January 2026 Newsletter

Posted By: Mark Tuesday 24th February 2026 Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , ,

This month: Ransomware surge, UK Online Safety Act enforcement, CES2026 review, Meta to trial subscriptions, plus the latest LaneSystems news.

Ransomware and Data Breaches Surge Across Sectors

January 2026 opened with a stark reminder that ransomware remains one of the most persistent and disruptive threats facing organisations today. Despite high‑profile police operations and global takedowns of criminal infrastructure throughout 2025, the volume of attacks continues to rise, and early incidents this year suggest the trend is far from slowing.

The picture painted by Emsisoft’s 2025 State of Ransomware in the US report is particularly sobering. According to the analysis, ransomware attacks continued to climb throughout 2025, even though law enforcement chalked up several notable wins, such as August’s global takedown of the BlackSuit gang. Many hoped such operations would signal a turning point. Instead, attackers simply regrouped, rebranded, and carried on.

Trackers monitoring dark‑web leak sites recorded more than 8,000 victims from all corners of the world in 2025, representing a rise of more than 50 percent compared with 2023. These figures only reflect cases where criminals chose to publish stolen data. Emsisoft notes that many organisations quietly pay ransoms, restore from backups, or avoid public disclosure altogether, meaning the real number of incidents is likely to be far higher.

Ransomware on the Rise: A Growing and Fragmented Threat

There has been an explosion in the number of active ransomware groups. In 2023, only a few dozen crews were regularly observed. By the end of 2025, that number had climbed into the hundreds, fuelled by a constant churn of smaller outfits popping up, disappearing, and resurfacing under new names as affiliates drift between operations. This fragmentation makes the landscape harder to track and disrupt. Even when a major outfit is taken down, the individuals behind it can reappear elsewhere.

This backdrop helps explain why January 2026 has already seen a surge of high‑impact breaches across multiple sectors. Global brands, supply‑chain partners, public bodies, and educational institutions have all found themselves in the crosshairs. In the UK, for example, a secondary school in Warwickshire was forced to close temporarily after a cyberattack impacted its IT systems. At the other end of the scale major global brand, Nike, is investigating a major potentially major breach after a ransomware gang claimed to have stolen 1.4 TB of internal data. All of this underlining how attackers are targeting organisations of every size and profile. Ransomware is not just a problem for large enterprises but a threat to everyday services and community infrastructure.

Ransomware Tactics Shift: Social Engineering Takes Centre Stage

The tactics used by attackers are also shifting. While software vulnerabilities and exposed services still play a role, Emsisoft’s report highlights a renewed reliance on old‑fashioned social engineering, including phishing emails, stolen credentials, and impersonation techniques designed to bypass perimeter defences entirely. Groups such as the Scattered Lapsus$ Hunters have become adept at exploiting human error rather than technical weaknesses, making awareness and training just as important as firewalls and patches.

The result is a threat landscape that feels both familiar and increasingly unpredictable. Established names like Qilin, Akira, Cl0p, and Play continue to rack up victims, but they now operate alongside a growing cast of smaller, noisier, and more opportunistic groups. As the report notes, as long as affiliates remain plentiful and social engineering remains effective, victim numbers are likely to keep rising.

Ransomware Resilience: What Organisations Should Take Away

For organisations, be aware that ransomware is not going away. It is becoming more accessible, more distributed, and more resilient. The surge in attacks across sectors this January underscores the need for a layered approach to security, one that combines technical controls with user education, incident response planning, and regular testing of backups and recovery processes.

If you’re a business in the North-East of England, contact us today to make sure your company is cyber secure.

Newsletter image: LaneSystems Team Anniversary & Charity News

LaneSystems News

Charity News

This month we are helping out Citizens Advice Sunderland by donating the labour for the installation of PCs & laptops, at a value of £2100.

Windows 10 End of Support Reminder

We’re going to keep leaving a gentle reminder here that Microsoft will no longer officially support Windows 10 on October 14, 2025. After this date, Microsoft will no longer provide security updates, bug fixes, or technical assistance for Windows 10. Read more about why it’s essential to keep systems up to date in the article below.

We have been contacting all of our clients during the past year to make them aware, so that we can plan a smooth transition to Windows 11 where necessary. If you’re a business in the North East of England who needs help with the update, contact us today for assistance.

Regulators Step Up Online Safety Enforcement

January Brings a Wave of UK and EU Compliance Action

It’s been a busy start to 2026 on the regulatory front. For UK organisations, the new year has opened with a clear message from Westminster, Ofcom, the ICO, and Brussels alike: expectations around data governance, online safety, and cyber resilience are tightening, and businesses need to keep pace.

Data Access Rules Strengthen Under the UK Data (Use and Access) Act

This year sees the progression of new commencement regulations under the UK Data (Use and Access) Act. Although the Act has been on the horizon for some time, January marks a further shift from policy to practical implementation. The updated regulations clarify how organisations must handle data access, sharing, and interoperability, particularly where public sector datasets and private sector innovation intersect.

For many businesses, this means reviewing internal data handling processes, tightening governance around who can access what, and ensuring that any data sharing arrangements are transparent, auditable, and justifiable. While the Act aims to unlock economic value through responsible data use, it also raises the bar for compliance, especially for organisations that have historically taken a more informal approach to data stewardship.

