This week on The Awareness Angle, Anthony Davis and Luke Pettigrew dig into a packed line-up of stories that show just how wide the cyber threat landscape has become—from luxury retailers and carmakers taken offline, to insider risks, ransom trends, and the latest fights between governments and Big Tech. It’s not just about breaches and numbers; it’s about people, trust, and the human cost behind the headlines.

🛍️ Harrods, Renault & Asahi Hit – A wave of big-name attacks highlights how third-party breaches ripple across industries—and why some victims keep getting hit again.

💰 Ransomware Stats That Shock – Hiscox research shows 27% of SMEs targeted last year, 80% paying up, and only 60% recovering data. We debate whether ransom bans are coming.

🧑‍💻 Insider Temptations – Hackers offered the BBC’s Joe Tidy a cut of ransom if he gave insider access. It’s a stark reminder of how disgruntled staff can become the weakest link.

🎒 Nursery Data Fallout – After outrage, hackers “apologised” and claimed to delete leaked children’s profiles. We unpack what this says about criminal limits and reputational damage.

📧 Oracle Extortion Emails – CLOP-linked scammers target execs directly with extortion threats. Why quiet, internal responses can make things worse.

🕹️ Platforms Under Pressure – Imgur blocked in the UK, Roblox culls 8 million games for age compliance. VPNs remain the obvious workaround, but at what risk?

😓 Cybersecurity Burnout – The BBC spotlighted Ant on stress in cyber jobs. We talk long hours, mental health, and why culture matters as much as controls.

🍏 UK vs Apple – A Technical Capability Notice demands more government access. Apple’s pushback could have knock-on effects for WhatsApp, Meta, and beyond.

📊 Security Champions & Community Research – Fresh insights from Layer 8’s survey on what makes champion programs succeed—and why open-source research helps awareness pros.

🤖 Shadow AI at Work – Staff still pasting secrets into ChatGPT despite training. Should companies ban tools outright, or build safer corporate alternatives?

🔐 Password Managers Ranked – Wired tips Bitwarden for most users, ProtonPass for free setups. The takeaway: stop reusing passwords, start managing them properly.

🎭 AI Video & Deepfake Surge – From TikTok character swaps to OpenAI’s Sora 2, the line between fake and real gets blurrier by the day. What it means for scams, politics, and trust.

From ransomware payments to burnout, insider risks to AI misuse, this episode connects the dots on how cyber threats are evolving—and why awareness needs to evolve too.

🕒 Timestamps

00:00 — Introduction & Milestone Celebration

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