The UK’s Student Loans Company Fights Off Nearly One Million Cyber-Attacks
The Student Loans Company (SLC) in the UK has revealed that it successfully repelled almost one million cyber-attacks during the last financial year, showcasing the escalating threat posed by hackers to organizations.
Think Tank Uncovers Alarming Statistics
Research conducted by think tank Parliament Street through a Freedom of Information request uncovered that the SLC was targeted by 965,639 separate cyber-attacks in the financial year 2017/18. While specific details about the nature of these attacks were not disclosed, they included attempts such as SQL injection attacks.
Additionally, the SLC reported 323 instances of malware attempts and 235 malicious emails or calls during the same period.
Increasing Incidents of Breaches
Although the majority of cyber-attacks were successfully thwarted, the SLC acknowledged that 127 attempts managed to breach their defenses, marking them as full-blown “incidents.” This is a significant increase compared to previous years, with only three breaches reported in 2015/16 and 95 in 2016/17. However, only one attack was successful in compromising the SLC’s systems.
The successful breach involved the infection of slc.co.uk with Monero cryptocurrency mining malware through a third-party plugin. Fortunately, no customer data was compromised as the website hosts publicly available materials only.
Reassurance from the Student Loans Company
In response to these findings, the SLC emphasized their commitment to cybersecurity and assured the public that all cyber-attacks were detected and prevented at an early stage, with no compromise to their systems or data security. They reiterated that cybersecurity remains a top priority for the organization and that they continue to invest in the necessary technical expertise and resources to safeguard information.
Protecting Student Data
Given the sensitive financial and personal data stored by the SLC on students in the UK, it is understandable why hackers target the organization. Phishing attacks, in particular, pose a significant threat, with cybercriminals attempting to deceive students into disclosing their personal information by impersonating the SLC.
Imperva CTO, Terry Ray, highlighted the importance of investing in robust cybersecurity measures to combat cyber threats and prevent data breaches. He stressed the need for organizations like the SLC to prioritize cybersecurity to safeguard the well-being of individuals and protect their sensitive information.
As cyber threats continue to evolve, organizations must remain vigilant and proactive in implementing effective cybersecurity measures to defend against malicious attacks and safeguard sensitive data.