Latest news with #RobHughes
South Wales Argus
5 hours ago
- Business
- South Wales Argus
YesCymru take campaign letter to Downing Street
Directors Rob Hughes and Sam Murphy took the letter to 10 Downing Street as part of a national campaign for control of assets and revenues in Wales. The campaign has already garnered support from all 22 local authorities in Wales, the Senedd, and 75 per cent of the Welsh public. YesCymru argues that transferring control of these assets to Wales, as has already happened in Scotland, would support local economies and promote sustainable development. Mr Hughes said: "Wales has been overlooked and undervalued for far too long. "All we're asking for is fairness, and when that's denied, more and more people see independence as the only way forward. "This united support across Wales shows that YesCymru can bring people together behind a clear demand, and that real change is possible when voices across the country speak as one." Torfaen Council was the last Welsh local authority to back the transfer of Crown Estate powers, with a motion passed on June 10. The Crown Estate in Wales, worth over £850 million, currently sends its profits straight to the UK Treasury.
The National
12 hours ago
- Business
- The National
Yes Cymru deliver Crown Estate campaign letter to Downing Street
All 22 local authorities in Wales, the Senedd, and an overwhelming 75% of the Welsh public have supported the campaign on, with the final council voting unanimously to support the proposal last week. In the letter, YesCymru set out the case for the transfer, stating that "Westminster's failure to act is strengthening the case for independence" and driving public support. Thee group highlighted the significant rise in backing for an independent Wales, from around 5% before the 2014 Scottish referendum to 41% in the most recent poll, conducted in April. READ MORE: Robin McAlpine: Why support for independence is surging in Wales Campaigners are calling for the management of Crown Estate assets in Wales to be devolved to the Welsh Government, and for the profits from these sites to stay in Wales also, instead of going to the UK Treasury. Crown Estate Scotland manages seabed, coastline, rural estates and other assets, delivering the profits to the Scottish Government for public spending. The Crown Estate in Wales, valued at over £850 million, generates significant revenue from Welsh land and seabeds. Several peers argued in October that it is only fair to devolve the Crown Estate in Wales to the Welsh Government, given Scottish assets were devolved to Scotland in 2016. Director of YesCymru, Rob Hughes, said: "Wales has been overlooked and undervalued for far too long. All we're asking for is fairness, and when that's denied, more and more people see independence as the only way forward." The letter outlines that YesCymru is willing to engage constructively with the UK Government, not only on transferring the Crown Estate but also on preparing the way for a referendum on Welsh independence. Hughes concluded: "This united support across Wales shows that YesCymru can bring people together behind a clear demand, and that real change is possible when voices across the country speak as one."
The National
10-06-2025
- Business
- The National
All Welsh councils vote to control Crown Estate like Scotland
Torfaen County Borough was the final local authority to support the campaign on Tuesday, with councillors voting unanimously to support the proposal. The vote marks a historic consensus across all 22 local councils and the Senedd, following a coordinated national campaign led by YesCymru. The group is calling for the management of Crown Estate assets in Wales to be devolved to the Welsh Government, and for the profits from these sites to stay in Wales also. READ MORE: Scottish Government not ruling out changes to devolved Winter Fuel Payment Crown Estate Scotland manages seabed, coastline, rural estates and other assets, delivering the profits to the Scottish Government for public spending. Several peers argued in October that it is only fair to devolve the Crown Estate in Wales to the Welsh Government, given Scottish assets were devolved to Scotland in 2016. Director of YesCymru, Rob Hughes, said: 'With unanimous support across all local authorities and the Senedd, the message from Wales is loud and clear. We call once again on the UK Government to do the right thing and transfer control of the Crown Estate to Wales.'
South Wales Argus
10-06-2025
- Politics
- South Wales Argus
Torfaen Council to vote on Crown Estate control in Wales
If agreed, the June 10 motion would make Torfaen the 22nd and final Welsh local authority to support the proposal, following a campaign by YesCymru. The Crown Estate is currently managed by the UK Government. YesCymru views the motion as an opportunity for a united Welsh stance on national sovereignty. YesCymru director Rob Hughes said: "Should we achieve unanimous support across all local authorities and the Senedd on Tuesday, the message from Wales will be loud and clear. "We call once again on the UK Government to do the right thing and transfer control of the Crown Estate to Wales." The motion in Torfaen has been introduced by Labour councillor for Fairwater Ward, Jayne Watkins. Mr Hughes has praised the cross-party collaboration that has pushed the campaign to this point. "When Wales works together, Wales works well," he said. "This campaign proves that radical, positive change is possible when people from all walks of life unite for the common good. "The future of Wales is ours to shape, and together, our potential is limitless."
