Data breach incident management and recovery

Women and BAME people bear brunt of cyber crime impact

Cyber crime has a disproportionate impact on women and BAME people, according to a new report Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Giant Umbrella contractors suffer salary payment delays following suspected ‘data breach’

Following the discovery of “suspicious network activity” in its systems, payroll processing firm Giant Umbrella has taken itself offline, leaving contractors to fume over missing salary payments Continue Reading

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• Caroline Donnelly, Senior Editor, UK

Facial recognition cannot be a standalone authentication method

As more organisations look to facial recognition to improve their digital identity practices, they must remember that it cannot stand in isolation Continue Reading

By

• Amir Nooriala

How Australia punches above its weight in cyber security

Australia is playing to its strengths in niche areas such as governance and deep tech to punch above its weight in the cyber security industry Continue Reading

By

• Aaron Tan, TechTarget

Fresh alert over Conti ransomware surge

Conti ransomware crew appears increasingly active, prompting fresh warnings from the US authorities Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

MoD in second leak of Afghan citizens’ data

A second breach of data relating to Afghan citizens at risk of Taliban reprisals has been reported by the Ministry of Defence Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Managing cyber risk through integrated supply chains

High-profile supply chain cyber attacks have caused huge disruption this year. PA Consulting’s Carl Nightingale considers key questions business leaders should be asking of their organisations Continue Reading

By

• Carl Nightingale

US sanctions Suex crypto exchange over ransomware links

US Treasury cracks down on cryptocurrency exchange that supposedly facilitated proceeds from multiple ransomware gangs Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Investigation launched after MoD email blunder

Exposure of PII on Afghan interpreters who worked with the UK may put hundreds at risk of Taliban reprisals Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

BlackMatter gang ramps up attacks on multiple victims

A wave of new BlackMatter ransomware attacks is hitting organisations around the world, even as the US authorities mull new sanctions on ransom payment infrastructure Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

The cities planning for ethical use of AI

In this week’s Computer Weekly, we talk to tech leaders in Barcelona and London about a collaboration to ensure ethical use of AI in the era of smart cities. The UK government wants to reform data protection law – we assess the implications. And we examine the latest best practice in hybrid cloud. Read the issue now. Continue Reading

runbook

Runbooks are a set of standardized written procedures for completing repetitive IT processes within a company. Continue Reading

By

• Katie Terrell Hanna

Dutch education administrators underestimate threat of cyber crime

Research shows educational establishments in the Netherlands are becoming favoured targets of cyber criminals and administrators are underestimating the risks Continue Reading

By

• Kim Loohuis

Bitdefender launches free REvil ransomware decryptor

Working alongside law enforcement partners, Bitdefender has developed and released a tool to help REvil victims recover their data for free Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Travel-themed phishing lures spiked this summer

As people begin to take holidays again after more than a year of restrictions and lockdowns, opportunist cyber criminals have taken note, according to new data from Palo Alto’s Unit 42 Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Australia and Singapore have higher incidences of insecure databases

Five-year longitudinal study by Imperva shows the proportion of databases with at least one known vulnerability in Australia and Singapore are among the world’s highest Continue Reading

By

• Aaron Tan, TechTarget

Mass health tracker data breach has UK impact

The leak of a database of 61 million users of health-tracking devices includes records on individuals located in the UK Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Cost of ransomware attack in financial sector exceeds $2m

Mid-sized financial services organisations worldwide spend an average of over $2m recovering from ransomware attacks Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Apple patches ForcedEntry vulnerability used by spyware firm NSO

Apple patches ForcedEntry vulnerability that was used to target political activists with spyware Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Olympus likely victim of BlackMatter ransomware

Key IT systems remain shut off at Olympus, five days after what seems to have been a BlackMatter ransomware attack Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

UK GDPR faces changes under planned reforms

DCMS is launching a major consultation on proposed changes to the UK’s data protection regime, under which several key elements of the GDPR are likely to change Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

