Hackers and cybercrime prevention

FoggyWeb malware latest tool of dangerous Nobelium APT

Microsoft’s threat intelligence team warns of a new strain of malware being used by the Russia-linked Nobelium APT Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Dedicated number for victims of fraud launched amid national security threat

Consumers that suspect they are being targeted by fraudsters can call 159 to be directly linked to their bank, as part of a 12-month pilot Continue Reading

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• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

The Security Interviews: How SolarWinds came through its darkest hour

In his first major UK press interview, SolarWinds CEO Sudhakar Ramakrishna tells Computer Weekly how a relentless focus on transparency saw the company safely through a nightmare cyber breach scenario Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

UK consumer trust in banks, retailers and telcos declines as scams increase

Consumers are blaming banks, retailers and social media for the huge increase in online scams, survey shows Continue Reading

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• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

How one red team exercise averted a new SolarWinds-style attack

Palo Alto Networks shares details of how its red teamers found and sealed a customer vulnerability that could have led to another SolarWinds-style supply chain attack Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

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

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

brute-force attack

A brute-force attack is a trial-and-error method used by application programs to decode login information and encryption keys to use them to gain unauthorized access to systems. Continue Reading

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• Katie Terrell Hanna

What it takes to attract and retain women in cyber security

The narrowing gender gap may be a cause for cheer, but more needs to be done to curb discrimination, and attract and retain women for cyber security roles in Asia-Pacific Continue Reading

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• Ai Lei Tao

Empowering APAC women on the frontlines of cyber security

In this webinar, we discuss the issues facing women in cyber security, the challenges of breaking into the field and why it’s important to close the gender gap Continue Reading

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• Aaron Tan, TechTarget

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

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• Aaron Tan, TechTarget

Fresh alert over Conti ransomware surge

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

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• 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

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Threat actors target VMware vCenter Server users

Users of VMware vCenter Server are advised to patch a series of vulnerabilities post haste Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Authorised push payment fraud sees huge increase as criminals switch tactics

Criminals tricking people into making payments through channels such as fake emails and websites have stolen more money than payment card fraudsters Continue Reading

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• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

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

Spanish police bust Mafia-linked phishing gang

A joint operation between European authorities has dismantled a cyber criminal gang with links to the Italian Mafia Continue Reading

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• 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

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

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

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

shadow password file

A shadow password file, also known as /etc/shadow, is a system file in Linux that stores encrypted user passwords and is accessible only to the root user, preventing unauthorized users or malicious actors from breaking into the system. Continue Reading

By

• Rahul Awati

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

Microsoft patches 66 vulnerabilities in September update

Another lighter-than-usual Patch Tuesday update includes important fixes for recently disclosed vulnerabilities, including a dangerous zero-day, and an update in the PrintNightmare saga 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

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• 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

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• 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

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• 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

Smishing attacks up sevenfold in six months

Scam text messages are reaching pandemic proportions, thanks in part to the pandemic 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

Latest Microsoft zero-day being actively exploited

New Microsoft zero-day CVE-2021-40444 affects multiple versions of Windows and is probably being exploited through convincing phishing attacks Continue Reading

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• 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

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• 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

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Bridging the gender gap in cyber security

Some professional groups and companies in Asia are working hard to improve awareness of the cyber security profession and mentoring talented women in a bid to bridge the gender gap Continue Reading

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• Aaron Tan, TechTarget

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

Banking anti-fraud scheme blocks 65% more fraud

Scheme designed to protect vulnerable people against banking fraud has been expanded to include online scams Continue Reading

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• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

How NZ schools are tapping managed network services

Using managed network services has freed up time and resources for New Zealand school teachers and alleviated the pressure and challenges of maintaining technology infrastructure Continue Reading

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• Aaron Tan, TechTarget

How do SOAR and SIEM services fare in a rapidly changing cyber threat landscape?

Given that cyber risks are rapidly growing in sophistication and number, we look at whether SIEM and SOAR security tools are still effective Continue Reading

By

• Nicholas Fearn

Berlin court reverses ban on use of EncroChat evidence in criminal trials

Berlin Superior Court allows use of EncroChat evidence in criminal trials but lawyers say the question will ultimately need to be decided by the German Supreme Court Continue Reading

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• Bill Goodwin, Computer Weekly

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

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• 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

How high can the contactless card limit go without two-factor authentication?

The spending limit for contactless cards has reached an eyebrow-raising triple-digit figure – £100 – raising questions about the need for user authentication Continue Reading

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• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Twitter tests auto-block feature for accounts at risk of abuse

Latest Twitter feature automatically blocks abusive users, and is intended to help victims regain control of their experience on the platform Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

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

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• 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

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• 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

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• 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

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• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

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

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• 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

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

How women can succeed in cyber security

A cyber security professional at Australia’s IAG shares her career journey and insights on how women can succeed in the field Continue Reading

By

• Stephen Withers

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

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

UK loses £1.3bn to fraud and cyber crime so far this year

New figures from the National Fraud Intelligence Bureau show a threefold spike in reported financial losses to fraud and cyber crime in the first six months of 2021 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

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• 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

More data breaches in Australia arising from ransomware

The number of data breaches in Australia arising out of ransomware attacks grew by 24% during the first half of 2021, according to OAIC’s latest data breach report Continue Reading

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• Aaron Tan, TechTarget

certificate revocation list (CRL)

A certificate revocation list (CRL) is a list of digital certificates that have been revoked by the issuing Certificate Authority (CA) before their actual or assigned expiration date. Continue Reading

By

• Rahul Awati
• Michael Cobb

How the pandemic transformed IAG’s Hangar 51 accelerator

Businesses of all shapes and sizes have had to take a different approach during the pandemic – Dupsy Abiola, head of global innovation at IAG, explains how IAG transformed its Hangar 51 accelerator during the coronavirus outbreak Continue Reading

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• Clare McDonald, Business Editor

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

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• 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

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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

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• 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

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Hospitals see cyber security investment as a low priority

Almost half of hospitals have experienced an IT shutdown as a result of a cyber attack in the past six months, but just over one in 10 hospital executives see cyber security investment as a high priority Continue Reading

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• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

LGA goes live with Digital Pathfinders Programme

Programme offers £20,000 in funding to councils that come up with ‘pioneering solutions’ for cyber security, digital inclusion and connectivity Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

Openness can protect Dutch companies against ransomware

 Continue Reading

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

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• Bill Goodwin, Computer Weekly

Hacker makes off with $600m in world’s largest crypto-heist

Despite bagging $600m worth of cryptocurrency in what has been described as the biggest decentralised finance hack, the hacker has already started returning the funds Continue Reading

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• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

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

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• Kim Loohuis

Ransomware demands and payments hit new records

Ransomware groups continue to intensify their operations as ransom demands and payments increase alongside use of “quadruple extortion” tactics during first half of 2021 Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

How Grab is using Kafka in fraud detection

Grab is using Apache Kafka in its fraud detection and prevention platform to ingest event streams from its mobile software development kits and client backends to pick up fraudulent activities Continue Reading

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• Aaron Tan, TechTarget

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

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• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

Nine security flaws found in critical hospital infrastructure

The ‘PwnedPiper’ vulnerabilities identified in systems used by 80% of US hospitals could be used to launch ransomware attacks Continue Reading

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• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

BlackMatter goes on the record about DarkSide and REvil links

BlackMatter gives details of its ransomware-as-a-service operation and distinguishes itself from now-defunct ransomware gangs in interview with cyber security analysts from Recorded Future Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

cyberstalking

Cyberstalking is a crime in which someone harasses or stalks a victim using electronic or digital means, such as social media, email, instant messaging (IM) or messages posted to a discussion group or forum. Continue Reading

By

• Rahul Awati

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

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• 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

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• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

Initial access brokers unaffected by ransomware content bans

Banning ransomware content from cyber crime forums has done little to prevent initial access brokers from advertising their services, with the number of access listings increasing in the second quarter of 2021 Continue Reading

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• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

UK MoD turns to hackers to help secure digital assets

Hackers given direct access to internal Ministry of Defence systems to identify and report security vulnerabilities Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

New ransomware gang spins out of DarkSide

The emergence of a ransomware gang known as BlackMatter raises questions that it could be a re-brand of REvil or DarkSide Continue Reading

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• 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

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• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

Ransomware attacks increase dramatically during 2021

Dramatic increase in ransomware attacks globally during first half of 2021 driven by triple extortion technique, and is only set to expand further Continue Reading

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• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

The fears and benefits of virtualising reality

In this week’s Computer Weekly, we examine the mingling of virtual and physical worlds and find positive applications and worrisome implications from augmented reality. We find out how to run a virtual hackathon during the pandemic – pizza still included. And we look at how to improve performance of your private cloud. Read the issue now. Continue Reading

Government publishes second version of digital identity trust framework

The second iteration of the framework, still in alpha version, sets out how organisations can become certified digital identity service providers Continue Reading

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• Lis Evenstad

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

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Investigatory Powers Tribunal finds UK spy agencies unlawfully collected personal data

Campaign groups Privacy International and Liberty are gearing up to bring further legal action after a court found that UK spy agencies unlawfully collected phone and internet records Continue Reading

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• Bill Goodwin, Computer Weekly

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

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• 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

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

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

TikTok sets up cyber security hub in Dublin

Dublin-based cyber centre will oversee the security of TikTok’s users across Europe Continue Reading

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• 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

By

• Aaron Tan, TechTarget

Are we getting cyber security skills all wrong?

In this week’s Computer Weekly, the chair of the new UK Cyber Security Council tells us how she plans to fundamentally reimagine what working in IT security means. Our latest buyer’s guide examines ERP modernisation and its role in digital transformation. And we take an in-depth look at the first preview version of Windows 11. Read the issue now. Continue Reading

Malicious actors turn to obscure programming languages

Using new, lesser-known or otherwise uncommon programming languages to code new malwares can help skirt cyber defences Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

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

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• 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

Respect in Security challenges abuse and harassment in cyber

With around a third of cyber pros saying they have personally experienced harassment at work or online, a new initiative is urging organisations to pledge their support to help free the community from the scourge of abuse. We met its founders 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