Data breach incident management and recovery

Security Think Tank: Core security processes must adapt in a complex landscape

The modern-day abundance of platforms, apps and IT tools presents malicious actors with a web of interconnection that is easily exploited to move rapidly through the network to compromise critical assets. Security teams need to understand these attack pathways better in order to fight back Continue Reading

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• Andrew Morris, Turnkey Consulting

Two-thirds of UK organisations defrauded since start of pandemic

Nearly two out of three UK companies say they have experienced some form of fraud or economic crime in the past two years, according to a report Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Most CFOs being left out of ransomware conversations

Barely a tenth of CFOs are actively involved in planning for cyber attacks, according to a report Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Rubrik charts data security path

Backup and recovery software provider Rubrik now sees itself as a cyber security company that helps organisations recover from ransomware and other data security threats Continue Reading

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• Aaron Tan, TechTarget

Ransomware volumes grew faster than ever in 2021

Verizon’s annual DBIR assessment of the security landscape highlights an unprecedented boom in ransomware volumes, to the surprise of nobody Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Did the Conti ransomware crew orchestrate its own demise?

Analysts examining the shutdown of the Conti ransomware syndicate suggest the cyber crime collective orchestrated its own demise Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Applying international law to cyber will be a tall order

Many in the security community have voiced their support for the UK government’s ambitions to work towards agreement with other countries on the application of international law to cyber space, but not without some reservations Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Microsoft drops emergency patch after Patch Tuesday screw up

Microsoft fixed a certificate mapping issue that caused server authentication failures on domain controllers for users that had installed the most recent Patch Tuesday updates Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Chinese cyber spooks exploit western sanctions on Russia

The actor behind an ongoing Chinese espionage campaign targeting Russian defence research bodies is taking advantage of the Ukraine war in their phishing lures Continue Reading

Nature of cyber war evolving in real time, says Microsoft president

The past three months have seen the rapid evolution of the very nature warfare to incorporate cyber attacks, Microsoft’s Brad Smith tells the audience at its Envision conference in London Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Red teaming will be standard in Dutch governmental organisations by 2025

The Dutch government wants to include the testing of the digital security of systems, processes and people – also known as red teaming – in all of its governmental organisations’ test planning and budgeting by 2025 at the latest Continue Reading

By

• Kim Loohuis

Security Think Tank: Yes, zero trust can help you understand attack paths

The modern-day abundance of platforms, apps and IT tools presents malicious actors with a web of interconnection that is easily exploited to move rapidly through the network to compromise critical assets. Security teams need to understand these attack pathways better in order to fight back Continue Reading

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• Paul Holland, Information Security Forum

Veeam outlines data protection vision

Veeam is looking to achieve an “outsized market leading position” by tapping its strengths in data protection and doubling down on innovation to help enterprises secure emerging workloads Continue Reading

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• Aaron Tan, TechTarget

Australian CISOs least prepared for cyber attacks

Australian CISOs are under pressure and feel the least prepared globally to deal with the consequences of a cyber attack, study finds Continue Reading

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• Aaron Tan, TechTarget

Keeping Singapore’s critical systems secure

Tracy Thng offers a glimpse into her work in strengthening the cyber resilience of 11 essential service sectors in Singapore Continue Reading

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• Aaron Tan, TechTarget

The limits and risks of backup as ransomware protection

Backups can provide a sound means of recovery from ransomware infection, but they are not 100% certain to foil attackers. We look at the limits and risks of depending on backups Continue Reading

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• Stephen Pritchard

Nerbian RAT enjoys using Covid-19 phishing lures

The world is slowly coming to terms with Covid-19, but fear of the coronavirus is no less useful to cyber criminals because of it, as Proofpoint researchers have discovered Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

CyberUK 22: Five Eyes focuses on MSP security

The western intelligence community has set out practical steps IT service providers and their customers can take to protect themselves Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Analysts confirm return of REvil ransomware gang

Secureworks CTU analysis has found that the REvil ransomware is undergoing active development, possibly heralding a new campaign of cyber attacks Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Cyber accreditation body Crest forges new training partnerships

Crest says partnerships with Hack The Box and Immersive Labs will enhance its members’ defensive and offensive security skills Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

CyberUK 22: Cyber leaders affirm UK’s whole-of-society strategy

On the opening day of CyberUK 2022, GCHQ director Jeremy Fleming and NCSC CEO Lindy Cameron have spoken of their commitment to the government’s ambition for a whole-of-society cyber strategy Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

NCSC pins Viasat cyber attack on Russia

UK authorities have attributed the 24 February cyber attack on the network of satellite comms company Viasat to Russia Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

CyberUK 22: NCSC refreshes cloud security guidance

The National Cyber Security Centre is revising its cloud guidance as increasing uptake of potentially vulnerable cloud services puts more organisations at risk of compromise Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

The spies who hack you – the growing threat of spyware

In this week’s Computer Weekly, after 10 Downing Street was hit by a spyware attack, fears about targeted mobile phone hacks are increasing. Our salary survey highlights the diversity challenge in IT, with men’s support for women in IT declining. And we look at how datacentre heat reuse can help reduce carbon emissions. Read the issue now. Continue Reading

CyberUK 22: NCSC’s ACD programme blocks 2.7 million scams

On the opening day of its annual CyberUK event, the NCSC reveals how organisations around the country have used its Active Cyber Defence programme to their advantage Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Security Think Tank: Identify, assess and monitor to understand attack paths

The modern-day abundance of platforms, apps and IT tools presents malicious actors with a web of interconnection that is easily exploited to move rapidly through the network to compromise critical assets. Security teams need to understand these attack pathways better in order to fight back Continue Reading

By

• Rob McElvanney

Intellectual property theft operation attributed to Winnti group

Winnti conducted a prolonged cyber espionage campaign that went undetected for years, allowing it to exfiltrate massive amounts of corporate data and intellectual property Continue Reading

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• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

Security Think Tank: Solving for complexity in the network

The modern-day abundance of IT platforms, apps and tools gives the bad guys ample opportunity to move rapidly through the network to hit critical assets. Security teams must understand these attack pathways better in order to fight back Continue Reading

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• Mike Lloyd, RedSeal

Information security in 2022 – managing constant change

It’s been an unprecedented couple of years for everyone – but a particularly frantic one for cyber security leaders. The pandemic led to a huge rise in remote working, with all the extra risks involved in putting users outside the corporate perimeter. The home environment then became a new attack vector, and as a result there was a huge increase in ransomware, affecting individuals and enterprises. And then, just as lockdowns started to ease, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine brought new nation-state threats that may yet become even more serious. For chief information security officers (CISOs), managing constant change and emerging threats is becoming the norm. In this essential guide to information security in 2022, we examine the key strategies, latest innovations and leadership insights – and highlight the importance of collaboration across the cyber community to keep everyone secure. Continue Reading

Attackers enlist cloud providers in large HTTPS DDoS hit

A recent large-scale DDoS incident shows how cyber criminals are switching up their tactics to conduct more sophisticated attacks Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Ransomware recovery costs dwarf actual ransoms

The cost of recovering from a ransomware attack far outweighs the ransoms now being demanded by cyber criminals, according to recent data Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Manufacturer sues JPMorgan after cyber criminals stole $272m

Manufacturer files lawsuit alleging that US bank failed to inform it of suspicious transaction activity Continue Reading

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• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Russia plumbs new depths in cyber war on Ukraine

Microsoft details cyber attacks on Ukrainian civilian communications, nuclear safety authorities, and the exploitation of the destruction of Mariupol in a phishing campaign Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Log4Shell, ProxyLogon, ProxyShell among most exploited bugs of 2021

These 15 CVEs were the most commonly exploited last year, and if you haven’t mitigated against them, now is the time Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Russia-supporting cyber crime gang claims Coca-Cola as victim

Stormous cyber crime collective claims to have stolen 161GB of data from Coca-Cola, and says it plans to sell it off Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Leeds Beckett’s ethical hacking platform wins Innovate UK backing

An ethical hacking and cyber education platform developed at Leeds Beckett University has received a major funding boost to help it launch commercially Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Ransomware victims paying out when they don’t need to

Sophos’s annual State of Ransomware report shows dramatic increases in the impact of ransomware attacks, but also finds many organisations are paying ransoms when they don’t need to Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Coralogix makes foray into cyber security with Snowbit

Observability platform supplier Coralogix has set up a cyber security venture and a global security resource centre in India to tap the growth opportunities in the subcontinent Continue Reading

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• Pratima Harigunani

US mobile network emerges as latest Lapsus$ victim

Lapsus$ extortion gang hit T-Mobile and attempted to perform SIM-swapping attacks and code theft Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Sophos soaks up SOC.OS

Sophos says acquisition of BAE spinout SOC.OS will enhance its managed threat and extended detection and response services Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

What’s up with Conti and REvil, and should we be worrying?

New intelligence on some of the world’s most prolific ransomware gangs suggests recent disruption to their activities was like water off a duck’s back Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

UAE bolsters cyber security

The United Arab Emirates has successfully improved its security posture amid mounting cyber threats Continue Reading

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• Pat Brans, Pat Brans Associates/Grenoble Ecole de Management

Five Eyes in new Russia cyber warning

Latest cross-body alert warns of Russian threat to utilities and other core elements of national infrastructure Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Impact of Lapsus$ attack on Okta less than feared

Okta’s investigation into Lapsus$ breach of its systems via a Sitel workstation has concluded that the impact was significantly less than the maximum potential Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

security information management (SIM)

Security information management (SIM) is the practice of collecting, monitoring and analyzing security-related data from computer logs and various other data sources. Continue Reading

By

• Rahul Awati

One-third of scams that hit TSB are impersonation fraud

TSB reports an increase in fraudsters impersonating trusted organisations to trick consumers into making payments to them Continue Reading

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• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

NSO Group faces court action after Pegasus spyware used against targets in UK

Three human rights activists whose phones were targeted by spyware traced to Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates have begun legal action against both countries and Israel’s NSO Group Technologies Continue Reading

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• Bill Goodwin, Computer Weekly

Median threat actor ‘dwell time’ dropped during 2021

Security teams appear to be getting better at detecting attackers within their networks, according to a report Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Lack of expertise hurting UK government’s cyber preparedness

UK government bodies and critical infrastructure owners cite a lack of staff resources, and internal and external expertise, as hampering factors when it comes to cyber readiness, according to a report Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Kyndryl kindles cyber incident recovery pact with Dell

IBM spin-out Kyndryl hops into bed with Dell Technologies in a joint cyber resilience proposition Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Zhadnost DDoS botnet deployed against Finland

A coordinated DDoS attack hit two government ministries in Finland at the same time as Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky delivered a virtual address to the Finnish parliament Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Incontroller ICS malware has ‘rare, dangerous’ capabilities, says Mandiant

Mandiant joins a growing chorus of warnings over novel nation state threats to ICS systems Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

WatchGuard firewall users urged to patch Cyclops Blink vulnerability

The US authorities have seen fit to add the WatchGuard vulnerability used by Sandworm to build the Cyclops Blink botnet to its list of must-patch vulnerabilities Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Criminals researched hacking TTPs post-breach in ‘messy’ cyber attack

Sophos shares details of a cyber attack that saw attackers hang out in their victim environment for five months while they prepared to sow further mischief Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Universal IAM policy failings put cloud environments at risk

Almost all organisations lack appropriate IAM policy controls to effectively secure their data in the cloud, according to a damning study Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Multiple arrests made in RaidForums takedown

A Portuguese national and a 21-year-old man from Croydon are among a number of individuals arrested ahead of the closure of RaidForums by police Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Sandworm rolls out Industroyer2 malware against Ukraine

A second generation of the Sandworm-linked Industroyer malware has been identified by ESET researchers and Ukraine’s national CERT Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Singapore to start licensing cyber security service providers

Those providing penetration testing and SOC services will need to apply for a licence under a new licensing regime that is expected to safeguard consumer interests and improve service standards Continue Reading

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• Aaron Tan, TechTarget

Ukrainian cyber criminal gets five years in jail

A US court has sentenced Denys Iarmak, who worked as a penetration tester for the FIN7 cyber crime group, to a five-year prison sentence Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Was Spring4Shell a lot of hot air? No, but...

