In this episode, Mark Read (https://www.linkedin.com/in/mark-read-/), Head of Data Breach Solutions at TransUnion UK, talks to George Chaisty (https://kennedyslaw.com/en/our-people/people/manchester/george-chaisty/), a Partner at the international law firm Kennedys Law LLP, and Cameron Carr (https://www.mullen.law/people/cameron-carr/), Managing Partner for Mullen Coughlin, to get a better understanding of the current cyber threat landscape. Off the back of a busy 2023 and with Mark attending February’s IAPP Data Protection Intensive 2024 event in London, the first part of this podcast reflects on the dominant and emerging methods being used by threat actors. Cameron, Mark and George use this scene setting as an entry point into the recent Royal United Services Institute, (RUSI) paper which explores the harms caused by ransomware to individuals, organisations and society (https://www.rusi.org/explore-our-research/publications/occasional-papers/ransomware-victim-insights-harms-individuals-organisations-and-society). RUSI is the world’s oldest and the UK’s leading defence and security think tank, and this document is an important industry talking point. Our experts discuss the psychological impact ransomware can have on individuals directly (first-order harms) and indirectly (secondary-order harms) and address key issues that businesses need to consider when mitigating a cyber incident that includes breach fatigue, impact on front line staff and customer care. We wrap up with insights into what industry professionals can expect to see from threat actors in the coming year and identify the resources that will need to be carefully marshalled in response to these threats. For more information on how your organisation can look to counter the threat of a data breach, download our dedicated ebook (https://www.transunion.co.uk/lp/breach-ebook) or get in touch with Mark directly.