Application security and coding requirements

Contact-tracing app fails to protect privacy and human rights

Reassurances over the security and human rights implications of NHSX’s approach to developing its Covid-19 contact-tracing app are insufficient, says the cross-bench Human Rights Committee Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Next round of Zoom updates targets consumer security

Casual consumer users of Zoom will get additional protections in an update to be released over the long weekend Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Re-purposing data and questionable effectiveness could undermine trust in NHS contact-tracing app

Experts call for greater clarity over how contact-tracing data will be used, while discussing the limitations of the coronavirus app Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

Contact tracing: The privacy vs protection debate

The Covid-19 pandemic has necessitated extreme measures not seen in peacetime for over 100 years. Contact-tracing apps are being developed as a tool for managing the pandemic, but are they a step too far? Continue Reading

By

• Peter Ray Allison

Xen Orchestra latest victim of Salt cryptojackers

More victims of cyber criminals exploiting two critical Salt vulnerabilities are coming forward Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Blogging platform Ghost hacked through Salt vulnerability

Publishing service’s network was taken over by illicit cryptominers after failing to patch a critical vulnerability Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

IT Priorities 2020: Compliance and risk are top security concerns

When it comes to security, buyers are prioritising solutions and services that address compliance issues, risk management and data protection, according to the Computer Weekly/TechTarget IT Priorities 2020 study Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Mobile banking customers at risk from new EventBot trojan

Customers of Barclays, HSBC, Santander and many other banks should be alert to a dangerous new trojan Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Under the spotlight, video apps rush to strengthen security

Most popular videoconferencing applications now meet Mozilla’s minimum security standards, with fierce competition and public pressure driving rapid improvement Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

The Security Interviews: Can AV go from dodgy scareware to cyber hero?

Alun Baker, CEO of Clario, is on a mission to rehabilitate the image of consumer security products and take the fear out of selling antivirus. We find out how things are changing Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

iOS zero-day leaves iPhone users dangerously exposed

Researchers identify dangerous vulnerabilities in Apple’s iOS operating system that allow remote code execution on target devices Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Zoom to roll out fresh cyber security updates

New features include support for advanced AES 256-bit encryption Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Dutch organisations address business email compromise fraud

Public-private partnership in the Netherlands works to break the chains used by fraudsters to carry out BEC attacks Continue Reading

By

• Kim Loohuis

Coronavirus: Standard Chartered bans employees from Zoom

Standard Chartered is the first bank to have instructed its staff to refrain from using Zoom Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Coronavirus: Researcher finds security vulnerability in Slack

Some common assumptions about the security of cloud-based messaging platform Slack may not be entirely accurate, says an Alien Labs researcher Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Microsoft patches 19 critical bugs in another heavy Patch Tuesday

The volume of vulnerabilities being uncovered by Microsoft remains high, with more than 100 fixes pushed out in April’s Patch Tuesday Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Coronavirus: Warning over surge in Zoom security incidents

Check Point researchers have observed a surge in suspicious Zoom domains as cyber criminals target popular remote working and collaboration tools Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Happy developers write secure code, report claims

DevOps specialist Sonatype claims to have found a direct correlation between satisfied developers and application security hygiene Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Covid-19 apps pose threat to digital privacy on a global scale

Digital security firm Surfshark has reviewed a number of apps aimed at tackling the spread of coronavirus, and found that many pose a threat to people’s digital privacy Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

JavaScript skimmers: An evolving and dangerous threat

Cyber attacks exploiting Magecart JavaScript skimmers are spiking during the coronavirus pandemic, and like biological viruses, they just keep evolving Continue Reading

By

• Fabian Libeau

Coronavirus: Magecart attacks on online retailers jump 20%

RiskIQ researchers have observed a sharp uptick in Magecart credit card attacks, driven by increased traffic to online retailers during the coronavirus pandemic Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Coronavirus: Is Zoom safe and should security teams ban it?

Zoom’s rapid rise to prominence has highlighted a score of security problems with the service. Should CISOs try to steer their organisations away from it, or ban it outright? Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Marriott International hotel chain in second data breach

Marriott International notifies customers of a major data breach that unfolded earlier in 2020 – the second it has experienced in the past two years Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Houseparty denies hack as credential stuffing attacks spread

Social media service denies its service has been hacked, and is offering a million-dollar bounty to anybody who can prove otherwise Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Hackathon launched to help fight coronavirus pandemic

Virtual hackathon seeks to develop a suite of applications to help people during the Covid-19 coronavirus outbreak through ethically built technology Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

Lorca calls on security scaleups to tackle coronavirus challenge

Lorca innovation programme has launched an open call for its next cohort of cyber security scaleups, with a timely focus on coronavirus challenges Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Coronavirus: What are the latest free cyber security offers?

