British companies face increasing threat of cyber attacks

World Today

Britain’s Prime Minister David Cameron will propose greater collaboration with the United States in the fight against cyber terrorism when he meets with U.S. President Barack Obama on Friday.

The meeting has gained added urgency in the wake of last week’s Charlie Hebdo attack. CCTV America’s Richard Bestic reported this story from London.

GCHQ, Britain’s vast eavesdropping intelligence agency, has revealed that every day, a U.K. firm or organization’s website is attacked by hackers.

Four out of five companies report attacks with costs running into billions of dollars, according to GCHQ director Robert Hannigan.

A former U.K. defense minister warns of catastrophic consequences should an attack break the national grid’s defenses.

“I am told by people who work at the National Grid how unremitting is the attacks on the National Grid. If the electricity were interrupted for any serious length of time, the consequences on our society would be more devastating than we’re able to contemplate at the moment,” former U.K. defense minister James Arbuthnot said.

The international hacking row, triggered by Sony’s movie “The Interview”, and the attacks on Sony PlayStation, are just two examples of the chaos hackers can cause.


Scott Schober, CEO of Berkeley Varitronics Systems discusses cybersecurity

CCTV America interviewed Scott Schober, CEO of Berkeley Varitronics Systems, about the 19,000 cyber attacks in France following the Charlie Hebdo attack.

Scott Schober of Berkeley Varitronics discusses global cybersecurity

CCTV America interviewed Scott Schober, CEO of Berkeley Varitronics Systems, about the 19,000 cyber attacks in France following the Charlie Hebdo attack.