Ofcom Ramps Up Online Safety Act Enforcement

If the Data Act set the tone, Ofcom reinforced it. January saw the regulator intensify enforcement of the Online Safety Act, issuing a series of penalties — including one fine exceeding £1 million — and launching investigations into 76 additional sites. The focus remains on platforms that fail to protect users from harmful or illegal content, but the ripple effects extend far beyond social media.

Any organisation hosting user generated content, community features, or interactive services now faces heightened scrutiny. Ofcom’s actions signal that the era of “light touch” oversight is over, and businesses must demonstrate proactive risk management rather than reactive clean up.

EU Cyber Resilience Act Impacts UK Exporters

The EU Cyber Resilience Act (CRA) moves into a defining phase, with January bringing clarity on which products fall into the “important” and “critical” categories. For UK companies selling software, connected devices, or digital services into the EU, this is a pivotal shift.

Products deemed “critical” will face stricter security‑by‑design requirements, mandatory vulnerability reporting, and ongoing compliance obligations. Even firms operating solely in the UK may feel indirect pressure as supply chains adapt to meet EU standards.

A Tougher Regulatory Climate for 2026

For UK organisations, will Act enforcement reward those who invest early in compliance, governance, and cyber resilience, and penalise those who treat regulation as an afterthought? Businesses need to assess the impact of the DUAA on their current compliance frameworks.

Consumer Electronics Show 2026

CES 2026 delivered a mix of hype, genuine innovation, and a refreshing focus on technology designed to help people rather than overwhelm them. The show filled Las Vegas with more than 4,000 exhibitors and a wave of AI branded gadgets, but the most impressive products were often the ones solving real world problems rather than chasing headlines.

A Show Dominated by AI – But Not Always for the Better

Much of CES 2026 leaned heavily into AI branding, with vendors attaching “AI enabled” to everything from toothbrushes to toilets. NVIDIA’s keynote was emblematic of the trend: a two hour presentation focused almost entirely on AI silicon and autonomous vehicle platforms, with no mention of gaming at all. Domestic robots also made a strong showing, though most remained far from practical use, still struggling with basic tasks like gripping objects or navigating safely.

Human Centred Tech Stole the Spotlight

Despite the AI noise, some of the most compelling innovations were those aimed at accessibility and everyday usability.

Lili Screen, a breakthrough display technology designed to support people with dyslexia, uses a subtle flicker to compensate for dual eye dominance and make on screen text easier to read.

SeeHaptic, a backpack mounted haptic system, converts depth camera data into tactile feedback, allowing people with visual impairments to navigate spaces by feel. It was widely praised as one of the standout innovations of the show.

Glidance and MakeSense also impressed with alternative mobility assistance technologies, offering new ways for visually impaired users to interpret their surroundings.

Other Promising Trends Across the Show Floor

Beyond accessibility tech, CES 2026 showcased next generation foldable devices, including tri fold concepts from major smartphone makers. There were advances in home entertainment, with brighter, larger OLED and Micro LED displays from Samsung and LG. There were also robotics and mobility innovations, including more capable walking robots and autonomous vehicle platforms, though many still require significant human oversight.

CES 2026 proved that while AI continues to dominate the marketing narrative, the most meaningful progress often comes from quieter, purpose driven innovation. From assistive technologies to refined consumer devices, the show highlighted a future where tech enhances everyday life rather than complicating it.

Meta to Trial Premium Subscriptions Across Its Platforms

Meta is preparing to test a new wave of premium subscriptions across Instagram, Facebook and WhatsApp, marking one of its most significant shifts toward paid services to date. The company plans to introduce optional paid tiers that unlock enhanced features, many of them centred on advanced AI capabilities.

The trial will include access to Meta’s expanding suite of AI tools, such as its Vibes video‑generation app, which the company says can transform user prompts into visual content. Meta is also expected to integrate technology from Manus — the AI firm it agreed to acquire for around $2bn — into these subscription offerings. Manus specialises in autonomous “agent” systems capable of planning and executing tasks with minimal user input, and Meta has said the acquisition will help deliver more powerful AI assistants across its products.

Importantly, Meta stresses that its core services will remain free. The paid tiers are positioned as optional enhancements rather than a replacement for the existing experience. This follows earlier experiments, including paid verification and ad‑free subscriptions introduced in the UK and EU in late 2025, as well as tests limiting how many links users could share without subscribing.

Industry analysts note that Meta’s move mirrors a broader trend among major platforms seeking new revenue streams as advertising growth slows and regulatory pressure increases. Premium AI‑driven features may appeal to creators, businesses and power users, though it remains to be seen whether everyday users will embrace yet another subscription.

With trials set to begin in the coming months, Meta’s experiment could signal a long‑term shift toward a more tiered social‑media ecosystem, where the most advanced tools sit behind a paywall.

Need Cyber Security?

If you’re a business in the North East of England and looking for professional and reliable cyber security services, IT consultation, and general IT services to keep your company cyber secure, get in touch. Cybersecurity is a continuous process, and staying proactive is key to safeguarding digital assets.

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