Following Russia’s further violation of Ukraine’s territorial integrity, the National Cyber Security Centre has called on organisations in the UK to bolster their online defences. The NCSC, which is a part of GCHQ, has urged organisations to follow its guidance on steps to take when the cyber threat is heightened.

The NCSC says that while it is not aware of any current specific threats to UK organisations in relation to events in and around Ukraine, there has been an historical pattern of cyber-attacks on Ukraine with international consequences.

The guidance encourages organisations to follow actionable steps that reduce the risk of falling victim to an attack. With the cyber threat heightened, organisations should follow NCSC advice to:

• check the system patching;
• verify access controls;
• ensure defences are working;
• monitor key logs;
• review backups;
• check incident response plans;
• check internet footprints;
• check phishing responses;
• check third party access;
• ensure access to NCSC services is in place; and
• brief the wider organisation.

To read the NCSC’s announcement on its website and for a link to the guidance, click here.