Hackers and cybercrime prevention

London could be world cyber risk leader, says ex-Lloyd’s chief

Collaboration across the cyber insurance, technology and security organisations in London could make the capital a leading world centre on these topics, says former Lloyd’s of London boss Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Making threat intelligence greater than the sum of its parts

Organisations can become more secure if they join up their varied sources of intelligence about business threats, and avoid losing valuable information within individual silos Continue Reading

By

• Elliott Rose & Matthew Arnold

DNS – a security opportunity not to be overlooked, says Nominet

Domain name system data is the best-kept secret for eliminating network cyber threats, Nominet tells Infosecurity Europe attendees Continue Reading

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• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Nearly two-thirds of businesses hit by credential abuse

Most businesses admit to breaches relating to abuse of user credentials, according to a report that highlights cyber hygiene failings in the UK and the importance of greater visibility and integration to cyber defence capability Continue Reading

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• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Businesses investing blindly in cyber security

Businesses need to find out what their real cyber risks and weaknesses are before investing in new technologies, says ethical hacker Continue Reading

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• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Deterministic data-based AI key for security

AI-based cyber security systems have enormous potential, but under specific conditions that are essential for success, AI expert tells Infosecurity Europe Continue Reading

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• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Cyber crime widely under-reported, Isaca study shows

Cyber crime, which is the top cyber threat to business, remains widely under-reported, and only a third of organisations are confident in their ability to detect and respond to threats, a study reveals Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Australia’s Notifiable Data Breaches scheme drives compliance but issues remain

Australia’s data breach notification rules have largely been complied with, but some quarters are calling for more clarity on the reporting threshold and tougher action against errant firms Continue Reading

By

• Beverley Head

Business leaders failing to address cyber threats

Businesses are failing to address growing cyber threats as business leaders admit to knowledge gaps, a lack of resources and confusion about who is responsible for data breaches, a report reveals Continue Reading

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• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Facebook loses bid to halt European court decision on EU-US data sharing

Irish Supreme Court dismisses attempt by Facebook to prevent the European Court of Justice considering the validity of US-EU data transfers, after Austrian lawyer Max Schrems argued that they put the privacy of EU citizens at risk Continue Reading

By

• Bill Goodwin, Computer Weekly

A lack of skills and ownership are top challenges to OT security

A lack of skills, visibility and clarity on which business function is responsible for securing operational technology are the biggest challenges to managing the risk, a study shows Continue Reading

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• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

2.3 billion business and consumer data files exposed online

In the year since the GDPR compliance deadline, the number of data files exposed online without adequate protection is up more than 50% due to misconfigured security controls, report reveals Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Hackers targeting UK universities a threat to national security

Poorly defended UK university research that is mainly commissioned by government is a top target for hackers, putting national security at risk, a study reveals, underlining the need for better cyber security Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Turla APT group beefs up cyber attack tool

An advanced persistent threat cyber espionage group has improved its tools to attack diplomatic targets, making their activities more difficult to detect and block Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Cyber weapons readily available to criminals, researchers warn

Security researchers have discovered an attack campaign infrastructure designed to scan, brute-force and infect tens of thousands of MS-SQL and PHPMyAdmin servers Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Perfect storm for data science in security

After nearly 20 years of research, the perfect storm of computing technologies is finally enabling data science to realise its potential to make valuable contributions to improving cyber security capabilities Continue Reading

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• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Dutch IT security firm dumps corporate structure

Boss of Netherlands-based Computest turns to self-management model to make company more nimble Continue Reading

By

• Kin Loohuis

Just over half of UK firms don’t have a cyber resilience plan

Many UK firms still lack cyber resilience and data protection capabilities covering email a year after the implementation of the GDPR aimed at improving personal data protection Continue Reading

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• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

IBM’s investment in automation pays off in GDPR’s first year

The first year of the EU’s General Data Protection Regulation has demonstrated the value of IBM’s investment in machine learning-based automation and the importance of having the right strategy and systems in place, according to the firm’s data protection officer Continue Reading

