Experts at the National Cyber Security Centre are using a new cyber tool to block malicious sites and emails with 1 billion blocked in last 12 months
Shoppers have been saved from £3,000 potential losses by a new government crackdown – involving a new cyber tool. The initiative has seen almost 1 billion attempts to access malicious sites blocked, officials said.
The Share and Defend service – developed by experts at the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) – works to disrupt online crime by sharing near real-time data on known fraudulent and malicious websites with internet service providers, which can then prevent customers from clicking through.
In the last year a billion attempts by criminals were blocked at source before potential victims can click through, according to new figures from GCHQ’s NCSC and BT. Online content such as fake shops, phishing sites and malicious links, including from emails reported to the NCSC by the public, are being blocked automatically providing better protection at scale, officials said.
Industry reporting suggests average personal losses for authorised frauds where the victim has approved a payment could be almost £3,000 a time. A total of £2.35 billion in 2021 was reported as lost to scams in 2021.
In the year ending December 2022, 1 in 15 adults were victims of fraud. Security Minister Dan Jarvis announced the partnership in a keynote speech to the Cyber Resilience Summit 2025, hailing it as an example of government working with businesses to keep the country safe. The announcement comes as the government prepares to publish the National Cyber Action Plan in the New Year.
Dan Jarvis, Security Minister, said: “I am very pleased that the cutting-edge Share and Defend service has blocked almost a billion attempts to access malicious content. It shows we are making Britain a hard target for cyber criminals by protecting businesses and citizens on a daily basis.
“The government will continue to use technology and to build strong partnerships across industry to secure our nation against threats and boost economic growth.”
Dr Richard Horne, CEO of the National Cyber Security Centre, said: “At a time when we are all increasingly dependent on technology to run our lives, the NCSC’s Share and Defend service is helping to protect the British public at an unprecedented scale.
“As one of our Active Cyber Defence services, this capability demonstrates the impact that we can have when we intervene to block malicious activity, working alongside industry partners.
“Collaboration is essential for proactively countering the threat, and we look forward to extending the success of the programme driving up our national cyber resilience.”
Claire Gillies, CEO at BT Group’s Consumer Division said: “Our role as a founding partner of the Share and Defend programme aligns with the priority we put on protecting the UK.
“As cyber threats continue to grow for consumers and businesses across the country, today’s announcement demonstrates the value of strong, coordinated action. Ongoing collaboration between government and industry is essential to safeguard the UK’s digital landscape and ensure a safer online environment for all.”
Share and Defend partners also include the Cyber Defence Alliance, TalkTalk, PXC, Vodafone, and Jisc, the UK’s National Research and Education Network Operator and the NCSC is looking to link up with new partners to extend the reach, so more citizens and businesses from across the UK can benefit from protection.
It support the Government’s work to step up cooperation with businesses to protect the public through the Stop! Think Fraud campaign at a time of year when more people are shopping online.
