WMG News - Latest news from WMG
Retail cyber attacks – expert comment
Commenting on the recent cyber-attacks affecting Harrods, the Co-op, and Marks & Spencer (M&S), Dr Harjinder LallieLink opens in a new window, Reader in Cyber Security at WMG at The University of Warwick, said:
“The attacks on Harrods, the Co-op, and Marks & Spencer underline a growing and urgent threat: the UK retail sector is increasingly in the crosshairs of cybercriminals. As digital infrastructure becomes ever more central to business operations, the sector must recognise cyber resilience as a critical business priority.
“The retail industry must enhance its cyber preparedness. This means developing robust resilience strategies, ensuring strong business continuity frameworks, and establishing rapid response protocols that allow organisations to recover immediately from attacks.
“As cyber threats continue to evolve in scale and sophistication, retailers must act decisively to protect their operations, their customers, and their reputations.”
Expert comment on the M&S cyber attack
Reflecting on the recent M&S cyber attack,Link opens in a new window Dr Harjinder Singh LallieLink opens in a new window, Associate Professor at WMG at The University of Warwick said:
“The recent cyber-attack on Marks & Spencer highlights the critical vulnerability of the UK’s food supply chain — an essential pillar of our national infrastructure.
“The food sector is under relentless cyber assault, and attacks like these can seriously disrupt access to basic necessities. The industry must urgently strengthen resilience, not just in preventing breaches, but also in developing robust response mechanisms.
“This includes real-time detection, rapid containment, and parallel operational systems to minimise disruption for customers. Cyber security must now be seen as central to national food security and public confidence.”
WMG student’s success at national cyber competition
Imogen Bartin, a second-year BSc Cyber SecurityLink opens in a new windowLink opens in a new window student from WMG at The University of Warwick, was part of the winning team at the UK Cyber Team CompetitionLink opens in a new windowLink opens in a new window.
The competition, delivered in partnership with the UK Government and the SANS Institute, invited 18-25 year olds with a passion for cyber security to put their skills to the test.
The competition consisted of three Capture the Flag (CTF) rounds. Each round involved interactive exercises designed to replicate networks, systems, and applications in a safe, isolated setting, allowing players to build skills and gain confidence without compromising a live production environment.
Expert comment on the Cyber Security and Resilience Bill
Expert comment from Dr Gregory EpiphaniouLink opens in a new window, Associate Professor of Cyber Security Engineering at WMG, on the UK Government’s forthcoming Cyber Security and Resilience BillLink opens in a new window.
"The forthcoming Cyber Security and Resilience (CSR) Bill introduces sweeping changes such as stricter compliance requirements, stronger enforcement powers, and steep daily fines for cybersecurity lapses, which means organisations without large in-house security teams face mounting pressure to meet regulatory standards."
Cyber Security graduate wins prestigious Fred Piper Award
Edward Motson, a BSc Cyber SecurityLink opens in a new window graduate from WMG at The University of Warwick, was named as the Fred Piper Award Winner at ‘CIISec LIVE’ in Bristol.
In honour of Professor Fred Piper, this national award is presented by The Chartered Institute of Information Security (CIISec) to celebrate outstanding students, not only for academic achievements but for contributions to the cyber community too.
Those nominated for the Fred Piper Award have previously been awarded the titles of Best Student or Best Project by CIISec’s Academic Partners, as part of CIISec's Student of the Year Awards.
WMG student represents Team UK at international cyber event
A student from WMG at the University of Warwick was honoured to represent the UK at the inaugural Kunoichi Cyber GamesLink opens in a new window at the CODE BLUE cyber security conference in Tokyo recently.
Team UK joined competitors from Japan, the USA, and Europe, to compete in the world first, in-person, under 30, female international CTF competition.
Team UK was made up of young women who have been part of the National Cyber Security Centre’s (NCSC) CyberFirst Bursary programme, and were sponsored by Amiosec, BT, Interrupt Labs, Immersive Labs, TryHackMe, and Microsoft.
The Kunoichi Cyber Games in November 2024 aimed to champion women in cyber security and inspire young women to pursue careers in cyber. On the first day of the games the teams showcased their technical skills, and on day two they took part in forums on various topics based on the competition’s themes.
WMG scientists listed in the World’s Top 2% database
Congratulations to WMG’s Dr Harjinder Lallie, Director of the Academic Centre of Excellence in Cyber Security Education (ACE-CSE), who has joined two other members of the Cyber Security team, Dr Hany Atlam, Assistant Professor and Professor Carsten Maple, Director of the Academic Centre of Excellence in Cyber Security Research (ACE-CSR), in the Stanford-Elsevier Top 2% Scientists listing.
