Political Candidates Offered New Cyber Defence Service Ahead of General Election

Political candidates will be able access a new cyber defence service on their personal devices, the UK intelligence service has announced. The National Cyber Security Centre, part of GCHQ, has ramped up security measures to protect officials from spear-phishing, malware attacks, and other cyber threats. An opt-in service offers an extra layer of security by warning users if they try to visit a malicious domain. It will also block outgoing traffic to these domains. The NCSC director for national resilience and future technology, Jonathon Ellison, urged eligible users to sign up to the service and follow the provided security guidance. “Individuals who play important roles in our democracy are an attractive target for cyber actors seeking to disrupt or otherwise undermine our open and free society. That’s why the NCSC has ramped up our support for people at higher risk of being targeted online to ensure they can better protect their accounts and devices from attacks,” Mr. Ellison said in a statement....