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• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Lapse in LinkedIn security certificate update

A lapse in the update of LinkedIn’s security certificate has once again underlined the importance of keeping track to avoid disruptions and phishing attacks, and how even big players are failing to get it right Continue Reading

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• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Police shut down Bestmixer bitcoin laundering service

The Bestmixer cryptocurrency laundering service has been shut down by Dutch anti-fraud police with support from Europol after a tip off by cyber security researchers at McAfee, significantly disrupting cyber criminal money flows Continue Reading

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• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

TalkTalk admits new failings in 2015 data breach notification

TalkTalk’s failure to notify all those affected by its 2015 data breach highlights the importance of data visibility so that breach notifications are fast and accurate – a key requirement of the GDPR Continue Reading

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• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Security Think Tank: Effective IT segregation must involve the business

What are the security benefits and challenges of segregating IT environments, and how best are these challenges overcome? Continue Reading

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• RV Raghu, ISACA

US grants Huawei stay of execution

US Commerce Department temporarily restores Huawei’s ability to maintain its existing networks and smartphone user base Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Dutch lecturer researches the person behind the cyber criminal

Dutch academic is trying to get inside the mind of cyber criminals by understanding what makes them tick Continue Reading

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• Kim Loohuis

Planned UK age verification checks risky for internet users

Proposed controversial online age verification checks could increase the risk of identity theft and other cyber crimes, warn security experts, who advise parents to set technological boundaries and ensure their families are aware of risks Continue Reading

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• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Security Think Tank: In-app segregation more intelligent and permissive

What are the security benefits and challenges of segregating IT environments, and how best are these challenges overcome? Continue Reading

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• Simon Persin, Turnkey Consulting

Cyber security scholarships on offer in Belfast

Queen’s University Belfast is backing the cyber security sector with funding for master of science scholarships Continue Reading

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• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Podcast: The Computer Weekly Downtime Upload – Episode 16

In this week’s episode of the Computer Weekly Downtime Upload, Clare McDonald and Brian McKenna are joined by prolific Downtime author Ryan Priest to discuss retail sustainability, internet influencers and the tech battle between China and the US Continue Reading

By

• Clare McDonald, Business Editor

Security Think Tank: IT asset separation is a risk-based decision

What are the security benefits and challenges of segregating IT environments, and how best are these challenges overcome? Continue Reading

By

• Deshini Newman, (ISC)²

Danske Bank launches initiative to help SME customers with cyber security

Danske Bank launches initiative to support the cyber security efforts of its SME customers Continue Reading

By

• Gerard O'Dwyer

GDPR an opportunity to improve data systems and processes

A year after the official implementation of the GDPR, it is important to highlight the positive opportunities that compliance provides and the insights breach reports are providing, say Deloitte consultants Continue Reading

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• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Security Think Tank: Challenges of segregation

What are the security benefits and challenges of segregating IT environments, and how best are these challenges overcome? Continue Reading

By

• Mike Gillespie

Identity custodians needed in digital era

Digital identity systems will fail if they do not take humans into account, warns identity innovator, suggesting that a ‘digital guardian’ could help overcome most of these challenges Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

GozNym bust underlines cyber crime threat

A criminal network using GozNym malware has been shut down in an international law enforcement operation, but others are still operating, underlining the need for vigilance, warns a security expert Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Vulnerability assessment done. Now what?