Yahoo
08-06-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Why Healthcare Gets Hit Hardest With Cyberattacks
Our health data is some of the most confidential information we have, and the systems that most healthcare companies use to protect it from cybercrooks are somewhat sickly. Thanks to a toxic mix of aging hardware, outdated software and shoestring operating budgets, they're increasingly susceptible to cybercriminals who are not only lured by a gold mine of data but also armed with state-of-the-art hacking tools, experts told The Daily Upside, leading to some of the largest data breaches in history. And the risks extend far beyond lost data and eye-popping ransom payments. 'There's really a direct danger to patient care and life,' says Rob Hughes, chief information security officer at security firm RSA. 'That's as serious as you can get. It's a different type of pressure.' READ ALSO: NBA Finals Kick Off With an Old (Footwear) Friend and Tariffs Deliver Record Drop in US Trade Deficit Statistics back him up: Last year was a landmark for healthcare data breaches. According to HIPAA Journal, there were 14 attacks involving the records of 1 million or more patients in 2024, exposing the records of more than 237 million individuals altogether. The biggest healthcare breach in history occurred only two months into the year, when ransomware attackers stole the data of 190 million people from Change Healthcare in February. 'There are a lot of vulnerabilities that healthcare organizations don't even realize they have,' said Alpesh Shah, vice president of security strategic alliance at Myriad360. 'Every individual who is touching a smart device is vulnerable to bring some sort of threat to the organization.' The technological advances that have revolutionized healthcare over the past 50 years have simultaneously ramped up cybersecurity risks exponentially. The amount of personal information collected at healthcare facilities is mountainous, with every machine collecting bits of data on patient health at a constant rate. Many of the technologically complex devices used daily or even hourly are operating on outdated software, Hughes said, a combination that leaves medical centers riddled with vulnerabilities. For instance? A big MRI machine that still makes a nice MRI image but runs 'an old version of Windows that can't accept patches anymore,' he said. Exacerbating the problem are security measures that often involve a patchwork of systems inexpertly quilted together, said Gary Salman, CEO of Black Talon Security. Healthcare organizations often use security solutions from multiple vendors, which can lead to a lack of standardization or centralization, he said. While this puts them in a 'feel-good position,' the mishmash of products may not always cover the ground that it should while creating both unnecessary complexity and a glut of data. 'How do you triangulate all of this, especially in medium- and large-size healthcare organizations?' he asked. At a more strategic level, few shareholders and healthcare practitioners prioritize cybersecurity budgets, focusing instead on delivering patient care. Smaller regional and rural healthcare facilities are often living below the 'cybersecurity poverty line,' he said. 'Security is going to come second.' Plus, talented cybersecurity professionals have become increasingly sought after and expensive. And because of healthcare's limited budgets for technology, it doesn't always get the best cybersecurity talent, said Shankar Somasundaram, founder and CEO of Asimily. 'Healthcare may not always be able to pay the same amount,' said Somasundaram. 'Strong talent would go to another vertical, where they're getting paid more.' While formidable to healthcare executives, the tangled web of cybersecurity challenges merely sweetens the pot for hackers who, according to Salman, view healthcare data as a 'pot of gold.' The information is highly sensitive, incredibly personal and usually deeply detailed. Plus, organizations are collecting massive amounts at a constant rate, he said. 'Any size healthcare organization that has anywhere from thousands to millions of patient records – the risk is high,' Salman said. Selling such data to brokers through underground channels is also far more lucrative than pushing other types of data, Somasundaram added. When hackers sell credit card information, 'they have to collect 50 credit cards to make a single dollar,' he said. 'They can sell a healthcare record for tens of dollars each.' Because of the sensitivity of health data – and the fact that these records generally can't be wiped or changed the way a credit card or phone number can – healthcare organizations will often pay up when hit with ransomware attacks, said Salman. 'Imagine having a human being's complete demographic profile. That data could be sold to pharmaceutical companies,' said Shah. 'Thieves will go where the money is. And data is the new money.' Data loss is only the beginning of the problem, added Hughes. Cyberattacks can completely shut down healthcare facilities, forcing patients to seek care elsewhere, he said. In extreme cases, cyberattacks on healthcare organizations have been linked to fatalities, such as the 2019 attack on a hospital in Alabama that led to the death of a newborn. 'There is a state of mind that hackers are moral,' said Itay Glick, director of product at security firm OPSWAT. 'We need to understand that not all the attack groups share the same ethical standards that we think they should.' Despite the growing risks, healthcare organizations all too often simply react to attacks rather than working to prevent them, said Salman. Along with putting patients at risk, the strategy ends up costing organizations a far larger sum than they would have paid to establish adequate cyber defenses. While change often happens slowly, there are a variety of steps healthcare organizations can take to make themselves less attractive targets. Some are simpler, such as consistent security patching, strengthening credentials and providing cybersecurity education to staff, said Hughes. Vulnerability and penetration-testing can also help organizations identify their biggest pitfalls, said Glick. Backup Plan: Backing up data, meanwhile, is vital for healthcare organizations, Glick added. Since a major part of ransomware attacks is 'winning your data back,' having a backup stored can allow an organization to quickly recover, he said. The most important fix, however, is making cybersecurity a priority, especially among leadership and stakeholders. Change and awareness have to come from the top, said Somasundaram. Rather than viewing cybersecurity as an additional cost, corporate decision-makers should treat it as a vital necessity. 'In any industry which prides itself on patient outcomes and patient wellness and improvement, they see cybersecurity as a cost, not an outcome-based thing,' Somasundaram said. 'But if they could see the tie between cybersecurity and patient impact or lives, then I do believe they'd invest.' This post first appeared on The Daily Upside. To receive delivering razor sharp analysis and perspective on all things finance, economics, and markets, subscribe to our free The Daily Upside newsletter.
