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| TalkTalk cyber-attack: Boss 'receives ransom email' | |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| The head of TalkTalk says she has had an email demanding a ransom from a group purporting to be behind the cyber-attack suffered by her company. | |
| Chief executive Dido Harding said she did not know whether the ransom email was genuine. | |
| The phone and broadband provider said personal and banking details of up to four million customers may have been accessed in the "significant" attack. | The phone and broadband provider said personal and banking details of up to four million customers may have been accessed in the "significant" attack. |
| The Met Police said the email was "forming part of its investigations". | |
| Ms Harding told the BBC: "It is hard for me to give you very much detail, but yes, we have been contacted by, I don't know whether it is an individual or a group, purporting to be the hacker. | |
| "All I can say is that I had personally received a contact from someone purporting - as I say I don't know whether they are or are not - to be the hacker looking for money." | |
| 'Worry and concern' | |
| TalkTalk said it was too early to know exactly who had been affected by the attack, which happened on Wednesday. | |
| "I'm very sorry for all the frustration, worry and concern this will inevitably be causing all of our customers," Ms Harding added. | |
| "We have been working through the night to make sure that we contact all of our customers and can reassure them about how they can keep their data safe." | "We have been working through the night to make sure that we contact all of our customers and can reassure them about how they can keep their data safe." |
| What should you do if you think you're at risk? | What should you do if you think you're at risk? |
| TalkTalk hack: What should I do? | TalkTalk hack: What should I do? |
| Ms Harding said the company was "rushing to communicate with customers" but that it would take 36 to 48 hours to email all of them. | |
| In a statement, the company said that a criminal investigation had been launched on Thursday. | In a statement, the company said that a criminal investigation had been launched on Thursday. |
| The Metropolitan Police, which is investigating, said no-one had been arrested over Wednesday's attack but inquiries were ongoing. | |
| TalkTalk said there was a chance that some of the following customer data, not all of which was encrypted, had been accessed: | TalkTalk said there was a chance that some of the following customer data, not all of which was encrypted, had been accessed: |
| In the wake of the news, the company's share price dropped by 11% - to their lowest level since August 2013 - in the first few hours after the London Stock Exchange opened at 08:00 BST. | |
| Cyber security consultant and former Scotland Yard detective Adrian Culley told BBC Radio 4's Today programme that a Russian Islamist group had posted online saying it carried out the attack. | |
| He said hackers claiming to be a cyber-jihadi group had posted data which appeared to be TalkTalk customers' private information - although he stressed their claim was yet to be verified or investigated. | He said hackers claiming to be a cyber-jihadi group had posted data which appeared to be TalkTalk customers' private information - although he stressed their claim was yet to be verified or investigated. |
| Analysis | Analysis |
| By Rory Cellan-Jones, BBC technology correspondent | By Rory Cellan-Jones, BBC technology correspondent |
| Cyber-attacks on consumer companies happen with mounting frequency, but TalkTalk's speedy decision to warn all of its customers that their vital data is at risk suggests that this one is very serious indeed. | Cyber-attacks on consumer companies happen with mounting frequency, but TalkTalk's speedy decision to warn all of its customers that their vital data is at risk suggests that this one is very serious indeed. |
| We are being told that this was what's called a DDoS - a distributed denial of service attack - where a website is hit by waves of traffic so intense that it cannot cope. What is not clear is why this would result in the loss of data rather than just the site going down. One suggestion is that the DDoS was a means of distracting TalkTalk's defence team while the criminals went about their work. | We are being told that this was what's called a DDoS - a distributed denial of service attack - where a website is hit by waves of traffic so intense that it cannot cope. What is not clear is why this would result in the loss of data rather than just the site going down. One suggestion is that the DDoS was a means of distracting TalkTalk's defence team while the criminals went about their work. |
| I'm assured that TalkTalk customers' details, including banking information, were all being held in the UK rather than in some overseas data centre. What is less clear is the extent to which that data was encrypted. | I'm assured that TalkTalk customers' details, including banking information, were all being held in the UK rather than in some overseas data centre. What is less clear is the extent to which that data was encrypted. |
| For TalkTalk, the cost to its reputation is likely to be very serious. Now it is going to have to reassure its customers that its security practices are robust enough to regain their trust. | For TalkTalk, the cost to its reputation is likely to be very serious. Now it is going to have to reassure its customers that its security practices are robust enough to regain their trust. |
| TalkTalk said the website was now secure again and TV, broadband, mobile and phone services had not been affected by the attack. | |
| The sales website and the "My account" services are still down but the company hopes to restore them on Friday. | The sales website and the "My account" services are still down but the company hopes to restore them on Friday. |
| However, customers have expressed their frustration with what is the third cyber-attack to affect TalkTalk over the past 12 months. | However, customers have expressed their frustration with what is the third cyber-attack to affect TalkTalk over the past 12 months. |
| Sara Jones, from East Sussex, said she found out about the breach in the news. | Sara Jones, from East Sussex, said she found out about the breach in the news. |
| "I have not received a single piece of correspondence. The level of information is lacking. And to think this is Get Safe Online Week! | "I have not received a single piece of correspondence. The level of information is lacking. And to think this is Get Safe Online Week! |
| "TalkTalk's online advice is not proportionate to what has happened. Telling customers to 'keep an eye on accounts' just does not cut it in terms of advice." | |
| Daniel Musgrove, from Powys, said he had been unable to get through to TalkTalk customer services. | Daniel Musgrove, from Powys, said he had been unable to get through to TalkTalk customer services. |
| "They may not get a payment for my next bill if they don't get this sorted," he added. | "They may not get a payment for my next bill if they don't get this sorted," he added. |
| In August, the company revealed its mobile sales site had been targeted and personal data breached. | In August, the company revealed its mobile sales site had been targeted and personal data breached. |
| And in February, TalkTalk customers were warned about scammers who had managed to steal thousands of account numbers and names. The attacks are understood to be unrelated. | And in February, TalkTalk customers were warned about scammers who had managed to steal thousands of account numbers and names. The attacks are understood to be unrelated. |
| Ms Harding said: "Unfortunately cyber-crime is the crime of our generation. Can our defences be stronger? Absolutely. Can every company's defences be stronger?" | |
| TalkTalk said it had contacted the major banks asking them to look out for any suspicious activity on customers' accounts. It added that every customer would be getting a year's free credit monitoring. | TalkTalk said it had contacted the major banks asking them to look out for any suspicious activity on customers' accounts. It added that every customer would be getting a year's free credit monitoring. |
| Are you a TalkTalk customer? If you have any information to share with the BBC, you can email haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk. | Are you a TalkTalk customer? If you have any information to share with the BBC, you can email haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk. |
| Please include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist. You can also contact us in the following ways: | Please include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist. You can also contact us in the following ways: |
| Or use the form below | Or use the form below |