directs victims to a phishing website impersonating a Microsoft login page designed to steal user credentials. Some of these documents have been branded with logos of targeted organizations, adding an extra layer of deception. This technique exploits a gap in traditional antivirus and email security systems.
Law enforcement agencies across 10 countries have dismantled what is believed to be the world's largest piracy network in a sweeping operation known as Operation Takedown. The two year investigation culminated in over 100 raids, the seizure of 1. 65 million euros in cryptocurrency and the arrest of 11 individuals.
And I'm sure that everyone is committed to protection of intellectual property, but if you're that rare person who might be saying, eh, we should remind everyone. that pirated materials are a huge distributor of malware and other cyber threats. And, as Europol's investigation revealed, this piracy operation extended beyond copyright infringement to include money laundering and, yes, cybercrime.
com. We welcome your comments, tips, and the occasional bit of constructive criticism at editorial at technewsday. ca. I'm your host, Jim Love. Thanks for listening.