Expert comment from Dr Harjinder Lallie on the London hospitals cyber attacks
Dr Harjinder Lallie, Associate Professor (Cyber Security) at WMG at the University of Warwick explain: “The London cyber attack demonstrates the importance of cyber defences and proper back up plans, especially in organisations where it really can be a matter of life or death, like the NHS. With hospitals now having to resort to paper records in the wake of the attack, we must seriously weigh up the costs of defending ourselves versus the cost of doing nothing and accepting these attacks from hostile actors.
“With these attacks often able to manipulate our data as well as hold it to ransom, our most private data – such as our health records – must be protected more closely. To leave the medical information of patients out there without proper cyber security defence is the equivalent of leaving the files on a park bench or on a train. We must invest more in our own defences if we don’t want to see these types of attacks repeated time and again.”
Top of the class!
WMG at the University of Warwick has seen five of its courses ranked number one in the UK by the Eduniversal Best Masters 2024.
Eduniversal ranks the quality of Master’s both in the UK and worldwide. This year a total of five WMG programmes have been recognised in their respective categories, with MSc Cyber Security Management being ranked number one in the world.
Accompanying MSc Cyber Security Management in the rankings were the MSc e-Business Management; MSc Supply Chain and Logistics Management; MSc Innovation and Entrepreneurship and MSc Engineering Business Management programmes.
The rankings were as follows:
· MSc Cyber Security Management –number one in the world for Cybersecurity, Systems Security and Data Protection programmes
· MSc Innovation and Entrepreneurship – number one in the UK and number 22 globally for Entrepreneurship – up three places on the 2022 rankings
· MSc Supply Chain and Logistics Management - number one in the UK and 28th globally for Supply Chain and Logistics - up one place from 2022
· MSc Engineering Business Management - number one in the UK and number three in Western Europe for Industrial and Operations Management.
· MSc e-Business Management - number one in the UK and fifth in Western Europe for E-business and Digital Marketing.
Professor Dan Nunan, Associate Dean (Postgraduate Education) at WMG at the University of Warwick, explained: “I am thrilled to see WMGs specialist courses in applied engineering, management and technology once again recognised as a leading choice for students seeking to develop their careers. These rankings are testament to the hard work and dedication of all our teaching team at WMG.”
Harjinder Lallie, Discipline Group Lead for Cyber Security at WMG, and Director of the Academic Centre of Excellence in Cyber Security Education at the University of Warwick, said: “I am absolutely delighted that our MSc Cyber Security Management degree continues to receive recognition both nationally and globally. The course has an international reputation for excellent teaching, hands on practical experiences and superb post-study employment opportunities. To be ranked number one in the world is an outstanding achievement.”
Eduniversal Group is a global leader in higher education information, providing students worldwide with the tools to find the best education opportunities. Eduniversal publishes annual rankings of the best Master's programmes in 50 fields of study, covering 154 different countries within nine geographic zones. The ranked programmes come from more than 1,800 universities and schools.
WMG offers 14 applied Master’s courses across technology, engineering and management all designed to meet the needs of global industry. Find out more here: https://warwick.ac.uk/fac/sci/wmg/study/masters-degrees
WMG students awarded scholarship to attend prestigious Cyber Security Conference in USA
Congratulations are in order for six University of Warwick students, who have been awarded a scholarship to attend the 2024 Women in CyberSecurity (WiCyS) conference in Nashville, Tennessee.
The students, two of which are postgraduate students studying on WMG’s MSc Cyber Security Management programme, will attend the conference between 11-13 April 2024.
Established through a National Science Foundation Grant to Tennessee Tech University in 2013, WiCYyS has grown into a premier organisation with international reach dedicated to bringing together women in cyber security from academia, research and industry to share knowledge, experience, networking and mentoring.
This is the third consecutive year that University of Warwick students have been awarded a scholarship to the Conference. In 2021, students at WMG at the University of Warwick formed a WiCyS Student Chapter, with 2022 marking a year of transformation and growth when six female students received an international scholarship to attend the annual conference of 1,650 attendees in the USA. This year marks another huge success, with another six students being awarded this prestigious scholarship.
Sarah Aktaa – current academic lead for WiCyS at the University of Warwick says: “The WiCyS initiative cuts across the whole university and through every level of course, from degree year 1 to Master’s level. We are really proud of how the female students have come together and expedited so much energy into the initiative – leading to another six female students receiving a fully funded scholarship to this prestigious event!”
Dr. Elzbieta Titis who supervised WiCyS Chapter last year says: “I am extremely happy and proud to see our students thriving at developing the WiSYC Chapter at Warwick as they continue forming valuable industry connections and making new friendships internationally. To many more such endeavours to materialise and memories forge at the current conference in Nashville, Tennessee!”
If you’re interested in a career in Cyber Security, take a look at the postgraduate and undergraduate courses at WMG, which are certified by the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC):