What happened
The UK National Cyber Security Centre started sending proactive alerts to organizations after finding flaws in internet-exposed devices that attackers could exploit.
Who is affected
Any UK organization with devices or services exposed to the internet, including critical infrastructure, public sector groups, and private companies.
Why CISOs should care
Unpatched and exposed services remain one of the most common entry points for attackers. The NCSC’s alerts show that threat actors continue to scan for weak configurations, and even small gaps in device security can lead to major breaches.
3 practical actions
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Audit all internet-facing devices and confirm they run current firmware and patches.
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Disable unused services and close ports that do not need to be exposed.
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Set up continuous monitoring to catch configuration drift and new exposures.