We round up the latest free offers on cyber security products and services being made available during the Covid-19 coronavirus crisis Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Coronavirus: Be alert to rogue mobile apps exploiting outbreak

Well-meaning developers are beginning to offer medical apps to monitor coronavirus symptoms and provide information on the pandemic. Opportunists and cyber criminals are not far behind them Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Tekya auto-clicker malware exploits kids’ Android apps

Google has removed multiple apps for children that were found to contain Tekya auto-clicker malware Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Coronavirus: Kaspersky, Bitdefender make products free to NHS

Kaspersky and Bitdefender have both made various products and services available free to healthcare customers as the Covid-19 coronavirus pandemic intensifies Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Unpatched Zyxel storage devices co-opted into IoT botnet

Owners of Zyxel network-attached storage devices are in danger of being hijacked by Mukashi, a descendant of the infamous Mirai botnet, if they don’t patch a critical vulnerability Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Coronavirus: How to implement safe and secure remote working

Find out what CIOs and CISOs need to know to enable their end-users to work remotely and stay secure during the Covid-19 coronavirus crisis, and learn how users can help themselves Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Coronavirus-linked hacks likely as Czech hospital comes under attack

The world of cyber security is on high alert to heightened vulnerabilities as the spread of the Covid-19 coronavirus changes daily life across Europe Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Failings in open source disclosure put users at risk

As more projects rely on open source components, IT departments need to keep on top of critical vulnerabilities to ensure they are secure Continue Reading

By

• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor

Cookie-stealing trojans found lurking on Android phones

Kaspersky discovers two new Android malware modifications that could give hackers control of their victims’ social media accounts Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Microsoft locks down new vulnerability with EternalBlue echoes

Microsoft has moved to get ahead of a serious remote code execution vulnerability in Microsoft Server Message Block 3.1.1, which was accidentally disclosed then missed in its March Patch Tuesday update Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Microsoft fixes 26 critical vulnerabilities in another heavy Patch Tuesday

March’s Patch Tuesday is another big one for Microsoft, addressing 115 vulnerabilities, 26 of them critical Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Schoolgirl security experts prepare to do battle

The finals of the CyberFirst Girls contest will take place on 16 March as the culmination of the NCSC’s annual competition to unearth future security talent Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

VAT software supplier exposed data of millions

Eight million sales records belonging to UK and EU consumers left exposed due to misconfigured server Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Inside Oracle’s cloud strategy

Oracle may be late to the cloud infrastructure and platform game, but it believes it has what it takes to carve out a bigger slice of the Asia-Pacific’s cloud market Continue Reading

By

• Aaron Tan, TechTarget

Virgin Media confirms 'misconfigured database' left personal data of 900,000 people exposed

Telco provider Virgin Media confirms 'data incident' that left personal details of 900,000 people exposed, but denies its systems were hacked or that it suffered a data breach Continue Reading

By

• Caroline Donnelly, Senior Editor, UK

Singapore among world’s top sources of online threats

Singapore remained a hotspot for originating cyber attacks in 2019, with 11 million attacks launched from servers in the city-state Continue Reading

By

• Aaron Tan, TechTarget

The Security Interviews: Inside the world of bug bounties

You may not make a million as a bug bounty hunter, but you might help remove some of the stigma that persists around cyber security, says HackerOne’s Shlomie Liberow Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Fake CDNs obscuring credit card fraudsters

Fake content delivery networks and ngrok servers are being pressed into service to obscure credit card skimming activities Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

The Security Interviews: Gil Shwed’s 10-year vision for security

Check Point founder Gil Shwed discusses his new Infinity Next concept and how he plans to remodel the world of cyber security in the next 10 years Continue Reading

WikiLeaks founder Assange ‘put lives at risk’ by disclosing names in leaked documents, court hears

WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange ‘put lives of US informants at risk’ by publishing unredacted documents, lawyers for the US argued at the first day of a week-long extradition hearing Continue Reading

By

• Bill Goodwin, Computer Weekly

Open security group unveils common OpenDXL language

Open Cybersecurity Alliance announces the availability of OpenDXL Ontology, the first open source language for connecting disparate security tools through a common messaging framework Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Cisco goes all-in on security integration with SecureX platform

CISOs are struggling to stitch together disparate cyber security products and services – Cisco believes its cloud-native SecureX platform will change their working lives for the better Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Malicious apps still getting past Google controls

Check Point researchers have found multiple malware-infected apps in the Google Play store, including a clicker called Haken, which has been downloaded more than 50,000 times Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Cost of cloud misconfigurations set at $5tn

Cloud security outfit DivvyCloud says more than 33 billion records have been exposed in cloud misconfiguration incidents in the past 24 months Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Girlguiding hosts interactive cyber security workshop

