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May brought renewed attention to cyber risk and its broader impact on how organisations operate and protect trust. Across the UK, breaches and responses revealed that many businesses are still operating on outdated assumptions. The time to rethink how we handle threats is now.
At Secon Cyber, we’ve spent the past month speaking with clients, sharing practical advice, and preparing for what’s coming next.
Supply Chain Threats Move to the Forefront.
Marks & Spencer was the subject of a high-profile ransomware attack earlier this spring. By May, more details had come to light. The breach was traced to a third-party contractor. Social engineering was the entry point. DragonForce ransomware halted both online and in-store services, with operational disruption expected to continue into the summer.
The financial damage is significant, early reports suggest a £300 million hit to profits. Customer data was compromised, and the effects are still unfolding. This event has become one of the most serious cyber-related disruptions in UK retail in recent years.
Linton Geach, Secon’s Technical Director, wrote about the broader risks in A Reality Check on Supply Chain Risk and the Rise of Deepfake Threats. His analysis asks a difficult question: what if this wasn’t just a phishing attempt? What if voice or video impersonation had been used to trick staff into granting access?
While this hasn’t been confirmed in the M&S case, the tools are available and being used elsewhere. The piece outlines simple steps every organisation should consider, such as improving contractor screening, strengthening internal escalation procedures, and raising awareness of impersonation tactics that are powered by artificial intelligence.
Two Conversations That Got People Talking.
In May, our team hosted two live sessions on core areas of cyber hygiene: vulnerability visibility and remediation. Each one tackled practical issue that security teams face right now.
Vulnerability Remediation in the Age of AI.
In partnership with Vicarius
This session looked at how artificial intelligence can help organisations reduce exposure and improve patching speed. With attackers already automating their methods, the pressure is growing on defenders to work smarter, not just harder.
From Exposed to Empowered.
In partnership with RunZero
In this session, we took a closer look at the root causes of failed vulnerability programmes. Asset discovery remains a weak point in many environments. Our discussion offered practical advice for fixing visibility gaps and improving remediation strategies from the ground up.
Both sessions are available to replay, and we continue to receive strong feedback from those who attended live.
What’s Coming Up: InfoSecurity Europe 2025.
Next week, we’ll be on the ground at InfoSecurity Europe 2025, taking place from 3–5 June at ExCeL London.
We’ve prepared a short guide for those attending in person or tuning in remotely. It outlines the topics we expect to shape the event, including identity protection, threat detection, and the practical use of artificial intelligence within cyber defence.
Closing Thoughts.
The pressure to react to threats is constant. But relying on instinct and luck is not enough. More organisations are shifting their focus toward structured, thoughtful preparation. Whether dealing with ransomware, visibility gaps, or external risk, success starts with clear thinking and straightforward advice.
That’s what we aim to offer every month and every day.
If you’re reviewing your current approach to access control, third-party risk, or AI-powered threats, our team is ready to help. Get in touch.