Hackers and cybercrime prevention

Houseparty denies hack as credential stuffing attacks spread

Social media service denies its service has been hacked, and is offering a million-dollar bounty to anybody who can prove otherwise Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Why security validation matters

FireEye’s top executives in Asia-Pacific discuss the benefits of security validation and offer their take on the region’s cyber threat landscape Continue Reading

By

• Aaron Tan, TechTarget

Coronavirus: Don’t fall for fake cures, warns UK government

Government urges people to be more vigilant about what they read and share online as it relaunches its Don’t Feed the Beast campaign to counter coronavirus disinformation Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Insurance firm Chubb may be latest Maze ransomware victim

Maze ransomware group claims to have stolen personal data from the systems of cyber security insurance firm Chubb Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Lorca calls on security scaleups to tackle coronavirus challenge

Lorca innovation programme has launched an open call for its next cohort of cyber security scaleups, with a timely focus on coronavirus challenges Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Coronavirus: What are the latest free cyber security offers?

We round up the latest free offers on cyber security products and services being made available during the Covid-19 coronavirus crisis Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Tupperware fixes hacked site, but questions remain over response

Kitchenware brand removes active digital credit card skimmer from its website and insists it takes security seriously despite ignoring repeated attempts to contact it Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Coronavirus: Be alert to rogue mobile apps exploiting outbreak

Well-meaning developers are beginning to offer medical apps to monitor coronavirus symptoms and provide information on the pandemic. Opportunists and cyber criminals are not far behind them Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Developed APAC states most exposed to cyber risks

Singapore, South Korea, Japan, Australia and New Zealand have the highest exposure to cyber risks, but they are also the most prepared to deal with cyber attacks, study finds Continue Reading

By

• Aaron Tan, TechTarget

Kitchenware brand Tupperware is ignoring hacked website

Website has been hacked in a targeted cyber attack, and the dangerous vulnerability has not been addressed Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Almost half of UK businesses suffered a cyber attack in past year

Latest government statistics reveal the scale of the cyber security challenge facing UK plc, but reveals some cause for optimism Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Australia inks digital economy pact with Singapore

Australia’s digital economy agreement with Singapore will pave the way for data transfers and other digital trade opportunities Continue Reading

By

• Aaron Tan, TechTarget

Fake antivirus site promises coronavirus protection, delivers trojan

Researchers at Malwarebytes have warned of an increasing volume of scam sites exploiting the Covid-19 coronavirus Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Tekya auto-clicker malware exploits kids’ Android apps

Google has removed multiple apps for children that were found to contain Tekya auto-clicker malware Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Legacy AV defenceless against onslaught of evasive malware

More than two-thirds of malware detected by WatchGuard in the last three months of 2019 was able to evade signature-based antivirus products, rendering them effectively useless in most instances Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

The AWS bucket list: Keep your cloud secure

Misconfigured cloud installations risk billions of records being exposed, damaging organisations’ finances and reputations. Paying attention to securing AWS storage buckets is a simple matter Continue Reading

By

• Peter Ray Allison

Coronavirus: Kaspersky, Bitdefender make products free to NHS

Kaspersky and Bitdefender have both made various products and services available free to healthcare customers as the Covid-19 coronavirus pandemic intensifies Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Thousands of Netflix, Disney+ streaming accounts being stolen

Proofpoint has urged users of streaming services to be alert to cyber criminals hijacking their accounts Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Interview: Jamil Farshchi, CISO, Equifax

Equifax CISO Jamil Farshchi discusses public cloud and why it’s not something IT security professionals should be afraid of Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Cyber gangsters hit UK medical firm poised for work on coronavirus with Maze ransomware attack

The Maze ransomware group has published personal and medical details of thousands of former patients of a London-based medical research company after a failed attempt to disable the firm's computer systems Continue Reading

By

• Bill Goodwin, Computer Weekly

Coronavirus: Sans Institute issues cyber security advice for parents

With schools now shut across the UK, parents will bear more responsibility for keeping children safe online and educating them about online harms Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Unpatched Zyxel storage devices co-opted into IoT botnet

Owners of Zyxel network-attached storage devices are in danger of being hijacked by Mukashi, a descendant of the infamous Mirai botnet, if they don’t patch a critical vulnerability Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Essential Guide: Technology readiness for the Covid-19 coronavirus crisis

The global Covid-19 coronavirus pandemic requires an important response from enterprise IT departments - in this guide, we examine the key considerations for IT leaders Continue Reading

IT Priorities 2020: ANZ firms to spend more on cyber security

Over half of respondents in Australia and New Zealand plan to invest more in cyber security, especially in key areas such as data loss prevention Continue Reading

By

• Aaron Tan, TechTarget

Volume of computer misuse incidents falling, says ONS

Downward trend comes despite an overall increase in fraud, according to new statistics Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Coronavirus: How to implement safe and secure remote working

Find out what CIOs and CISOs need to know to enable their end-users to work remotely and stay secure during the Covid-19 coronavirus crisis, and learn how users can help themselves Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Coronavirus now possibly largest-ever cyber security threat

The cumulative volume of coronavirus-related email lures and other threats is the largest collection of attack types exploiting a single theme for years, possibly ever Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Prudential turns to AI to secure computer networks against cyber attacks

Prudential, the UK’s largest listed insurer, is turning to artificial intelligence to protect its computer networks in the US, Asia and Africa from malware hackers and internal threats Continue Reading

By

• Bill Goodwin, Computer Weekly

Security Think Tank: Amid panic, how to find a sound level of security

In our globalised world, high-profile events such as Covid-19 have huge business impacts, some of which may be felt by CISOs. What responsibilities do security professionals have in such circumstances? Continue Reading

By

• Sabba Mirza and James Walsh

Covid-19: NCSC issues secure remote working guidance

With hundreds of thousands likely to be working remotely for some time, the UK’s NCSC has issued best practice guidance to enable security teams to support them Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Travelex under threat as insolvency risk, hacking costs and coronavirus take their toll

Foreign exchange group’s future remains uncertain as its parent company, Finablr, prepares for potential insolvency Continue Reading

By

• Bill Goodwin, Computer Weekly

SentinelOne makes security platform free to support remote workers

Endpoint protection platform service will be made free until 16 May 2020 to help protect remote workers during the Covid-19 coronavirus crisis Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Security Think Tank: To tackle Covid-19, be prepared, flexible and resilient

In our globalised world, high-profile events such as Covid-19 have huge business impacts, some of which may be felt by CISOs. What responsibilities do security professionals have in such circumstances? Continue Reading

By

• Dan Norman

NCSC issues coronavirus cyber security alert

The UK’s National Cyber Security Centre has issued a public alert and fresh guidance as more cyber criminals get wise to the lucrative potential of Covid-19 Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Coronavirus-linked hacks likely as Czech hospital comes under attack

The world of cyber security is on high alert to heightened vulnerabilities as the spread of the Covid-19 coronavirus changes daily life across Europe Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Security Think Tank: A guide to security best practice for pandemics

In our globalised world, high-profile events such as Covid-19 have huge business impacts, some of which may be felt by CISOs. What responsibilities do security professionals have in such circumstances? Continue Reading

By

• Petra Wenham

UK’s security sector failing on most diversity measures

A DCMS report on the state of the UK’s cyber security workforce highlights a huge lack of diversity and a substantial skills gap Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Turla’s use of Iranian infrastructure probably opportunistic

Turla, the Kremlin-linked APT group that last year hijacked an Iranian group’s infrastructure, was likely to have been operating opportunistically, according to researchers Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Security pros just want to be loved, report finds

Being valued by the business for their role in keeping the organisation safe and upholding ethical standards is a primary motivator for CISOs and other security professionals Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Cookie-stealing trojans found lurking on Android phones

Kaspersky discovers two new Android malware modifications that could give hackers control of their victims’ social media accounts Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Microsoft locks down new vulnerability with EternalBlue echoes

Microsoft has moved to get ahead of a serious remote code execution vulnerability in Microsoft Server Message Block 3.1.1, which was accidentally disclosed then missed in its March Patch Tuesday update Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Microsoft fixes 26 critical vulnerabilities in another heavy Patch Tuesday

March’s Patch Tuesday is another big one for Microsoft, addressing 115 vulnerabilities, 26 of them critical Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Schoolgirl security experts prepare to do battle

The finals of the CyberFirst Girls contest will take place on 16 March as the culmination of the NCSC’s annual competition to unearth future security talent Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Hacking community targeted by cyber criminals in new trojan campaign

Cybereason’s Nocturnus threat research team has uncovered a cyber criminal campaign that weaponises popular hacking tools Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

VAT software supplier exposed data of millions

Eight million sales records belonging to UK and EU consumers left exposed due to misconfigured server Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Bill Gates backs Crest fintech security scheme for Africa and Asia

UK-based cyber security accreditation and certification non-profit Crest has been awarded a $1.4m grant from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation to expand cyber security capacity for fintechs in Africa and Asia Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

DCMS to oversee coronavirus disinformation unit

A cross-departmental counter-disinformation unit will seek to protect and secure UK citizens from disinformation, scams and cyber security threats related to the Covid-19 outbreak Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Boots and Tesco loyalty card schemes plagued by security issues

High-street retailers deal with fraudulent attempts to access the accounts of thousands of customers Continue Reading

By

• Angelica Mari

Cathay Pacific hit with £500,000 data protection fine from ICO over 2018 breach

Airline receives maximum financial penalty under Data Protection Act for data breach that led to nine million customers having their personal data accessed by hackers Continue Reading

By

• Caroline Donnelly, Senior Editor, UK

Australian government pulls plug on cloud certification programme

The Australian Signals Directorate is closing its cloud services certification programme to allow for more home-grown suppliers Continue Reading

By

• Aaron Tan, TechTarget

F-Secure reports a steep rise in hacking attempts

An increase in distributed denial of service attacks pushes up the volume of identified rogue internet traffic to almost three billion Continue Reading

By

• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor

Horangi and Tokio Marine team up on cyber security services

Singapore-based Horangi will provide penetration testing, among other cyber security services, to Tokio Marine Insurance Singapore’s cyber risk insurance clients Continue Reading

By

• Aaron Tan, TechTarget

Singapore among world’s top sources of online threats

Singapore remained a hotspot for originating cyber attacks in 2019, with 11 million attacks launched from servers in the city-state Continue Reading

By

• Aaron Tan, TechTarget

The Security Interviews: Inside the world of bug bounties

You may not make a million as a bug bounty hunter, but you might help remove some of the stigma that persists around cyber security, says HackerOne’s Shlomie Liberow Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Data breaches in Australia showing no signs of abating

Compromised login credentials and human error were the most common causes of data breaches reported under Australia’s notifiable data breach regime from July to December 2019 Continue Reading

By

• Aaron Tan, TechTarget

NCSC makes ransomware attack guidance more accessible

Following a swathe of high-profile ransomware attacks, the UK’s National Cyber Security Centre has made changes to its guidance, emphasising the importance of offline backups Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

WikiLeaks founder Assange is well enough to participate in extradition proceedings, says judge

A judge dismissed claims that Julian Assange’s vulnerable psychological state would prevent him from taking part in his extradition hearing to face espionage and computer misuse charges in the US Continue Reading

By

• Greg Wilford

Clearview hack fuels debate over facial recognition

Customers of Clearview AI, a controversial startup that scrapes and sells billions of photos of people from social media to police forces, have found themselves at the centre of a major data breach Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Redcar & Cleveland Council confirms ransomware attack

Local authority’s systems are still offline nearly three weeks after being attacked Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

CW Nordics: Swedes lose faith in social media as data security fears increase

Swedish citizens are becoming more concerned about the activities of social media companies and are reducing their online interaction with them as a result. Also read about new mobility-as-a-service projects gaining traction across Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden, and why the Finnish government has committed resources to a cyber security project aimed at local authorities. Continue Reading

Kr00k vulnerability compromises billions of Wi-Fi devices

Billions of Wi-Fi chips used in IoT devices, laptops, smartphones and tablets are vulnerable to a serious vulnerability Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

IT Priorities 2020: ASEAN firms on the frontline of digital transformation

Southeast Asian companies plan to spend more on infrastructure and cyber security, but the growth in IT budgets appears to be slowing down Continue Reading

By

• Aaron Tan, TechTarget

Fake CDNs obscuring credit card fraudsters

Fake content delivery networks and ngrok servers are being pressed into service to obscure credit card skimming activities Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Cloud Snooper firewall bypass may be work of nation state

Cloud Snooper deploys a combination of specialised techniques to sneak past enterprise firewalls, warns Sophos Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange cannot be legally extradited for ‘political offences’, say lawyers

Lawyers for WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange argue that he has been charged with political offences and cannot be legally extradited to the US under the US-UK extradition treaty Continue Reading

By

• Greg Wilford

FCA data breach could happen to anybody, but easy to avoid

Minor data breach at the Financial Conduct Authority was the result of simple human error, and highlights the need for organisations to consider a wide range of potential threats Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Julian Assange phoned White House to warn of risk to lives

Julian Assange phoned the White House to warn officials that unredacted cables published on the web posed a risk to lives, a court heard yesterday Continue Reading

By

• Bill Goodwin, Computer Weekly

Sports retailer Decathlon left employee data exposed

More than 123 million records were accidentally exposed on an unsecured ElasticSearch server Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

The Security Interviews: Gil Shwed’s 10-year vision for security

Check Point founder Gil Shwed discusses his new Infinity Next concept and how he plans to remodel the world of cyber security in the next 10 years Continue Reading

Mastercard creates 1,500 tech jobs in Ireland

New roles at tech hub in Dublin will include professionals with expertise in artificial intelligence, cyber security, blockchain and user experience Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Cyber criminals targeting UK motorists, warns DVLA

Cyber criminals are offering various services and tax refunds that purport to be from the DVLA Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Assange extradition is a politically motivated ‘abuse of power’, court hears

US government’s attempt to extradite WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange to face espionage charges in the US is politically motivated and an abuse of process, court told Continue Reading

By

• Bill Goodwin, Computer Weekly

WikiLeaks founder Assange ‘put lives at risk’ by disclosing names in leaked documents, court hears

WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange ‘put lives of US informants at risk’ by publishing unredacted documents, lawyers for the US argued at the first day of a week-long extradition hearing Continue Reading

By

• Bill Goodwin, Computer Weekly

Malicious apps still getting past Google controls

Check Point researchers have found multiple malware-infected apps in the Google Play store, including a clicker called Haken, which has been downloaded more than 50,000 times Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

F-Secure’s AI reads mean tweets to fight abuse and trolls

Researchers working on F-Secure’s Project Blackfin have developed a model for clustering tweets to help pinpoint abuse and harassment Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

The greatest contest ever – privacy versus security

Examining the technical, legal and ethical challenges around the privacy versus security debate Continue Reading

By

• Elliot Rose, PA Consulting

Addressing the IoT security challenge

We consider how best to address some of the critical security challenges around the internet of things Continue Reading

By

• Charaka Goonatilake, Panaseer

UK and US accuse Russian spooks of Georgia cyber attacks

Foreign secretary describes 2019 campaign of cyber attacks as reckless, brazen and unacceptable Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Facilities firm ISS World crippled by ransomware attack

An apparent ransomware attack has compromised some IT and email systems at Danish facilities firm ISS World Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Blasé directors put business data at risk

The higher up within a business you go, the more likely you are to find people intentionally leaking confidential data, says Egress Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

US ‘breached due process’ in spying operation against Julian Assange’s lawyers

Surveillance footage of Julian Assange’s meetings with lawyers and doctors in the Ecuadorian Embassy in London was an “abuse of process” Continue Reading

By

• Bill Goodwin, Computer Weekly
• Sander Priston

Girlguiding hosts interactive cyber security workshop

100 Guides from South West England took part in an NCSC event to learn more about security fundamentals Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Untrusted security teams being left out of business decisions

Only a third of organisations are involving their cyber security function at the planning stage of business initiatives Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Is this Netflix-style thriller the future of security training?

Cyber awareness specialists at KnowBe4 reckon that bringing Netflix-style production values to corporate videos heralds a new approach to security training Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Trust no one – the benefits of zero-trust security

In this week’s Computer Weekly, we take an in-depth look at zero-trust security and examine how it changes traditional IT risk models. After SAP extended the support deadline for its ECC ERP system, we find out the options for users. And we analyse explainable AI and the ethical importance of understanding algorithms. Read the issue now. Continue Reading

Australians more savvy about cyber security

More Australians look out for signs of security features such as SSL encryption even as they remain sceptical of the data protection capabilities of small businesses Continue Reading

By

• Aaron Tan, TechTarget

Mastercard opens European security resilience unit

Mastercard’s European Cyber Resilience Centre will bring together its partners and other industry bodies to support enterprise resilience Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Ex-soldiers to become ethical hackers

A new programme will give armed forces veterans in Scotland a grounding in cyber security skills, including penetration testing and ethical hacking Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Cyber criminals spread coronavirus conspiracy theories

The latest email campaigns identified by Proofpoint are spreading conspiracy theories about the coronavirus outbreak Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Emotet evolving to exploit coronavirus fear

With coronavirus cases now reported across the world, Emotet campaigns are exploiting legitimate fears to compromise their targets Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Internet Explorer zero day among 99 Patch Tuesday problems

After an eventful January Patch Tuesday that marked the end of support for Windows 7, the February 2020 update is another whopper, fixing close to 100 vulnerabilities Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Inside the SOC: the nerve centre of security operations

Security operations centres are the bedrock of any cyber defence strategy, but operating one is increasingly challenging, with mounting workloads and a shortage of skilled personnel Continue Reading

By

• Aaron Tan, TechTarget

Mac-based security threats outpacing Windows

Security threats targeting Apple endpoints are growing more quickly than those targeting Windows machines, according to Malwarebytes Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Chinese military personnel accused of Equifax hack

A US federal grand jury has indicted four Chinese army personnel over the 2017 Equifax breach Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

What should be in Australia’s next cyber security strategy

The Australian government is reviewing the nation’s cyber security strategy, but is it looking at the right issues? Continue Reading

By

• Stephen Withers

Security Think Tank: Zero trust is complex, but has rich rewards

In theory, the elimination of trust on the network simplifies IT security, but zero trust also brings new complications and new challenges. How should CISOs go about moving their organisations from traditional network security to a zero-trust architecture? Continue Reading

By

• Bhanu Jagasia

RobbinHood ransomware tricks Windows into deleting defences

By subverting kernel memory settings in Windows 7, Windows 8 and Windows 10, the RobbinHood ransomware can now delete cyber security defences from target systems Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Joaquin Phoenix’s Joker is ‘most dangerous’ movie

Ahead of the 2020 Oscars, Kaspersky researchers say they found more than 300 files masquerading as the Joker movie Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Security Think Tank: No trust in zero trust need not be a problem

In theory, the elimination of trust on the network simplifies IT security, but zero trust also brings new complications and new challenges. How should CISOs go about moving their organisations from traditional network security to a zero-trust architecture? Continue Reading

By

• Silvano Sogus

Maastricht University pays €200,000 to Russian hackers

A Dutch university has taken the difficult decision to pay hundreds of thousands of Euros to Russian hackers that compromised its systems through a ransomware attack Continue Reading

By

• Kim Loohuis