100 Guides from South West England took part in an NCSC event to learn more about security fundamentals Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Security Think Tank: Zero trust strategies must start small, then grow

In theory, the elimination of trust on the network simplifies IT security, but zero trust also brings new complications and new challenges. How should CISOs approach moving their organisations from traditional network security to a zero-trust architecture? Continue Reading

By

• Paddy Francis

Ex-soldiers to become ethical hackers

A new programme will give armed forces veterans in Scotland a grounding in cyber security skills, including penetration testing and ethical hacking Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Security Think Tank: Ask yourself if zero trust is right for you

In theory, the elimination of trust on the network simplifies IT security, but zero trust also brings new complications and new challenges. How should CISOs go about moving their organisations from traditional network security to a zero-trust architecture? Continue Reading

By

• Simon Persin, Turnkey Consulting

Security Think Tank: How zero trust lets you take back control

In theory, the elimination of trust on the network simplifies IT security, but zero trust also brings new complications and new challenges. How should CISOs go about moving their organisations from traditional network security to a zero trust architecture? Continue Reading

By

• James Walsh, Fieldfisher

Internet Explorer zero day among 99 Patch Tuesday problems

After an eventful January Patch Tuesday that marked the end of support for Windows 7, the February 2020 update is another whopper, fixing close to 100 vulnerabilities Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Inside the SOC: the nerve centre of security operations

Security operations centres are the bedrock of any cyber defence strategy, but operating one is increasingly challenging, with mounting workloads and a shortage of skilled personnel Continue Reading

By

• Aaron Tan, TechTarget

Mac-based security threats outpacing Windows

Security threats targeting Apple endpoints are growing more quickly than those targeting Windows machines, according to Malwarebytes Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Security Think Tank: Zero trust is complex, but has rich rewards

In theory, the elimination of trust on the network simplifies IT security, but zero trust also brings new complications and new challenges. How should CISOs go about moving their organisations from traditional network security to a zero-trust architecture? Continue Reading

By

• Bhanu Jagasia

RobbinHood ransomware tricks Windows into deleting defences

By subverting kernel memory settings in Windows 7, Windows 8 and Windows 10, the RobbinHood ransomware can now delete cyber security defences from target systems Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Security Think Tank: No trust in zero trust need not be a problem

In theory, the elimination of trust on the network simplifies IT security, but zero trust also brings new complications and new challenges. How should CISOs go about moving their organisations from traditional network security to a zero-trust architecture? Continue Reading

By

• Silvano Sogus

Web app ubiquity gives cyber criminals new opportunities

The popularity and ubiquity of web-based apps such as Office 365 and Salesforce is a temptation too good to miss for cyber criminals Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

NCSC launches study on cyber security diversity

The UK’s National Cyber Security Centre wants to improve the diversity of the cyber security sector Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

UK cyber security sector worth more than £8bn

The UK’s cyber security industry employs 43,000 full-time workers, and contributed nearly £4bn to the UK economy in 2019, according to DCMS Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Government tightens law around IoT cyber security

New legislation developed by DCMS and the NCSC may help guarantee the security and privacy of users of consumer IoT devices Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

SANS Institute calls on Manchester security pros

Manchester will play host to a week-long cyber security training event during February Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Cyber gangsters publish staff passwords following ‘Sodinokibi’ attack on car parts group Gedia

Sodinokibi hacking group steps up pressure on German automotive manufacturer by publishing information, including the CEO’s computer password and sensitive details of its IT systems, on the internet Continue Reading

By

• Bill Goodwin, Computer Weekly

ICO code sets out digital privacy standards for children

The Information Commissioner’s Office has published its Age Appropriate Design Code, a set of 15 standards that online platforms must meet to protect the privacy of younger users Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

5G builders test vulnerabilities in Finnish hackathon

University hackathon puts 5G security to the test as new wireless technology’s roll-out nears Continue Reading

By

• Gerard O'Dwyer

Lorca announces new cohort of 20 security scaleups

20 scaleups will focus their attention on automation, zero trust and supply chain security Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

NSA Windows 10 security disclosure raises questions

In an unprecedented move, the NSA has got out in front of a critical cryptographic flaw in Windows 10, but in doing so has raised multiple questions Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Threat landscape grew in complexity in 2019, no respite in sight

Check Point’s annual state of security report shares some 2019 trends and looks ahead to 2020 Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Researchers find cryptojacker hiding in Wav audio file

Victim network was compromised by obfuscated malware hiding a Monero cryptominer, lurking inside a Wav audio file Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Turn the end of Windows 7 support into a security advantage

CISOs can take advantage of the end of support for Microsoft Windows 7 by making the case for more investment in cyber security Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