Vulnerability assessment establishes the current state of an organisation’s cyber security, but to meet industry best practices, companies should go beyond that to achieve continuous improvement Continue Reading

By

• Sam Bocetta

Norwegian industry and state must combine to counter cyber threats

Norway has been targeted by two large ransomware attacks in recent months – and public and private organisations must react in a coordinated way Continue Reading

By

• Gerard O'Dwyer

Fujitsu sets out to restore trust in technology

Trust in technology, how to recapture it, and how to ensure AI doesn’t overstep its bounds were the big messages on the opening day of Fujitsu Forum in Tokyo Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Security Think Tank: Proper segregation is more important than ever

What are the security benefits and challenges of segregating IT environments, and how best are these challenges overcome? Continue Reading

By

• Emma Bickerstaffe, Information Security Forum (ISF)

Microsoft working to support decentralised identity

Microsoft is among the big tech players aiming to help enable personalisation of products and services without putting privacy at risk Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Implement multifactor authentication, urges expert panel

Multifactor authentication should be a top priority for organisations to defend users from cyber attacks, coupled with zero-trust architecture and artificial intelligence-based technologies, says expert panel Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Security Think Tank: Understanding tech is key to effective data segregation

What are the security benefits and challenges of segregating IT environments, and how best are these challenges overcome? Continue Reading

By

• Petra Wenham

APAC firms on the back foot in cyber security

Most Asia-Pacific organisations did not consider cyber security until after their digital transformation projects had begun, new survey finds Continue Reading

By

• Aaron Tan, TechTarget

Spyware targets WhatsApp users

Social media platform issues update after it discovered a flaw being exploited by commercial spyware Continue Reading

By

• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor

Security Think Tank: How to realise the benefits of security zoning

What are the security benefits and challenges of segregating IT environments, and how best are these challenges overcome? Continue Reading

By

• Paddy Francis

National Crime Agency calls for additional funding to tackle 21st century crime

Organised criminal gangs represent the biggest cyber threat to the UK, and law enforcement has identified rogue servers hosted in the UK Continue Reading

By

• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor

Security standard for surveillance cameras set for launch

A long-overdue cyber security standard for the manufacturer of surveillance cameras is on track for an official launch in June Continue Reading

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• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Security Think Tank: Benefits and challenges of security segmentation

What are the security benefits and challenges of segregating IT environments, and how best are these challenges overcome? Continue Reading

By

• Maxine Holt, Omdia

Debugging bug bounty programmes

Bug bounty programmes have recently become a popular method of vulnerability management, but poor programme management can lead to development teams becoming overwhelmed and bugs being missed Continue Reading

By

• Peter Ray Allison

Security Think Tank: Surviving the existential cyber punch, part 3

How should businesses plan to survive a potential cyber attack extinction event? Continue Reading

By

• Gregory Touhill, ISACA

Key lessons from an ethical hacker

Understanding hacker techniques and processes is the best way to defend against cyber attacks, and focusing on business risks is the best way to get security budget, according to an ethical hacker Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Dutch businesses not yet implementing NIS Directive

Little urgency to comply with the Network and Information Systems Security Act, which seeks to protect the Netherlands’ vital infrastructure and digital services from cyber attack Continue Reading

By

• Kim Loohuis

Northern Ireland generating cyber security knowledge and jobs

Northern Ireland is establishing itself as an international hub of cyber security research and innovation, providing growing employment opportunities Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Some Australian firms still in the dark about cyber security

A report suggesting Australian firms are experiencing fewer cyber incidents has left its co-author perplexed with the findings Continue Reading

By

• Beverley Head

Cyber criminals targeting C-suite, DBIR shows

Executives and cloud-based services are gaining popularity as targets for cyber criminals, according to the latest data breach investigations report Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Privileged access management moving to cloud

Survey shows nearly half of information security professionals are either planning to move privileged access management to the cloud or are exploring the possibility Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Nurturing innovation at DWP

In this week’s Computer Weekly, we find out about the Department for Work and Pensions’ Innovation Dojo and how it’s helping to try out new digital ideas. We look at Anthos, Google’s new multicloud platform which the supplier claims will redefine enterprise IT. And we report from the NCSC cyber security conference, where experts discussed the lessons learned from recent high-profile attacks. Read the issue now. Continue Reading

AWS to power Australia’s 2021 online census

PwC Australia, one of two firms appointed by the government to run the next Census, will build and operate an online form and a website on Amazon Web Services Continue Reading

