Act Now is pleased to bring you episode 4 of the Guardians of Data podcast. This is a show where we explore the world of information law and information governance; from privacy and AI to cybersecurity and freedom of information.
The topic of this episode is cyber security. Every week we read about organisations being hacked, held to ransom or their data being stolen. The BBC recently discovered, through an FOI request, that around 10 million people had their data stolen when Transport for London (TfL) was hacked in 2024, making it one of the biggest hacks in British history. The so-called Scattered Spider crime group, breached TfL’s internal computer systems, disrupting its online services and causing £39m of damage.
And the breakout of war in the Middle East has significantly increased the risk of cyber-attack. The National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) recently warned that organisations should prepare for the risk of collateral damage from Iran-linked hacktivists. It said those with a presence in the region should consider boosting the monitoring of their IT systems and follow the centre’s guidelines for dealing with a heightened threat of cyber-attacks.
In this podcast we talk about cyber security through the lens of the recent cyberattacks on major UK retailers. In just the past few months, household names like, Jaguar Land Rover, Gucci, Marks & Spencer and Co-op have suffered significant disruption from ransomware attacks and other cyber incidents. These caused empty shelves, disrupted online orders and shook customer trust.
To help us unpack what happened and what lessons we can all take away, we are joined by Olu Odeniyi a Cyber Security expert and trusted advisor with more than 30 years’ experience in this field. In our conversation, we also explore how businesses can build resilience and trust in the face of growing threats, the future of cybersecurity and practical tips for all of us to stay ahead of the hackers.
Download and listen here, or on your preferred podcast app.
Available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and all major podcast platforms.
Previous episodes of the Guardians of Data podcast have featured Jon Baines, talking about his career as a Data Protection specialist and the hot issues in information governance, and Lynn Wyeth discussing the recent controversy around Grok AI and Maurice Frenkel talking about 20 years of the Freedom of Information Act.
