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TalkTalk Cyber Security

TalkTalk CEO receives ransom email from group claiming to be hackers

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By Tony Connelly, Sports Marketing Reporter

October 23, 2015 | 3 min read

TalkTalk’s chief executive has received a ransom email from a group of hackers claiming to be behind the cyberattack which may have taken the personal and banking details of up to four million customers.

TalkTalk CEO receives ransom email

TalkTalk CEO receives ransom email

Dido Harding confirmed to the BBC that she had been contacted by a group or individual demanding money but that she did not know whether the email was genuine.

“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” said Harding.

She added that "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."

Harding apologised to customers for the worry caused by the attack which is understood to have taken place yesterday and resulted in customers’ personal data including names, addresses, credit card details, date of births and account information being stolen.

TalkTalk’s social accounts have this afternoon begun posting instructions to customers on how to change their passwords.

In an email to customers the company confirmed that a criminal investigation had been launched and urged all to change their account password as soon as the TalkTalk website was back up and running.

Cyber security consultant and former Scotland Yard detective Adrian Culley told BBC Radio 4's Today programme that a Russian Islamist group has claimed responsibility for the attack in an online post.

He said the hackers claimed to be a cyber-jihadi group and had posted data which appeared to be TalkTalk customers' private information, however he stressed their claim has yet to be verified.

TalkTalk Cyber Security

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