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• Aaron Tan, TechTarget

Zero trust: A 21st century security model

Traditional corporate security models date back to a time when there were fewer, lower-level threats, but a zero trust model is better suited to the 21st century, according to the originator of the idea Continue Reading

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• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Norsk Hydro urges caution as it counts cost of cyber attack

Norwegian aluminium giant Norsk Hydro is urging partners to be cautious in the wake of a damaging ransomware attack in March as financial impact estimates come in above initial estimates Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Police down two dark web markets

Europol-supported coordinated law enforcement approach across Europe and the US was key to operations’ success Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Firms urged to embrace positive security trends to win cyber war

Modern cyber security challenges overshadow the information security successes of the past, but several positive trends are emerging as defenders come to grips with new threats, says Deloitte Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Microservices introduce hidden security complexity, analyst warns

Microservice architecture – an approach to application development in which applications are built as a suite of modular services – simplifies development but complicates security, says KuppingerCole Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Businesses unprepared for cyber breaches

Study shows many organisations lack IT security and operations basics, including visibility across their IT operations Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Defence secretary sacked over Huawei leak

Defence secretary Gavin Williamson has been sacked after leaking confidential discussions over the use of Huawei networking equipment Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

BSA releases framework for secure software

Software industry advocacy group releases framework to facilitate flexible and comprehensive software security assessments Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Get more proactive on cyber security, says ex Europol chief

Business needs to get more proactive, collaborative, resilient and analytical to manage cyber risks posed by cyber criminals down to acceptable levels, says former Europol chief Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

UK gears up for new laws on IoT security

The UK plans to introduce measures to require that basic cyber security features are built into internet-connected devices Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Cyber criminals increase use of fileless attacks

Fileless attacks are increasingly popular with cyber criminals, while Russia and China top the league of nation state data exfiltrators, threat data shows Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Most businesses vulnerable to supply chain cyber attacks

UK firms trail the leaders US and Germany in knowing the most about their partners’ cyber security practices, but most companies globally are in the dark about this growing source of vulnerabilities Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Podcast: The Computer Weekly Downtime Upload – Episode 13

In this week’s episode of the Computer Weekly Downtime Upload podcast, the team are joined by security editor Warwick Ashford to talk about his time at the CyberUK conferences, as well as connected cars, education in the UK, and Brian McKenna’s trip to China Continue Reading

By

• Computer Weekly Staff

Nearly half of UK IT pros report serious data breaches

Integration of security systems and employee training recognised as key ways to reduce the growing severity of data breaches Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Fix the basics first, then worry about AI, advise experts

The freedom of the internet is at risk, with the cyber arms race and the industrialisation of hacking are set to continue as attackers move up the value chain to target trust mechanisms, threat experts predict Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Australians lost half a billion dollars to scams in 2018

Most of the losses went to investment scams as tricksters found innovative ways to dupe victims into parting with their money Continue Reading

By

• Aaron Tan, TechTarget

Security Think Tank: Surviving the existential cyber punch part 2

How should businesses plan to survive a potential cyber attack extinction event? Continue Reading

By

• Gregory Touhill, ISACA

Top lessons from cyber attacks

Cyber security experts weigh in on lessons learned from cyber attack experiences, underlining that recovery capability is as important as defence Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Huawei leak inquiry launched

Cabinet secretary Mark Sedwill has instituted an inquiry aimed at discovering who leaked confidential discussions about UK mobile operators’ use of Huawei in their future 5G networks to the press Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

GDPR cases drive bigger budgets for Nordic regulators

High-profile General Data Protection Regulation cases in Finland and Sweden have increased the workload for regulators, which are to receive an increase in funding Continue Reading

By

• Gerard O'Dwyer

Public becoming more aware of privacy abuses and unethical tech

Widespread abuses of privacy, biometric information and artificial intelligence mean the internet is in poor health, but growing popular awareness of its problems gives some cause for hope, says the Mozilla Foundation Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