REvil reappearance may herald new ransom campaigns

The re-emergence of the infamous REvil ransomware gang is a likely sign that more high-profile attacks will unfold over the coming weeks Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Stolen credit card data worth about £13 on dark web, PayPal worth more

The average price of a stolen credit card on a dark web marketplace comes in at around $17.40, or £12.60, according to new data – but the real money for cyber criminals is in hacked PayPal accounts Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Security Think Tank: Optimising privacy, post-GDPR

Airbus CyberSecurity CTO Paddy Francis explores the impact of regulation on data protection, and how it has changed how one goes about optimising data privacy in the enterprise Continue Reading

By

• Paddy Francis

OT security in APAC remains work in progress

Two operational technology security experts shed light on the state of OT security in the region, and what’s being done to address skills, competency and organisational challenges Continue Reading

By

• Aaron Tan, TechTarget

Security Think Tank: A response to planned data protection changes

The ISF’s Emma Bickerstaffe assesses how organisations might respond to proposed changes to the UK’s data protection regime Continue Reading

By

• Emma Bickerstaffe, Information Security Forum (ISF)

UK’s new data protection strategy risks costing business more than it gains

The apparent business benefits of pursuing data adequacy agreements around the world may not be as enticing as they at first appear Continue Reading

By

• Ben Rapp

Mandiant, Sophos detail dangerous ProxyShell attacks

Threat researchers and incident responders continue to track threat activity around the dangerous ProxyShell Microsoft Exchange vulnerabilities, including impactful ransomware hits Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

China accused of cyber attacks on Norwegian IT systems

China-based cyber attackers have been blamed for multiple assaults on IT systems in Norway Continue Reading

By

• Gerard O'Dwyer

Finance firms faced up to £760,000 costs per DNS attack during pandemic

Financial services firms have been the focus of attacks by cyber criminals during the Covid-19 crisis Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Security Think Tank: Managing data securely throughout its lifecycle

Managing data in a secure manner is key to ensuring its integrity and therefore its value to the organisation, as well as reducing risk from breaches and misinformation Continue Reading

By

• Andrew Morris, Turnkey Consulting

Experts warn on Office 365 phishing attacks

Newly observed campaign is particularly dangerous because it appears to neutralise one of the most widely known anti-phishing techniques Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Making a mark in cyber security

Claudean Zheng’s knack for hacking landed her a career in cyber security, one that has been dotted by stints in both public and private sectors Continue Reading

By

• Aaron Tan, TechTarget

GovTech launches vulnerability rewards programme

Vulnerability rewards programme will offer rewards ranging from $250 to $5,000 to white hat hackers who find vulnerabilities in critical government systems Continue Reading

By

• Aaron Tan, TechTarget

Supply chain cyber security is only as strong as the weakest link

A spate of high-profile cyber attacks has highlighted the criticality of supply chain security and put new pressures on security leaders. How can we ensure that cyber security remains robust down the full length of supply chains? Continue Reading

By

• Martin Smith, SASIG

How the cyber security market is evolving

The cyber security market has gained even greater importance in the post-Covid era and continues to grow and evolve. But what factors are driving trends in that market and what should your organisation consider when making cyber security investments? Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Are proposed data protection changes a threat to UK citizens’ privacy?

Though changes are as-yet undefined pending an upcoming consultation, concerns are already being expressed over the government’s plan to liberalise data protection laws in the service of innovation and growth Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Tech giants commit to Biden's cyber security action plan

Some of the world’s most prominent tech giants have made a series of commitments to enhance the US’ national cyber security posture following a high-profile meeting with president Biden Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Government unveils post-Brexit data flow proposals

The government will pursue data partnerships with countries including Australia, South Korea and the US as part of a post-Brexit data regime that may also see substantial changes to the UK’s data protection law Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

NZ privacy lead John Edwards named new information commissioner

DCMS has named John Edwards, currently New Zealand privacy commissioner, to succeed Elizabeth Denham as UK information commissioner Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Calling the cops for ransomware attacks doesn’t help, say cyber pros

A new study for the #Ransomaware campaign reveals some insight into why so few victims report ransomware attacks Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

13 million malware attacks on Linux seen in wild

Cryptominers, web shells and ransomware are the most common varieties of malwares targeting Linux systems, thanks to its prevalence as the backbone of most public cloud services Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Half of MS Exchange servers at risk in ProxyShell debacle

Up to 50% of MS Exchange users in the UK are exposed to three vulnerabilities that are now being actively exploited Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

The ransomware debate – to pay or not to pay?

The debate around banning ransomware payments is highly nuanced, and we must take care to avoid overt victim-blaming, in favour of an open and honest approach, says SASIG’s Martin Smith Continue Reading

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• Martin Smith, SASIG

Over a million opt out of NHS data-sharing

Failure to communicate benefits of data-sharing proposals and privacy concerns are prompting large numbers of people to opt out of a proposed NHS Digital scheme Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Flexxon and Lenovo tie up on AI-infused SSDs

Singapore-based Flexxon teams up with Lenovo to make its solid-state drive that uses artificial intelligence to fend off cyber threats available on ThinkPad-based laptops Continue Reading

By

• Aaron Tan, TechTarget

Swedish IT industry braced for China’s response to Huawei 5G ban

Swedish IT and communications equipment suppliers fear economic backlash from China following Huawei ban Continue Reading

By

• Gerard O'Dwyer

Security Think Tank: Data privacy not in isolation, but on a spectrum

The gap between data privacy and data governance is narrowing, and security leaders need to be aware of the implications, says KuppingerCole’s Anne Bailey Continue Reading

By

• Anne Bailey

IT leaders fear ‘trickle-down’ of nation-state cyber attacks

Three-quarters of IT decision-makers are concerned that the tactics, techniques and procedures used by nation-state attackers could be used against them Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

MoD seeks security tech to harden military systems

The Defence and Security Accelerator has launched a programme to root out technology that will reduce the military’s exposure to cyber attacks Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Educational publisher Pearson fined for data breach cover-up

Securities and Exchange Commission says publisher misled its investors over the extent of a 2018 data breach Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Nearly half of retailers hit by ransomware in 2020

In the face of increasingly prevalent and sophisticated ransomware attacks, retail organisations need to develop alternative ways of restoring lost or encrypted data, as paying the ransom does not guarantee its return in almost a third of cases Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

Cyber Runway programme supports new security businesses

The Cyber Runway programme is a government-backed scheme to support entrepreneurs, startups and scaleups in launching and growing new security businesses Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

US wins bid to widen grounds of appeal in Julian Assange extradition case

The US government accused medical expert professor Michael Kopelman of misleading the court by failing to disclose details of Assange’s relationship  Continue Reading

By

• Bill Goodwin, Computer Weekly

The Netherlands still lacks digital resilience, says report

Report by National Coordinator for Counterterrorism and Security says the Netherlands’ digital resilience has improved, but is still insufficient Continue Reading

By

• Kim Loohuis

Dutch lead the way in protecting themselves against internet risks

Dutch citizens come top in a study on awareness of internet risks in Europe, which showed major differences across the continent Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Possible ransomware attack hits Italian vaccine booking system

It is still unclear who is behind the attack that caused Covid-19 vaccine bookings in Lazio, Italy, to grind to a halt, as despite masses of files being encrypted no specific ransom demands have been made for the decryptor Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

Cloud misconfiguration a growing cause of security incidents

Rapid cloud adoption during the pandemic has increased the attack surface and heightened the risk of misconfiguring services, leaving organisations more vulnerable to cyber attacks Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

Six Isle of Wight schools hit by ransomware attack

Authorities are still working to manage the fallout from the attack, which has already forced at least one school to delay the start of the new term in September Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

Destruction and integrity cyber attacks on the rise

Cyber security professionals have reported a sharp rise in debilitating attacks aimed at destroying or manipulating data Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

Five tips to ensure your crisis comms plan is ready for a cyber attack

Business leaders take note: standard crisis communications plans are inadequate if you have fallen victim to a cyber attack. HPL’s Ted Birkhahn shares five tips to make sure you are ready to face the public Continue Reading

By

• Ted Birkhahn

Technical hiccups force Babuk ransomware gang to change tactics

The Babuk ransomware operation backed away from encrypting its victims’ files, and technical difficulties may be to blame, reports McAfee Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Top vulnerabilities target perimeter devices

The most frequently exploited CVEs of the year so far are to be found in perimeter and network access devices, according to a joint advisory from the NCSC and partners Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

COP26 cyber resource hub launched for Glasgow businesses

New digital information hub for Glasgow business to help organisations keep secure both physically and online ahead of major climate change summit Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

ICO ends its involvement in dispute between NatWest Bank and data breach whistleblower

The Information Commissioner’s Office has ended its involvement in a dispute between a data breach whistleblower and NatWest bank Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

US lawmakers call for probe into ‘arrogant’ spyware firm

US members of Congress have called for an investigation into NSO Group, the spyware supplier at the centre of a massive surveillance scandal Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

How IBM is solving the data privacy problem

IBM’s fully homomorphic encryption technology lets enterprises apply analytics and machine learning to encrypted data without compromising data privacy Continue Reading

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• Aaron Tan, TechTarget

No More Ransom initiative saves £850m over five years

Initiative’s free ransomware decryption tools have been used by more than six million people since 2016 Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Tokyo 2020 hit by data breach

The user names and passwords of Tokyo 2020 ticket holders and event volunteers were reportedly compromised, but government official claims the data leak was not large Continue Reading

By

• Aaron Tan, TechTarget

OAIC: Uber failed to protect personal data of Australians

Uber did not take reasonable steps to protect Australians’ personal information from unauthorised access, says Australia’s national privacy watchdog Continue Reading

By

• Aaron Tan, TechTarget

Kaseya obtains universal ransomware decryptor

Kaseya says it obtained a ransomware decryptor key from a trusted third party, but there is no word on whether a ransom was paid Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

New thinking and systems required to tackle online fraud in retail

Online fraud is a growing problem for retail, but are merchants doing enough to update systems and how should they change their actions to address it? Continue Reading

By

• Ben Sillitoe

Five ways to ensure remote working security and compliance

A mix of on-site and remote working has become a fact of life for many organisations. We look at five key things you should consider to ensure compliance and security Continue Reading

By

• Valéry Rieß-Marchive, Rédacteur en chef
• Antony Adshead, Storage Editor

France’s Macron among alleged Pegasus targets

Data relating to devices used by French president Emmanuel Macron and the head of the World Health Organization, among others, has been uncovered in a dataset linked to government use of spyware Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

NCSC’s Cameron urges deeper cyber alliance-building

Speaking to an event in Israel, NCSC CEO Lindy Cameron has praised joint UK-Israeli efforts on security collaboration Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

The Secret IR Insider’s Diary: It’s all gone quie...

The ‘Q’ word isn’t one that’s really used in incident response, says the Secret IR Insider, largely because as soon as you use it, something happens Continue Reading

By

• The Secret IR Insider, Check Point

UK, US confirm Chinese state backed MS Exchange Server attacks

UK and US governments, alongside the EU and Nato, have formally attributed the March 2021 Microsoft Exchange Server attacks to Chinese state-backed actors Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

CW APAC: Trend Watch on supply chain security

In this handbook, Computer Weekly looks at the rise of supply chain attacks, the challenges that come with zero trust security and attacks on the Covid-19 vaccine supply chain Continue Reading

Singapore to invest S$50m in ‘digital trust’ capabilities

The Singapore government is pumping in S$50m to bolster research in technologies that will foster digital trust in areas such as privacy protection and identity management Continue Reading

By

• Aaron Tan, TechTarget

REvil ransomware crew drops offline, reasons murky

The REvil ransomware operation appears to have gone dark, but claims about its demise are almost certainly exaggerated Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Secureworks sets up in EU datacentre for XDR services

New datacentre location helps Secureworks’ customers meet EU data residency requirements Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Kaseya VSA services coming online after week-long outage

Kaseya has successfully deployed a patch to its ransomware-hit VSA product as per a revised schedule, and customers are beginning to come back online Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Ransomware and botnets among top cyber threats in Singapore

The city-state saw more ransomware threats and command-and-control servers hosted out of its highly connected network infrastructure last year, as threat actors capitalised on the pandemic Continue Reading

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• Aaron Tan, TechTarget

Professionals need protection from the Computer Misuse Act

The UK needs cyber legislation fit for the 21st century, so it is important for the industry to get behind the government’s proposed reform of the Computer Misuse Act Continue Reading

By

• Martin Smith, SASIG

Ransomware gangs seek people skills for negotiations

The process of negotiating a ransomware payment is delicate, hence cyber criminal organisations are prepared to offer good terms to those with the right skillsets Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Kaseya apologises for extended downtime after ransom attack

CEO of Kaseya apologises after pushing back the restoration of the firm’s VSA service following a REvil ransomware attack Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

How the UK Cyber Security Council plans to professionalise security

As chair of the new UK Cyber Security Council, Claudia Natanson is in a superb position to develop professional standards in IT security and she intends to fundamentally reimagine what a security job actually is Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Opportunists seen targeting Kaseya REvil victims

Malwarebytes researchers highlight new spam campaign targeting businesses impacted by the ongoing Kaseya REvil ransomware incident Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

About 60 Kaseya customers hit by REvil

Kaseya has revised upward the number of managed service providers compromised by the REvil ransomware gang in a supply chain attack at the weekend Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Klarna under investigation by Swedish finance watchdog

Swedish fintech is being investigated by financial services regulator after customer information was visible to others Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Cyber insurance costs up by a third

The frequency and severity of ransomware attacks is a leading factor behind a substantial increase in the cost of obtaining cyber security insurance Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

BA reaches settlement in data breach group action

A group action against BA following its 2018 data breach has been successfully settled Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

REvil crew wants $70m in Kaseya ransomware heist

Two days after one of the largest ransomware attacks in history by the REvil/Sodinokibi gang, the security community is assessing its next moves, while over 1,000 victims remain in limbo Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Should I be worried about PrintNightmare?

The accidental publication of proof of concept code for a Windows vulnerability, and the reclassification of said bug from low to critical severity, has the cyber community concerned. Is it right to be? Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Cyber attackers up the ante on embattled IT teams

Opportunistic threat actors are pouncing on embattled IT teams that are under pressure to expand remote work arrangements Continue Reading

By

• Aaron Tan, TechTarget

NCSC joins US authorities to expose Russian brute force campaign

A joint attribution by the British and American authorities accuses Russia’s GRU intelligence services of conducting a campaign of brute force attacks on enterprise and cloud environments Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Cyber espionage campaign targeted central Asian states

The Afghan, Kyrgyz and Uzbek governments are all thought to have been targeted by the same APT Continue Reading

Nominations open for 2021 Security Serious Unsung Heroes Awards

Nominations are now open for this year’s edition of the Unsung Heroes Awards for cyber professionals and educators Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

REvil affiliates offer hefty ransom discounts, data reveals

REvil or Sodinokibi ransomware activity is higher than ever, but its success appears to be relative, with some affiliates prepared to dramatically cut their prices Continue Reading

By

• Valéry Rieß-Marchive, Rédacteur en chef
• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

LinkedIn denies exposure of 700 million user records is a data breach

Data relating to 700 million users of the LinkedIn networking platform has appeared for sale, but the firm says it is the victim of data scraping, not a security breach Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor