Citizens across the UK are set to benefit from a landmark
partnership between government and industry which will see access
to scam websites instantly blocked.
A new data sharing capability developed by the National Cyber
Security Centre (NCSC) – a part of GCHQ – in collaboration with
industry partners will present Internet Service Providers (ISPs)
with real-time threat data that enables them to instantly block
access to known fraudulent sites.
The new capability is being made available to all ISPs operating
in the UK and will significantly bolster the nation’s ability to
protect citizens from cyber criminals. In due course, even more
defenders will be invited to join, including browser and manager
service providers.
The NCSC has previously highlighted the problem of scam websites,
including fake news pages where celebrities such as Ed Sheeran
and Sir Richard Branson appear to be endorsing investment schemes
that seek to trick people into parting with their money.
Announced on day two of the government’s flagship cyber security
conference, CYBERUK 2022, the new
capability will complement the work of the NCSC’s takedown
service, which removed more than 2.7 million scams from the
internet last year alone.
Sarah Lyons, NCSC Deputy Director for Economy and
Society, said:
“Cyber criminals continuously seek to deploy devious methods to
trick us into sharing personal or financial details and it’s
vital we stay ahead of them.
“This landmark partnership with internet service providers means
that scams can be blocked from ever reaching our screens and
reinforces the UK’s armour in protecting the public from online
harms.”
BT, which works with the NCSC on a number of initiatives,
welcomed today’s announcement.
Kevin Brown, Managing Director of BT Security,
said:
“Online scams continue to cause massive harm, from the financial
losses suffered by individuals and businesses, through to the
continued erosion of our trust in the internet and the
communications we receive.
“To tackle this, organisations across the public and private
sector have to collate resources and openly share intelligence
and best practice, even with their peers and competitors.
“We’re proud to have worked closely with the NCSC to develop this
initiative, which will significantly increase the speed at which
we share data and block scams.”
If people do encounter a suspicious website, the NCSC’s website reporting tool
allows anyone to send URLs to be analysed and, if found to be
malicious, a notice will be issued to the host requesting that
the site be removed.
People who receive suspicious emails should forward them to
report@phishing.gov.uk and
suspicious texts to 7726 where they will be analysed by the NCSC and
removed if found to be fraudulent.
