Hackers and cybercrime prevention

CyberUK 22: Data-sharing service to protect public from scams

A new data-sharing service set up by the NCSC and industry partners will give ISPs access to real-time threat data that they can use to block fraudulent websites Continue Reading

By

• 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

By

• 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

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Top 10 spyware threats

The top 10 spyware list describes the 10 common spyware threats behind famous spyware attacks and is frequently identified by Webroot's Spy Audit, a free spyware scanner tool. Continue Reading

By

• Andrew Zola

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

By

• 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

By

• 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

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

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

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

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

parameter tampering

Parameter tampering is a type of web-based cyber attack in which certain parameters in a URL are changed without a user's authorization. Continue Reading

By

• Rahul Awati

IT infrastructure used to launch DDoS attack on Russian targets

Organisations could unwittingly be participating in hostile activity against the Russian government as compromised IT infrastructure is used without their knowledge to launch denial of service attacks Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

Five companies join NCSC for Startups to deal with ransomware

The NCSC has invited five startups to join the NCSC for Startups programme to develop tech that can help deal with the threat of ransomware Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics 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

NHS email accounts hijacked for phishing campaign

Microsoft credentials targeted in phishing operation using hijacked NHSMail accounts Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

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

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

PeerGFS to add AI/ML anomaly detection to distributed file system product

Peer will add AI/ML-based anomaly detection as it ramps up security protection in its PeerGFS distributed file management software, with Linux server support also to come in 2022 Continue Reading

By

• Antony Adshead, Storage Editor

Five TLS comms vulnerabilities hit Aruba, Avaya switching kit

Five new vulnerabilities in the implementation of transport layer security communications leave several popular switches vulnerable to remote code execution Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

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

By

• 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

By

• 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

By

• 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

By

• 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

By

• 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

By

• 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

By

• 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

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Emotet tests new tricks to thwart enhanced security

The operators of the Emotet botnet seem to be trying to find a way to get around recent changes made by Microsoft to better protect its users Continue Reading

By

• 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

By

• 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

By

• 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

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Mimecast makes deeper push into ASEAN

Mimecast opens regional office in Singapore and is looking at setting up a datacentre in Southeast Asia as it makes a deeper push into the region Continue Reading

By

• Aaron Tan, TechTarget

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

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

UAE bolsters cyber security

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

By

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

Zoom adds new round of cyber security enhancements

Videoconferencing platform Zoom adds multiple third-party security certifications and service enhancements Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

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

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

India’s cyber security industry doubles in size during the Covid-19 pandemic

India’s revenues from cyber security products and services reached $9.85bn in 2021 thanks to rapid digitisation and regulatory attention on data and privacy Continue Reading

CW APAC: Trend Watch: Cyber security

Protection from malicious actors has become a critical consideration for organisations in recent years. In this handbook, focused on cyber security in the Asia-Pacific region, Computer Weekly looks at how to minimise edge security risks, India’s rise in cyber security revenues, Check Point’s sales force and partner ecosystem processes, and Trellix’s decision to democratise XDR access Continue Reading

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

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Home secretary Priti Patel to decide whether to extradite Assange

Home secretary will decide in four weeks whether to approve Julian Assange’s extradition to the US, where he faces espionage and hacking charges Continue Reading

By

• Bill Goodwin, Computer Weekly

AWS fixes vulnerabilities in Log4Shell hot patch

AWS issues fixes for a series of Log4Shell hot patches after they turned out to leave its services vulnerable to further exploitation Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

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

By

• 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

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

mail bomb

A mail bomb is a form of a denial-of-service (DoS) attack designed to overwhelm an inbox or inhibit a server by sending a massive number of emails to a specific person or system. Continue Reading

By

• Andrew Zola

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

By

• 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

By

• 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

By

• 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

By

• 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

By

• 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

By

• 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

By

• 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

By

• 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

By

• 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

By

• Aaron Tan, TechTarget

Open source CMS platform Directus patches XSS bug

A stored cross-site scripting vulnerability in the Directus platform could have enabled malicious actors to gain access to valuable data Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

We must target a broad church to fill vacant cyber roles

The security industry focuses a lot on cyber-specific specialisms and technical skills, but it could really benefit from widening its search. Take it from a social anthropologist Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Raspberry Pi Foundation ditches default username policy

Raspberry Pi owners will no longer be able to use the default ‘pi’ username, as the Raspberry Pi Foundation clamps down on insecure practices Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Nordic countries discuss joint cyber defence capability

Nordic countries are in talks to increase their cyber defences in the face of the threat from Russia Continue Reading

By

• Gerard O'Dwyer

EncroChat: France says ‘defence secrecy’ in police surveillance operations is constitutional

Constitutional court finds that invoking ‘defence secrecy’ to withhold information about the state hacking of EncroChat cryptophones is constitutional. Defence lawyers now head for the supreme court Continue Reading

By

• Bill Goodwin, Computer Weekly

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

By

• 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

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Apple criticised over unpatched CVEs in Catalina, Big Sur

Apple patched two zero-days in macOS Monterey last week, but did not address the same issue in Catalina or Big Sur, raising questions Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Denonia malware may be first to target AWS Lambda

The newly discovered Denonia malware appears to be custom designed to target AWS Lambda environments, and may be the first of its kind Continue Reading

By

• 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

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Secrecy over police EncroChat hacking is unconstitutional, defence lawyers tell top French court

France’s constitutional court, the Conseil Constitutionnel, has heard arguments that the use of ‘defence secrecy’ to withhold information about police surveillance operations breaches the French constitution Continue Reading

By

• Bill Goodwin, Computer Weekly

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

By

• 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

By

• 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

By

• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor

How remote browser isolation can mitigate cyber threats

Remote browser isolation can help to mitigate browser-based attacks by separating a user’s browsing activity from the device Continue Reading

By

• Aaron Tan, TechTarget

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

By

• 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

By

• 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

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Global upheaval shows cyber security isn’t good enough, says GCHQ director

Generational global upheaval has laid bare significant gaps in national cyber strategies, GCHQ chief Jeremy Fleming has said in a speech Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Bank fraud prevention scheme blocked £60m in fraud last year

Scheme to catch fraudsters, including online scammers, before they commit their crimes has reported a significant increase in crimes prevented Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

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

By

• 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

By

• 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

By

• 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

By

• 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

By

• 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

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Ten years of the Raspberry Pi

In this week’s Computer Weekly, as the Raspberry Pi reaches its 10th anniversary, we look back on how the low-cost computing device went from schools to supercomputers and even into space. Gartner offers tips on how to motivate IT staff in a hybrid working environment. And we meet the Dutch hackers helping to secure the internet. Read the issue now. Continue Reading

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

By

• Aaron Tan, TechTarget

How Dutch hackers are working to make the internet safe

We hear how the personal mission of a Dutch hacker grew into a serious organisation with international ambitions Continue Reading

European Commission proposes new cyber security regulations

New cyber and information security regulations have been proposed by the European Commission to create a minimum set of standards in both areas Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

London police arrest seven in connection to Lapsus$

Seven people arrested by London police over cyber attacks carried out by Lapsus$ group, which is responsible for a number of recent, high profile attacks Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

Anonymous claims it has hacked the Central Bank of Russia

Hackers operating under the Anonymous banner claim to have stolen more than 35,000 sensitive files from the Central Bank of Russia as part of its cyber war against the Russian state Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics 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

By

• 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

Biden issues warning about Russian cyber attacks

President Biden has said that US companies running critical infrastructure should immediately harden their defences in anticipation of potential cyber attacks from Russia Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

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

By

• 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

By

• 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

By

• 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

By

• 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

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

National Cyber Strategy will enhance UK’s cyber power status

The UK punches above its weight when it comes to wielding cyber power around the world, but challenges to this status are clear. The National Cyber Strategy has a clear role to play in maintaining and enhancing this status, writes Paddy Francis of Airbus Cybersecurity Continue Reading

By

• Paddy Francis

NCSC catches 10 million phishes

Nation Cyber Security Centre’s scam email reporting service enjoys great success as government embarks on new cyber awareness campaign Continue Reading

By

• 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

By

• 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

By

• 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

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Two men convicted after using EncroChat cryptophones to plot killing

Evidence from the encrypted phone network EncroChat led to the conviction of two men for conspiracy to murder Continue Reading

By

• Bill Goodwin, Computer Weekly