Experts in Scotland say the threat of cyber attacks is up with climate change as one of the biggest risks we face in the years to come.
A number of high-profile ransomware incidents have taken place in the last few weeks targeting supermarkets such as Marks and Spencer and Co-op.
Shelves were left empty, websites crashed and card payments were not working in stores as retailers revealed the financial impact of the attack.
M&S said the attack – attributed to a hacking group called Scattered Spider – may hit profits by £300m.
Meanwhile, West Lothian Council was targeted this month and “sensitive and personal” data stolen from its education network.
Parents and carers at every school in the area have been contacted to inform them that data was stolen.
Bob McKay, cyber and infosec director at Aspire Technology Solutions, said the attack on M&S started as a “simple con”.
He explained the attack started with a call to an M&S department from the hackers asking to change a password.
Experts have told STV News it’s difficult to understand why local authorities would be a target.
Jude McCorry, CEO of Cyber and Fraud Centre Scotland, said: “Maybe the hackers don’t understand this is a public sector organisation and they wouldn’t pay the ransom.
“They just see vulnerability and they go after it, and sometimes it is to cause disruption.”
Dr Ben Collier, a lecturer in Digital Methods at the University of Edinburgh said: “I think we are quite complacent here, there’s a misconception that this is about militarised security to toughen our defences as hard as we can.
“A lot of this is really about ongoing maintenance and renewal and the basic infrastructure we use day to day.
“That has taken a back seat for too long.”
Follow STV News on WhatsApp
Scan the QR code on your mobile device for all the latest news from around the country