Find out why Spring4Shell was apparently not as impactful a security problem as many had at first feared, and why it’s on the cyber community as a whole to do better Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

US shuts down Russia’s Cyclops Blink botnet operation

Operation by US authorities has taken the Russia-attributed Cyclops Blink botnet ‘off the board’ Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Hydra takedown merely shifts cyber criminal problem elsewhere

The seizure of the Hydra dark web marketplace is a positive development in the fight against cyber crime, but will only be a temporary setback for determined criminals Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Discount retailer The Works hit by cyber attack

A small number of The Works’ bricks-and-mortar stores were forced to close amid a cyber attack of an undisclosed nature Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Triple-threat Borat malware no joke for victims

Unlike its namesake, the newly discovered Borat malware won’t raise a smile for IT security pros Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

IBM z16 tackles financial fraud and quantum hacks

New addition to Z series mainframe family uses IBM Telum processor to accelerate AI for real-time credit card fraud detection Continue Reading

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• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor

Two teenagers charged with Lapsus$ cyber attacks

City of London Police have charged two teenagers in connection with the Lapsus$ cyber crime spree Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Four moves to ‘checkmate’ critical assets thanks to lax cloud security

Malicious actors can compromise 94% of critical assets within four steps of the initial breach point, according to a report Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Apple drops emergency patches for two zero-days

Apple has fixed two zero-day vulnerabilities that appear to have been actively exploited in the wild Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Lapsus$ cyber crime spree continues despite arrests

The arrests of seven people in connection with the Lapsus$ cyber crime group has not dented the gang’s enthusiasm for causing chaos Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Spring4Shell zero-day sprung on security teams

Some are describing a newly disclosed Spring Java framework vulnerability as the next Log4Shell, but what is Spring4Shell, and what can we do about it? Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

One-third of UK firms suffer a cyber attack every week

New statistics from the annual DCMS Cyber security breaches survey reveal the extent and frequency with which UK organisations are being attacked by malicious actors Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Australia to spend A$9.9bn on intelligence and cyber capabilities

The Morrison government is investing in a landmark package of measures to shore up the intelligence and cyber security capabilities of the Australian Signals Directorate Continue Reading

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• Stephen Withers

Wave of Log4j-linked attacks targeting VMware Horizon

Sophos issues a new warning to organisations that have so far failed to patch their VMware Horizon servers against Log4Shell Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

FCA reports 52% jump in security incidents

The Financial Conduct Authority received 116 cyber incident reports in 2021, a fifth of them involving ransomware Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Singapore rolls out cyber security certification scheme

Two new cyber security marks are expected to provide an edge for Singapore businesses with good cyber security practices Continue Reading

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• Aaron Tan, TechTarget

How Lapsus$ exploited the failings of multifactor authentication

Attacks on Nvidia and Okta highlight weak MFA and the risk of employees being bribed or falling victim to social engineering Continue Reading

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• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor

Ransomware demands and payments increase with use of leak sites

Ransomware demands and payments continue to climb as gangs increasingly turn to Dark Web leak sites to add pressure on victims Continue Reading

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• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

How India organisations can mitigate cyber threats

Organisations in India will need to invest more in cloud security, gain more visibility into their systems and improve security awareness among employees to fend off cyber attacks Continue Reading

By

• Pratima Harigunani

Details of Conti ransomware affiliate released

Information about a new Conti affiliate has been released by eSentire and BreakPoint Lab after a joint investigation into the group’s indicators of compromise Continue Reading

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• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

Revised scope of UK security strategy reflects digitised society

The omission of the word ‘security’ from the title of the UK government’s new National Cyber Strategy is a telling one, reflecting our increasingly digitised society, say Maximillian Brook and Arunoshi Singh of the ISF Continue Reading

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• Maximillian Brook & Arunoshi Singh

UK Cyber Strategy a welcome injection of progress

The National Cyber Strategy should be seen as a welcome injection of both focus and investment in bettering cyber defence for everyone, says Turnkey Consulting senior consultant Louise Barber Continue Reading

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• Louise Barber, Turnkey Consulting

Dark web littered with Ukraine crypto scammers

Cryptocurrency scammers are actively targeting people trying to donate funds to support Ukraine Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Ukrainian cyber defences prove resilient

Thanks to a combination of prior experience and global support, Ukraine’s defences against cyber incidents are holding strong in the face of Russian attacks Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Alarm raised over ‘trickster’ LokiLocker ransomware

The new LokiLocker ransomware is, like its namesake, adept at tricks and misdirection, say BlackBerry researchers Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

FCSA takes steps to help umbrella company members protect themselves better from cyber attacks

After a spate of suspected ransomware attacks on its members, the Freelance and Contractor Services Association is partnering with a cyber security firm that can coach its umbrella firms on how to protect themselves better Continue Reading

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• Caroline Donnelly, Senior Editor, UK

Biden signs ransomware reporting mandate into law

CNI operators in the US must now report cyber attacks within 72 hours, and ransomware payments within 24 hours Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

SentinelOne adds Attivo Networks to identity portfolio

SentinelOne adds identity threat detection and response technology to its cyber portfolio, saying it will benefit zero-trust adoption among its customers Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

CaddyWiper is fourth new malware linked to Ukraine war

ESET’s cyber security analysts have identified yet another destructive wiper malware being used against targets in Ukraine Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

How cyber security teams can conquer the four-day working week

The four-day week may be an idea whose time has come, but for always-on cyber security professionals, the impact of squeezing more work into fewer days is a tricky proposition Continue Reading

By

• Keiron Holyome

How can I avoid an exodus of cyber talent linked to stress and burnout?

Cyber security professionals have played a crucial role during the pandemic, yet many feel like their employers aren’t providing adequate mental health support and have considered quitting their jobs as a result. What can employers do to help them? Continue Reading

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• Nicholas Fearn

Kaspersky forced to deny source code leak

Kaspersky says an alleged leak of its source code was in fact material anyone could have gleaned from its public servers Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

National Cyber Strategy misses the mark in one important way

The National Cyber Strategy is full of fine words, says Petra Wenham, but as the old expression goes, fine words butter no parsnips, and it misses the mark in one very important way Continue Reading

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• Petra Wenham

Government to force tech firms to stop fraudsters using their platforms for scams

Changes to legislation will make social media and search engine firms responsible for preventing fraudsters using their platforms to commit crimes Continue Reading

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• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

China’s APT41 exploited Log4j within hours

APT41 compromised multiple government organisations via the Log4Shell exploit within hours of its initial disclosure, Mandiant claims Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Google buys Mandiant for £4bn

Acquisition will see cyber defence and threat intelligence specialist folded into Google Cloud’s security suite Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

When more is too much in security

The view that more security tools equals better protection still persists, but security researcher Etay Maor argues that success in cyber lies in simplicity Continue Reading

By

• Etay Maor

When to pull the plug on an ecommerce site

Distributed denial of service and other attacks on websites have the potential to leak personally identifiable information Continue Reading

By

• Danny Lopez

Universities need better protection from email-based cyber attacks

The need to educate university staff and students on avoiding email-based cyber attacks is more acute than ever, says Proofpoint’s Adenike Cosgrove Continue Reading

By

• Adenike Cosgrove

Boardroom does not see ransomware as a priority

Less than a quarter of company directors think ransomware is a top priority for their security teams, according to Egress Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Direct action is a risky business for Ukraine's volunteer hackers

Hackers have been responding to Ukraine’s call to create an IT army, but there are many reasons why taking direct action in a kinetic conflict is a bad idea Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor