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U.K. Repelled 600 Cyber Attacks This Year, Many From Overseas
The National Cyber Security Centre defended the U.K. from 658 cyber attacks in the year to October
23 Oct 2019, 08:28 AM IST 
St.Paul’s Cathedral, skyscrapers in the City of London and the Shard dominate the skyline above the River Thames in London, U.K. (Photographer: Bryn Colton/Bloomberg)
(Bloomberg) -- The National Cyber Security Centre defended the U.K. from 658 cyber attacks in the year to October -- many from hostile foreign states -- with government departments most at risk from attack, according to its annual report.
The organization revealed:
- The NCSC meets with political parties every three months and regularly gives cyber security advice to members of Parliament and guidance on electoral fraud
- Sectors most at risk of fraudulent hacking include the government, universities, information technology, health care and transport
- Most-hacked passwords used by individuals include numbers -- with “123456” hacked 23.2 million times. Of Premier League soccer team names used as passwords, “Liverpool” was the most frequently hacked, and of fictional characters, “Superman’ is the most likely to be bypassed
To contact the reporter on this story: Kitty Donaldson in London at kdonaldson1@bloomberg.net
To contact the editors responsible for this story: Tim Ross at tross54@bloomberg.net, Stuart Biggs, Alex Morales
©2019 Bloomberg L.P.