UK cybercrime agency blocks nearly 1 billion access attempts to malicious websites

Date:
Thu, 04 Dec 2025 10:28:00 +0000

Description:
The Share and Defend service was introduced last year and is defending UK netizens from scammers.

FULL STORY

In just under 12 months, UK netizens tried to access malicious websites a billion times. Luckily, a new NCSC tool called Share and Defend service prevented that from happening, effectively saving people from compromised accounts, stolen data, and lost money.

This is according to a new report published by the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC), and BT, issued earlier this week. Share and Defend was first announced in May last year, and works by pooling together data from threat intelligence providers, NCSCs Protective DNS (PDNS), Takedown services, and other sources.

The information about malicious domains and dangerous landing pages are then shared with internet service providers, managed service providers, and other communication companies, who can block access to them, in real time.

Business-first plan coming soon

These billion clicks would otherwise land on fake e-commerce stores, spoofed landing login pages, and other malicious links.

It shows we are making Britain a hard target for cybercriminals by protecting businesses and citizens on a daily basis, said Dan Jarvis, Security Minister.

Since most email security services these days filter out malicious
attachments, cybercriminals have generally moved to sharing URLs, which are easier to hide. These URLs can be anything, from fake login pages that relay the credentials to the attackers, to fake download pages which, instead of legitimate software, deliver infostealers and ransomware .

According to Cybernews, between August 2024 and 2025, there were more than
200 nationally significant ransomware attacks in the UK, up by more than
double compared to the year prior (89 incidents). Some of the biggest names
to get hit include Marks & Spencer, Co-op, and Jaguar Land Rover. The same source also claims that cyber insurance claims rose by 230% year-on-year, hinting that businesses are increasingly cashing out after getting hit.

Apparently, the UK will present a National Cyber Action Plan in a few weeks, which should be business-first.

Via Cybernews

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Link to news story: https://www.techradar.com/pro/security/uk-cybercrime-agency-blocks-nearly-1-bi llion-access-attempts-to-malicious-websites

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