TikTok video-sharing app left user data exposed

Check Point uncovered serious vulnerabilities in the TikTok video-sharing app that left users exposed Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Top 10 cyber crime stories of 2019

Here are Computer Weekly’s top 10 cyber crime stories of 2019 Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Top 10 cyber security stories of 2019

Here are Computer Weekly’s top 10 cyber security stories of 2019 Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Finnish government supports local authorities in cyber security initiative

The Finnish government has committed resources to a cyber security project aimed at local authorities Continue Reading

By

• Gerard O'Dwyer

Group-IB CEO talks up global threat landscape

Public attribution of cyber attacks could backfire while a global cyber norms framework won’t emerge until a catastrophic incident occurs, says the head of Singapore-based Group-IB Continue Reading

By

• Aaron Tan, TechTarget

Barco fixes ClickShare wireless flaw, but users still at risk

Supplier patches a major vulnerability in its popular ClickShare wireless presentation system with a firmware upgrade, but experts warn that users are not out of the woods yet Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Alarm bells ring, the IoT is listening

With Christmas bearing down on us, a series of vulnerability disclosures has drawn attention to the parlous state of IoT security, and serves as a timely warning to people planning to buy smart devices as gifts Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Aviatrix VPN vulnerability left user endpoints wide open

Immersive Labs has disclosed a serious vulnerability in VPN supplier Aviatrix’s enterprise client that could have granted hackers elevated user privileges across enterprise targets Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Security Think Tank: In-depth protection is a matter of basic hygiene

The belief that effective perimeter security is the best way to protect data is a fallacy that is being repeatedly exposed. We must recognise the need for a data-centric security model to protect data from both internal and external threats, but what does this mean for security professionals? Continue Reading

By

• Petra Wenham

Top Android apps at risk from StrandHogg vulnerability

Researchers at Promon say all of the 500 most-downloaded Android apps are at risk from a newly discovered vulnerability Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

CW500 Interview: Jonathan Moreira, CTO of PrimaryBid.com

In this CW500 video, Jonathan Moreira, CTO of PrimaryBid.com, gives a fintech startup’s perspective on the security challenges small businesses can face when adopting new technologies. Continue Reading

By

• Clare McDonald, Business Editor

Uber app exploit posed safety risk to passengers

A flaw in Uber’s system meant thousands of trips in London were taken with unauthorised drivers at the wheel Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Macy’s Magecart breach presages Christmas fraud spike

US retailer Macy’s admits some customer data was accessed by unknown actors during a week-long Magecart attack Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

The Security Interviews: Applying AI to Lego, and security

Ann Johnson, Microsoft corporate vice-president of cyber security, is on a mission to prove that artificial intelligence holds great promise for the security sector, and she has the analogies to back it up. Continue Reading

Home Office Brexit app contains multiple security flaws

The Home Office’s Brexit app may be putting EU citizens’ personal data at risk Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

How APAC enterprises can keep pace with container security

For all the promises of containers, changes in architecture and practices associated with the technology bring new challenges and opportunities. Continue Reading

CW APAC: Expert advice on container security

For all the promises of containers, changes in architecture and practices associated with the technology bring new challenges and opportunities. In this handbook, Computer Weekly looks at the security challenges associated with container technology. Continue Reading

Nordic SMEs lack the money needed for cyber security

Businesses and governments in Denmark and Norway are working together to address a cyber security shortfall for SMEs in each country Continue Reading

By

• Gerard O'Dwyer

Shared responsibility model key to solving 5G security problem

Both buyers and sellers need to cooperate to solve the thorny issues around 5G security Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Global security workforce must more than double to meet demand

There are about 2.8 million cyber security professionals working today, and the world needs four million more Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

EU patches 20-year-old open source vulnerability

Ethical hackers taking part in a bug bounty programme on behalf of the European Union have uncovered a 20-year-old vulnerability Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Take responsibility for cyber security basics, urges NCSC CEO

At the launch of its third annual review, NCSC head Ciaran Martin appealed for individuals and businesses to address the fundamentals of cyber security hygiene to help lighten the load Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Sodinokibi emerging as a diverse, multi-vector threat to businesses

McAfee shares insight into the Sodinokibi ransomware campaign gleaned from its network of honeypots Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Huge rise in rogue banking apps driving fraud attacks

Fraud perpetrated through fake mobile apps purporting to be from legitimate banks has seen a statistically significant spike, says RSA Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

The Security Interviews: Applying AI to Lego, and security

Ann Johnson, Microsoft corporate vice-president of cyber security, is on a mission to prove that artificial intelligence holds great promise for the security sector, and she has the analogies to back it up Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

How APAC enterprises can keep pace with container security

For all the promises of containers, changes in architecture and practices associated with the technology bring new challenges and opportunities Continue Reading

By

• Aaron Tan, TechTarget