UK up for cyber challenge but work to be done, says minister

Lidington says National Cyber Security Strategy has “revolutionised the UK’s fight against cyber threats” Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

NCSC and ICO pledge to support data breach victims

The UK’s cyber security agency and privacy watchdog have agreed to work together to improve support for data breach victims and enhance cyber guidance Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

No final decision taken on Huawei 5G ban, government claims

Culture secretary tells MPs that a final decision on use of Huawei in UK 5G networks has not been taken, and says government is taking the leak of confidential discussions at the National Security Council very seriously Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Cabinet Office addresses 5G security issue

Cabinet Office uses NCSC conference to lay out government’s approach to the security of 5G networks, as controversy grows around using equipment from Chinese supplier Huawei Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

NCSC looks to industry to scale Active Cyber Defence

The national cyber security agency is calling on wider government organisations as well as industry to help scale automated cyber attack blocking systems country-wide Continue Reading

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• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

NCSC to scale up intelligence sharing, says GCHQ director

The GCHQ director has outlined the agency’s cyber security mission in the third decade of the internet age at CyberUK, promising to scale up the sharing of declassified cyber intelligence with industry Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Global intelligence agencies share UK stage for first time

Representatives of intelligence agencies from the Five Eyes alliance are to share a public platform in the UK for the first time at this year’s NCSC CyberUK conference Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Casual collaboration comms pose security risk, survey shows

UK employees have a worryingly casual attitude to workplace communications, underling the need for employers to take steps to counter related cyber attack vulnerabilities Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

WannaCry hero pleads guilty, urges others to stay on ‘good side’

Briton hailed as WannaCry hero finally pleads guilty to charges of writing and distributing malware, but urges security researchers to stay away from the “dark side” Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

NCSC urges better online security practices

UK cyber security agency is urging citizens to improve online safety and password security after research reveals most-hacked passwords and a survey exposes gaps in online security Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

20 firms join Tech Nation’s cyber security scale-up programme

Tech Nation scale-up programme is designed to boost the UK’s cyber sector, accelerate the growth of its top companies and build a robust, cross-industry network Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

State-sponsored hackers are hijacking DNS, researchers warn

A DNS-hijacking campaign targeting the Middle East and Africa may lead to actors more broadly attacking the global DNS system Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Nearly a quarter of tech firms do not security check products

Nearly a quarter of organisations polled do not run security checks on products, and nearly a third admitted to shipping products with known security vulnerabilities, a survey shows Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

TfL suspends Wi-Fi service as Extinction Rebellion spreads

Transport for London has cut off its public Virgin Media Wi-Fi service to disrupt climate change protests Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Wipro admits to potential breach to employee accounts by phishing attack

Indian IT services company Wipro is investigating a phishing attack, which hit some staff email accounts and launched attacks on customer environments Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Security Think Tank: Surviving the existential cyber punch

How should businesses plan to survive a potential cyber attack extinction event? Continue Reading

By

• Gregory Touhill, ISACA

Energy industry needs to up cyber defences, warns report 

Cyber threat actors are advanced and persistent, but firms in the energy industry are using outdated systems and technology to save money, putting them at risk of cyber attacks, warns F-Secure report Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

How Palo Alto Networks fends off its cyber adversaries

Palo Alto Networks CIO Naveen Zutshi talks up the company’s approach in keeping threat actors at bay Continue Reading

By

• Aaron Tan, TechTarget

Zero trust is about more than products

The zero trust security model is more than just products and network segmentation, it’s an architectural design principle with identity at its core that needs to be applied enterprise-wide, says KuppingerCole Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Security Think Tank: Seven steps to manage risk of catastrophic cyber attack

How should businesses plan to survive a potential cyber attack extinction event? Continue Reading

By

• Simon Persin, Turnkey Consulting

Automation will bring job security, say most IT security pros

Most security professionals believe that although automation can support humans, it will not result in a reduction in job opportunities, a study shows Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst