Data breach incident management and recovery

Storage and backup spend in 2024 targets risk and resilience

The TechTarget and ESG spending intentions survey finds big bias towards averting risk and building organisational resilience, but on-premise storage a significant planned outlay Continue Reading

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• Antony Adshead, Storage Editor

ConnectWise users see cyber attacks surge, including ransomware

ConnectWise ScreenConnect users who have yet to patch against a critical vulnerability are now being targeted by a barrage of cyber attacks, including ransomware Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

NCA trolls under fire LockBit gang leaders

The NCA has teased details of the identity of LockBit's main admin via the gang’s compromised dark web site, and hinted that he has been engaging with law enforcement Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Cyber experts alarmed by ‘trivial’ ConnectWise vulns

The disclosure of two dangerous vulnerabilities in the popular ConnectWise ScreenConnect product is drawing comparisons with major cyber incidents, including the 2021 Kaseya attack Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Inside LockBit: A ransomware gang in decline?

The LockBit ransomware gang was already on the ropes prior to the NCA-led takedown, according to security researchers Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Australian data breach report highlights supply chain risks

The OAIC has called for organisations to proactively address privacy risks from outsourcing personal information handling to third parties Continue Reading

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• Aaron Tan, TechTarget

CVE volumes set to increase 25% this year

The number of reported Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures is likely to grow significantly in 2024, hitting a new high of almost 35,000, according to Coalition, a cyber insurance specialist Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

LockBit locked out: Cyber community reacts

Reaction to the takedown of the LockBit ransomware gang is enthusiastic, but tempered with the knowledge that cyber criminals are often remarkably resilient Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

LockBit gang members arrested in Poland and Ukraine

The UK’s National Crime Agency and its global partners have shared more details on their audacious takedown of the LockBit ransomware operation, including news of two arrests Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Cops take down LockBit ransomware gang

The notorious LockBit ransomware crew has been disrupted in an international law enforcement sting led by the UK's National Crime Agency Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Bouncing back from a cyber attack

Organisations need to move away from victim blaming when cyber attacks on OT systems occur and focus on fostering collaboration between teams to minimise downtime, among other efforts to bounce back and return to business Continue Reading

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• Marty Rickard

Southern Water customer data was taken in ransomware attack

Southern Water has started to contact customers whose data was stolen in a January 2024 ransomware attack on its systems Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

What will result from Cohesity’s Veritas acquisition?

The $7bn backup giant will leverage huge assets in enterprise customer base, compliance and governance intelligence, AI, R&D, and Kubernetes backup and storage Continue Reading

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• Yann Serra, LeMagIT
• Antony Adshead, Storage Editor

Executives must face down state-sponsored hacking groups targeting firmware

State-backed groups have ratcheted up the pressure for cyber security professionals and executives. But that’s not an excuse to cede them the territory. Continue Reading

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• Michael Marcotte

NCSC warns CNI operators over ‘living-off-the-land’ attacks

Malicious, state-backed actors may well be lurking in the UK’s most critical networks right now, and their operators may not even know until it is too late, warn the NCSC and its partners Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

How Iranian cyber ops pivoted to target Israel after 7 October attacks

Microsoft has shared new intelligence on how Iranian government-aligned threat actors have turned their fire on Israel over the past four months Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

South Staffs Water faces group action over Clop ransomware attack

South Staffordshire Plc, the parent company of South Staffordshire and Cambridge Water, is facing legal action from customers whose data was compromised in a 2022 Clop ransomware attack Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

UK’s McPartland Cyber Review to probe trust in technology

The UK government has launched a cyber security review that will investigate how best to give businesses the confidence they need to use new technologies Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

IT security strategy: Assessing the risks of generative AI

Most industry watchers see 2024 as the year when generative artificial intelligence and large language models will begin moving into enterprise IT. We consider the security implications. Continue Reading

Blackbaud blasted for failing to prevent customer breaches

A supply chain attack at software supplier Blackbaud in 2020 saw data on multiple UK organisations compromised. The US authorities are now taking steps to ensure it can’t happen again Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

US sanctions Iranians behind CNI cyber attacks

US government issues new sanctions against six Iranians suspected of being behind a series of cyber attacks targeting critical national infrastructure, notably water supply systems Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

IT security strategy: Assessing the risks of generative AI

Most industry watchers see 2024 as the year when generative AI and large language models will begin moving into enterprise IT Continue Reading

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• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor
• Adrian Bridgwater

Top 10 types of information security threats for IT teams

Know thine enemy -- and the common security threats that can bring an unprepared organization to its knees. Learn what these threats are and how to prevent them. Continue Reading

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• TechTarget Contributor

Security Think Tank: Expect more from GenAI in 2024

But 2024 also feels slightly different; the past 12 months have seen generative AI burst on to the scene, and this year its impact will continue to be felt, says Turnkey Consulting's Harshini Carey. Continue Reading

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• Harshini Carey, Turnkey Consulting

Quantum, AI and geopolitical conflict: '24 will be a big year for cyber

With big trends like quantum, generative AI and geopolitical conflict, 2024 looks set to be a big year in security, but defenders have an unparalleled opportunity to harness these trends for good, says Quorum's Federico Charosky Continue Reading

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• Federico Charosky

Akira ransomware gang claims Lush cyber attack

The Akira ransomware gang claims to have stolen over 100GB of data from cosmetics manufacturer and retailer Lush Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Mitigating the risks of modern application development

Organisations need to have visibility over their software supply chain, secure and monitor interfaces to legacy systems and adopt zero trust to mitigate the risks of modern application development Continue Reading

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• Peter Lees

Southern Water confirms cyber attack after Black Basta claims

Southern Water, which supplies millions of customers in southeast England, has confirmed it has fallen victim to a cyber attack, although its services appear to be running normally Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Inside Cisco’s security platform strategy

Raj Chopra, senior vice-president of Cisco’s security business, outlines the company’s security platform strategy and how it brought different products together into a single platform Continue Reading

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• Aaron Tan, TechTarget

Critical vulnerability exposes Fortra GoAnywhere users

Fortra GoAnywhere MFT users must take steps to address a newly disclosed zero-day vulnerability without delay Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

AI will heighten global ransomware threat, says NCSC

The benefits of artificial intelligence to cyber criminals being well-known, the NCSC now assesses it’s likely AI will soon be widely used to enhance ransomware attacks Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Podcast: Storage and compliance outlook for 2024

Interesting times ahead in 2024 as we talk to Mathieu Gorge, CEO of Vigitrust, about updates to EU regs, PCI, NIST, post-Brexit divergence and 60 national elections across the globe Continue Reading

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• Antony Adshead, Storage Editor

Building an incident response framework for your enterprise

Understanding incident response framework standards and how to build the best framework for your organization is essential to prevent threats and mitigate cyber incidents. Continue Reading

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• David Geer, Geer Communications
• Peter Sullivan

Top incident response service providers, vendors and software

Get help deciding between using in-house incident response software or outsourcing to an incident response service provider, and review a list of leading vendor options. Continue Reading

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• Paul Kirvan

Leak of 26 billion records may prove to be ‘mother of all breaches’

The discovery of a dataset comprising 26 billion stolen records may prove to be record-breaking in both its size and the danger it poses to ordinary people Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

SEC bitcoin hack was result of SIM-swapping

A cyber attack on the US financial regulator earlier in January 2024 occurred after hackers took over one of its mobile phone accounts in a so-called SIM-swapping attack Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

SolarWinds hackers attack Microsoft in apparent recon mission

Russian-backed threat actor behind infamous 2020 SolarWinds Sunburst intrusion hacked into Microsoft’s systems, apparently in an attempt to get hold of intel on themselves Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Tech trends: what will be hot in 2024?

Five major technology trends for 2024 Continue Reading

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• Bev White, Nash Squared

Neighbouring Kent councils hit by simultaneous cyber attacks

Canterbury, Dover and Thanet Councils in Kent have all been struck by simultaneous cyber attacks knocking systems offline, with indications of a link between all three Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Powering up cyber security defences with AI

AI holds great promise when it comes to securing valuable, and vulnerable, data, but security teams face some challenges if they are to get the best out of it, writes IBM’s Christopher Meenan Continue Reading

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• Christopher Meenan

Cyber non-profit enlists ex-NCSC head as technical chair

Founding NCSC chief exec Ciaran Martin is to join the newly launched Cyber Monitoring Centre non-profit as chair of its technical committee Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

NCSC invites security pros to join the big leagues

The NCSC is inviting security pros from across the UK to sign up to work with its experts on an intelligence-sharing initiative Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Cloud-to-cloud backup: What it is and why you (probably) need it

Basic cloud data protection is just not enough. Several loopholes leave business data vulnerable and that means additional cloud-to-cloud backup should be seriously considered Continue Reading

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• Stephen Pritchard

The Security Interviews: Rebecca Taylor, SecureWorks Counter Threat Unit

In October 2023, Rebecca Taylor of the SecureWorks Counter Threat Unit was recognised at the annual Security Serious Unsung Heroes Awards for her work. Computer Weekly caught up with her to talk mentoring, cyber career development and diversity Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

CERT vs. CSIRT vs. SOC: What's the difference?

What's in a name? Parse the true differences between a CERT, a CSIRT, a CIRT and a SOC, before you decide what's best for your organization. Continue Reading

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• Ed Moyle, Drake Software

Victims of 2023 Capita data breaches head to High Court

More than 5,000 people impacted by data breaches arising from two cyber incidents affecting outsourcer Capita have joined a group action lawsuit Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

How to create a CSIRT: 10 best practices

The time to organize and train a CSIRT is long before a security incident occurs. Certain steps should be followed to create an effective, cross-functional team. Continue Reading

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• Ed Moyle, Drake Software

The human toll of ransomware: how IT pros suffer during incidents

Any ransomware attack causes significant challenges for a business or organisation going through such incident. But ransomware attacks also have tremendous impact on the staff – especially IT teams – working on mitigating the attack’s effect Continue Reading

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• Pia Hüsch, Jamie MacColl and Gareth Mott

British Library catalogues back online after ransomware attack

The British Library has restored online access to its main catalogue of nearly 40 million items on a limited basis as it continues the long and arduous process of recovering from a ransomware attack Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Cosmetics retailer Lush dealing with mystery cyber incident

Cosmetics retailer Lush confirms it’s investigating a cyber attack of an undisclosed nature, but key public-facing systems appear to be unaffected Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

British Library cyber attack explained: What you need to know

In this essential guide, Computer Weekly investigates the cyber attack on the British Library that has rendered IT systems inoperable and caused service disruption to thousands of users Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Russia hacked ex-MI6 chief’s emails – what they reveal is more Dad’s Army than deep state

A Russian hacking group that published emails of ex-MI6 chief Richard Dearlove claimed to have uncovered a conspiracy, but it was more Dad’s Army than the ‘deep state’, Computer Weekly and Byline Times reveal Continue Reading

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• Sophie Hill

NCA director sacked after WhatsApp and email security breaches

Nikki Holland, former director of investigations at the NCA, was sacked for “misconduct” after sending sensitive NCA information over personal email and WhatsApp Continue Reading

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• Bill Goodwin, Computer Weekly

Incident response: How to implement a communication plan

Communication is critical to an effective incident response plan. Here are five best practices for communication planning and a free, editable template to get started. Continue Reading

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• Mike Chapple, University of Notre Dame

10 types of security incidents and how to prevent them

Cyberattacks are more varied and numerous than ever. Learn the key signs of common security incidents and how to respond to keep systems and data safe. Continue Reading

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• TechTarget Contributor
• Alissa Irei, Senior Site Editor

SEC social media hack highlights value of MFA

The US SEC briefly appeared to approve new bitcoin trading rules after a social media account was targeted by troublemakers, proving the value of MFA once again Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Babuk Tortilla ransomware decryptor made available

A joint effort between Cisco Talos, Avast and the Dutch police will bring relief to many victims of a variant of the Babuk ransomware known as Tortilla Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Study reveals cyber risks to US elections

With the 2024 US presidential election cycle beginning, a study produced by Arctic Wolf has highlighted big gaps in preparedness and resourcing at government bodies across the US Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

How to fix the top 5 cybersecurity vulnerabilities

Check out how to fix five top cybersecurity vulnerabilities to prevent data loss from poor endpoint security, ineffective network monitoring, weak authentication and other issues. Continue Reading

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• Dave Shackleford, Voodoo Security

Top 30 incident response interview questions

Job interviews are nerve-wracking, but preparation can minimize jitters and position you to land the role. Get started with these incident response interview questions and answers. Continue Reading

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• Ed Moyle, Drake Software

Top incident response tools: How to choose and use them

The OODA loop helps organizations throughout the incident response process, giving insight into the incident response tools needed to detect and respond to security events. Continue Reading

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• Kevin Beaver, Principle Logic, LLC

How to become an incident responder: Requirements and more

Incident response is a growth area that provides career advancement options and a good salary. Here's an in-depth look at job requirements, salaries and available certifications. Continue Reading

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• Ed Moyle, Drake Software

British Library ransomware attack could cost up to £7m

The cost of recovering the British Library’s ransomware-stricken IT systems could be up to £7m, it has emerged Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

computer security incident response team (CSIRT)

A computer security incident response team, or CSIRT, is a group of IT professionals that provides an organization with services and support surrounding the assessment, management and prevention of cybersecurity-related emergencies, as well as coordination of incident response efforts. Continue Reading

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• Katie Donegan, Social Media Manager
• Peter Sullivan

Dutch working to promote cooperation in Europe to keep internet safe

A Dutch cooperative approach offers national and international cooperation opportunities for ISPs to guard against DDoS attacks, lawful interception and detect abuse in networks Continue Reading

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• Kim Loohuis

Top 10 ASEAN IT stories of 2023

Organisations across the region have continued to shore up their cyber security posture while investing in infrastructure to pave the way for emerging technologies like GenAI Continue Reading

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• Aaron Tan, TechTarget

Top 10 cyber crime stories of 2023

Ransomware gangs dominated the cyber criminal underworld in 2023, a year that will prove notable for significant evolutionary trends in their tactics Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Top 10 storage supplier strategy stories of 2023

In 2023, we looked at the top storage suppliers, their market share and how they set themselves for a future of hybrid cloud, containerisation and consumption models of purchasing Continue Reading

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• Antony Adshead, Storage Editor

What we learned in cyber in 2023, and what to look out for

PA Consulting's Rasika Somasiri looks back at a busy 12 months in the cyber security world, and highlights some key learnings from 2023 Continue Reading

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• Rasika Somasiri

ALPHV/BlackCat operation down, but maybe not out

Multinational law enforcement has targeted the operations of the notorious ALPHV/BlackCat cyber extortion gang, but the group’s members appear to remain defiant Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Top 10 cyber security stories of 2023

The past 12 months have seen the security agenda dominated by the usual round of vulnerabilities, concerns over supply chain security and more besides, but it was the chaotic state of global geopolitics that really made an impact Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

How threat intelligence is applied in DNS security

Infoblox’s director of security architecture explains how the company leverages its threat intelligence capabilities to help organisations stay ahead of DNS security threats Continue Reading

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• Aaron Tan, TechTarget

Government plans to regulate to tackle datacentre threats

DSIT outlines a range of proposals designed to protect data storage facilities from cyber attacks, as well as physical threats and the effects of climate breakdown Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

NCSC CEO Lindy Cameron to step down in 2024

NCSC chief exec Lindy Cameron, who helped lead and elevate the national dialogue on cyber security through major events such as Covid-19, SolarWinds Sunburst and Colonial Pipeline, is to step down in the New Year Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

How ransomware gangs use the tech media against their victims

Ransomware gangs are increasingly media-savvy operators, and this means incident response plans now need to account for communications and PR strategies too Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Critical UK infrastructure a ‘hostage of fortune’ to ransomware

A lack of ransomware planning and preparedness at the highest levels of government is leaving UK operators or critical national infrastructure dangerously exposed, according to a Joint Committee report Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

MoD fined after breach of Afghan staffers’ data put lives at risk

The MoD has been fined £350,000 by the ICO after an email blunder exposed data on Afghan nationals who had worked with British forces and were at risk of Taliban reprisals Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Outdated data protection practice key factor in PSNI data breach

The August 2023 data breach at the Police Service of Northern Ireland arose chiefly from an outdated approach to data protection and compliance at the force, according to an independent review Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Nordic governments join forces to protect data transfers

Nordic countries deepen their cooperation over cyber security amid heightened threat from neighbouring Russia Continue Reading

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• Gerard O'Dwyer

Fancy Bear targets Nato entities via critical Outlook flaw

A vulnerability patched in March has likely been exploited by the Russian state actor Fancy Bear, for over two years, according to the latest intelligence Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

NCSC exposes Russian cyber attacks on UK political processes

The NCSC has firmly attributed a long-running campaign of cyber attacks targeting UK political processes to a group run out of Russia’s FSB intelligence agency, known as Star Blizzard Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

2023 may have seen highest ransomware ‘body count’ yet

Ransomware, or cyber extortion as it is increasingly being termed, remained the most prominent security threat in 2023 – and thanks to large-scale supply chain attacks, the past 12 months may have seen the most victims ever Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

How Proofpoint is helping to mitigate AI security threats

Proofpoint is offering monitoring tools to prevent leakage of sensitive information in generative AI models and other capabilities to mitigate AI mediated attacks Continue Reading

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• Aaron Tan, TechTarget

How to recover systems in the event of a cyber attack

Recovering compromised systems after a cyber attack isn’t easy, but understanding industry best practice offers a template for the key processes to follow Continue Reading

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• Nicholas Fearn

Operator of Sellafield nuclear facility denies hacking claims

The operator of the Sellafield nuclear site has denied allegations that senior managers covered up a series of cyber security lapses that enabled Chinese and Russian threat actors to compromise its networks Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Rhysida ransomware gang hits hospital holding royal family’s data

Ransomware gang boasts of having stolen data on the royal family in an attack on a private London hospital Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Prepare for your worst day: How to create a cyber incident response plan

What goes into a good incident response plan, and what steps should security professionals take to ensure they are appropriately prepared for the almost inevitable attack, and secure buy-in from organisational leadership? Continue Reading

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• James Allman-Talbot

Rhysida gang stole hundreds of gigabytes of British Library data

The Rhysida ransomware gang behind the cyber attack on the British Library has published almost 600GB of stolen data to its dark web leak site Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Law enforcement dismembers major ransomware operation in Ukraine

A joint law enforcement operation between the Ukrainian authorities, Europol and Eurojust has seem five ransomware operators taken into custody Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Scope of Okta helpdesk breach widens to impact all users

Okta has widened the scope of the October breach of its systems to include every customer that has used its helpdesk service, after new information came to light Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Meta faces GDPR complaint over processing personal data without 'free consent'

Paid-for service means data protection is only available to those who can afford it, privacy group argues in data protection complaint Continue Reading

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• Bill Goodwin, Computer Weekly

Scope of British Library data breach widens

Personal data on British Library users has appeared for sale on the dark web following a Rhysida ransomware attack, as the scope of the still-developing incident widens again Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

The Security Interviews: Zeki Turedi, field CTO Europe, CrowdStrike

Organisations are racing to keep their security up to date against the latest threats. CrowdStrike’s Zeki Turedi explains how to protect against novel and innovative cyber attacks Continue Reading

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• Peter Ray Allison

DORA raises the stakes for cloud use in financial services

The EU's DORA regulations will raise the stakes for cloud in financial services but resilience is more than just a tech issue, says NetApp's Steve Rackham Continue Reading

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• Steve Rackham

APAC organisations warm to microsegmentation

Nearly two-thirds of organisations in the APAC region see microsegmentation as a way to protect their IT assets, but lack the skills to deploy the technology Continue Reading

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• Aaron Tan, TechTarget

MOVEit incident spurred UK decision makers to spend big on cyber

The MOVEit cyber attacks that unfolded in the spring and summer of 2023 seem to have driven an increase in both ransomware awareness and spend, according to a report Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

North Korean APTs go all in on supply chain attacks, warns NCSC

Threat actors linked to the North Korean regime are becoming more adept at targeting software supply chains in the service of their cyber attacks Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Australia ups ante on cyber security

Australia’s new cyber security strategy will focus on building threat-blocking capabilities, protecting critical infrastructure and improving the cyber workforce, among other priorities Continue Reading

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• Stephen Withers

An inside look at a Scattered Spider cyber attack

Threat researchers at ReliaQuest share the inside track on a Scattered Spider cyber attack they investigated Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

CISA reveals how LockBit hacked Boeing via Citrix Bleed

As alarm grows around the world about the impact of the so-called Citrix Bleed vulnerability, Boeing has shared details of its experience at the hands of the LockBit ransomware crew Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor