Hackers and cybercrime prevention

Orange acquires UK’s SecureData

The Orange telecommunications group is to acquire UK cyber security firm SecureData to strengthen its leadership position in Europe in this sector Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Innocent people arrested following surveillance blunders, IPCO reveals

Interception of communications commissioner Adrian Fulford warns of “grave” repercussions for people wrongly identified as suspects due to errors made when government bodies access email, phone and telephone data Continue Reading

By

• Bill Goodwin, Computer Weekly

New stolen credentials cache puts spotlight on authentication

The discovery of billions more stolen usernames and passwords in Collections #2 to #5 have prompted fresh calls for the implementation of better authentication methods across industry Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

YouTuber impersonation scam not new, say researchers

Scam that tricked users into clicking on phishing links has affected tens of thousands of victims and has been active for several years, say security researchers Continue Reading

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• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Unconfigured IoT is a security risk, warns researcher

Internet of things researcher says unconfigured internet-connected devices are a largely unrecognised cyber security risk to businesses and consumers, and welcomes the increased likelihood of UK IoT legislation Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

How traffic scrubbing can guard against DDoS attacks

Although most scrubbing services can help fend off distributed denial of service attacks, a more comprehensive mitigation strategy is required to remain unscathed Continue Reading

By

• Ai Lei Tao

UK police target hundreds of DDoS attackers

National Crime Agency is investigating hundreds of suspected users of a distributed denial of service-for-hire site that was taken down by an international law enforcement operation Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

New tech putting sensitive data at risk, report confirms

Deployments of new technologies are putting sensitive corporate data at risk because organisations are struggling to secure these new IT environments, a report confirms Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Personal records of HIV-positive individuals in Singapore leaked online

The personal information of 14,200 people with the human immunodeficiency virus was leaked by an American who lived in Singapore Continue Reading

By

• Aaron Tan, TechTarget

Security alert for vulnerabilities in Siemens PLCs

Industries that use Siemens Simatic controllers to automate manufacturing processes have been urged to update software without delay Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Data protection practices still poor, survey shows

Despite concerns over privacy and data protection and a greater understanding of best security practices, individuals and businesses are still falling short, a survey reveals Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Government to pump £70m into ‘designing out’ cyber threats

Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund cash to be used for designing and developing more secure hardware in a bid to eradicate cyber threats Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

DCMS funding fuels cyber diversity drive

The Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport is investing in four new projects to drive the number of diverse candidates considered for cyber careers Continue Reading

By

• Clare McDonald, Business Editor

UK cyber security agency investigates DNS hijacking

NCSC is probing the large-scale DNS hijacking campaign that has reportedly affected government and commercial organisations worldwide, and has issued defence advice Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Vodafone suspends use of Huawei hardware

Vodafone’s UK CEO has said the operator will ‘pause’ its use of Huawei hardware for the foreseeable future Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Budding UK cyber strategists gear up for national competition 

Teams of UK university students are preparing to compete for the second time in analysing the threat of a simulated cyber attack to develop policies and strategies Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Singapore’s growing cyber security influence in ASEAN

At a recent event marking the launch of Trend Micro’s regional headquarters in Singapore this week, the company’s executives cited Singapore’s vision and influence over ASEAN in cyber security ... Continue Reading

By

• Aaron Tan, TechTarget

Poor practices expose 24 million financial records

Failure to maintain appropriate security controls has again led to the exposure of millions of sensitive data records, this time from the banking world Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

IoT application vulnerabilities leave devices open to attack

Barracuda Networks calls for internet of things devices to be subject to regular security review after researchers detail the application vulnerabilities of an internet-connected security camera Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Crime stats show switch in focus by cyber criminals

The latest crime statistics suggest that cyber criminals are turning their attention to organisations and social engineering attacks as they become more sophisticated Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Business failing to see strategic value of cyber security

UK businesses are failing to get value out of cyber security because they fail to see its strategic importance and often have a negative attitude towards security professionals, a study has revealed Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

MPs challenge Huawei over spying allegations

The chair of the cross-bench Science and Technology Committee has written to Huawei seeking answers over its activities in the UK Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Time to deploy strong authentication, says Fido

The time has come for organisations to deploy cryptographically backed strong authentication, according to the Fido Alliance, which seeks to eliminate the world’s dependence on password-based security Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

US issues emergency directive to halt DNS hijacking

US government agencies have been given 10 days to complete a four-step action plan to stop DNS hijacking attacks Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

IBM mobile cyber range starts European tour in London

IBM’s mobile cyber range is kicking of a tour in London to raise awareness around the need for tried and tested cyber attack responses among organisations in Europe Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Young Dutch cyber criminals get re-education rather than jail time

Young hackers in the Netherlands are being rehabilitated through punishments that educate rather than incarcerate Continue Reading

By

• Tijs Hofmans

Ransomware in decline, report confirms

The trend of cryptomining replacing ransomware as the most popular money-generating activity by cyber attackers appears to be confirmed by malware stats for the past year Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

London cyber innovation centre expands global ties

London innovation centre Plexal has announced international partnerships aimed at boosting global cyber security cooperation Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Name and shame firms with poor cyber security, government told

The government should name and shame companies whose cyber security measures fail to protect consumers’ data and firms should implement Active Cyber Defence, an academic report urges Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Public procurement key to cyber security

Using public procurement as a means of boosting cyber security is the top recommendation for 2019, according to a report based on expert views Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Five issues for SMEs to consider when adopting encryption

Encryption is still considered difficult to deploy and use as a data protection method, especially by small businesses, but considering five key factors can make adoption easier, says Becrypt Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Breach of nearly 2.7 billion records underlines password flaws

Potentially the biggest personal data breach to date from thousands of sources, some possibly breached as far back as 2008, illustrates the deeply flawed nature of password-based authentication, say industry commentators Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Threat intelligence boosts security training

Security professionals in training can now benefit from real-time threat intelligence data, thanks to a partnership between Digital Shadows and Immersive Labs Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Security Think Tank: Cloud tech helps to protect advanced networks

How can organisations combine software-defined networking, containerisation and encryption to prevent rogue code from running freely across a corporate network? Continue Reading

By

• Greg Temm

CenturyLink opens Singapore SOC amid security services boom

US telco’s second Asia-Pacific security operations centre in Singapore is one of eight globally as it bids to carve a slice of the security services market Continue Reading

By

• Aaron Tan, TechTarget

New Zealand faces more state-sponsored attacks

Nearly four in 10 cyber security incidents recorded by the National Cyber Security Centre were the work of state-sponsored threat actors Continue Reading

By

• Aaron Tan, TechTarget

Researchers discover new Magecart group

Security researchers have uncovered a sub-group of the Magecart hacking group, highlighting the wider risks of web-based supply chain attacks Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Security Think Tank: Walk before you run

How can organisations combine software-defined networking, containerisation and encryption to prevent rogue code from running freely across a corporate network? Continue Reading

By

• Vladimir Jirasek, Foresight Cyber

Millions of industrial remote controllers open to attack

Millions of industrial remote controllers are open to cyber attack because of vulnerabilities in the radio frequency technology used, a study has revealed Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

The rise of DevSecOps

The increasing complexity of security threats facing enterprises is leading to DevSecOps approaches, which combine operations and development with security, so that all business units are involved in security operations Continue Reading

By

• Finbarr Toesland

Businesses fail to apply encryption technology effectively

Most businesses are not applying common encryption tools effectively to contain the fallout and costs of data breaches, research shows Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Security Think Tank: Apply different techniques to safeguard against rogue code

How can organisations combine software-defined networking, containerisation and encryption to prevent rogue code from running freely across a corporate network? Continue Reading

By

• Ramsés Gallego, Isaca

Less than half of firms able to detect IoT breaches, study shows

UK firms have one of the lowest internet-of-things device breach detection capabilities in Europe, a study reveals Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

SingHealth and IT supplier fined S$1m for data breach

Singapore’s data protection commission considered the fact that both SingHealth and its IT supplier fell prey to sophisticated threat actors, among other factors, when meting out the fine Continue Reading

By

• Aaron Tan, TechTarget

Security Think Tank: Combine SDN, containerisation and encryption to halt rogue code

How can organisations combine software-defined networking, containerisation and encryption to prevent rogue code from running freely across a corporate network? Continue Reading

By

• Mary-Jo de Leeuw, (ISC)2

Top UK hacker-for-hire jailed

Notorious British hacker-for-hire jailed for cyber attacks on a Liberian telco after an international criminal justice operation Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

AI application overlooked in cyber security research

Despite the proliferation of cyber security products and services claiming to be driven by artificial intelligence, the application of the technology is being overlooked by research, a study shows Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Security Think Tank: How to use SDN, containers and encryption – and some warnings

How can organisations combine software-defined networking, containerisation and encryption to prevent rogue code from running freely across a corporate network? Continue Reading

By

• Petra Wenham

COI report offers stark reminder on cyber hygiene

The Singapore government’s Committee of Inquiry (COI) that looked into the unprecedented cyber attack on SingHealth’s IT systems released a public report this week, detailing security lapses ... Continue Reading

By

• Aaron Tan, TechTarget

Security Think Tank: Creative thinking key to meeting emerging security challenges

How can organisations combine software-defined networking, containerisation and encryption to prevent rogue code from running freely across a corporate network? Continue Reading

By

• Gareth Haken, ISF

UK firms say £6.6bn annual security testing cost too high

Avord launches platform to reduce the multibillion-pound annual cyber security testing cost that most UK firms say is too high Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Germany races to boost cyber defences after breach

Germany is scrambling to improve its cyber defences before the European parliamentary elections after a student leaked politicians’ personal data Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

2FA bypass tool highlights top business security vulnerabilities

CEOs are the most likely target of two-factor authentication phishing bypasses, demonstrated by a security researcher’s proof-of-concept attack Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

FireEye gears up email security for emerging threats

Email continues to be a top means of initiating cyber attacks with new detection bypass techniques and executive impersonation capabilities continually emerging, research shows Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

NHS Digital chief information security officer resigns

Robert Coles, who joined NHS Digital as its chief information and security officer in October 2018, is stepping down from the role for personal reasons Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

Security Think Tank: The security role of SDN, containers, encryption and SDP

How can organisations combine software-defined networking, containerisation and encryption to prevent rogue code from running freely across a corporate network? Continue Reading

By

• Paddy Francis

Second Lorca cohort to focus on supply chain security

The second cohort of companies to benefit from the new London cyber innovation centre will focus on user-centric security and securing supply chains Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

eIDAS and the EU’s mission to create a truly portable identity

It is important for businesses to work more actively with technology partners, regulators and governments to create more robust identity verification processes  Continue Reading

By

• Zac Cohen, Trulioo

Protego Labs launches serverless app security tool

Security professionals and developers now have a way to assess the security of their serverless applications with a new open source testing tool donated to Owasp Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Security Think Tank: Meeting the security challenge of multiple IT environments

How can organisations combine software defined networking, containerisation and encryption to prevent rogue code from running freely across a corporate network? Continue Reading

By

• Maxine Holt, Omdia

Boards need to be active partners in cyber defence

Board members must be active governance partners in collaborative cyber defence, says US regional information sharing and analysis organisation Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

BlackBerry licenses security tech to IoT device makers

BlackBerry is to license its secure software development technology to the makers of internet-connected devices to boost IoT security Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Security Think Tank: Use SDN, containerisation and encryption tools to boost security

How can organisations combine software defined networking, containerisation and encryption to prevent rogue code from running freely across a corporate network? Continue Reading

By

• Simon Persin, Turnkey Consulting

UK contactless card fraud surges

Fraudsters stole £1.18m from contactless users in 2018, with the average theft size also increasing Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Modern IT underlines need for zero-trust security

The increasing complexity of supply chains and interconnectivity of IT systems means the attack surface is widening and security has to evolve accordingly, warns British computer scientist Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Data breaches affected more than a billion people in 2018

The personal information of more than a billion people was compromised in 2018 as companies holding the data failed to keep it safe Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

German politicians’ data leak shows need for global action

Hacked data includes contacts’ email addresses, private chats, mobile numbers, photographs and credit card details, which were published on Twitter Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Phishing attacks hidden by custom fonts

Security researchers have uncovered a new way in which phishing attacks are evading detection. Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

IT regulators and practitioners need common language

There needs to be greater understanding between lawmakers and technologists to ensure regulations do not have unintended consequences, says a US computer security researcher and bug bounty pioneer Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Fortinet to lead cyber security discussion at WEF annual summit

The head of cyber security firm Fortinet has been named as a discussion leader at the upcoming World Economic Forum annual meeting in Davos, Switzerland Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Kaspersky Lab champions gender equality and digital child safety

Kaspersky Lab report highlights gender equality in the technology industry and child education about digital security Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Can we live without passwords?

Can you imagine a future in which we can be secure online without having to remember an unwieldly list of passwords? Solutions are emerging that could make passwords redundant, but there will be other security problems to resolve Continue Reading

By

• Bruno Halopeau & Adrien Ogee

Security Think Tank: Pay attention to attribute-based system access permissions

At the close of 2018, we asked CW Security Think Tank contributors to name one thing predicted for 2018 that did not happen, one thing that was not predicted and did happen and one thing that should happen in 2019, but probably will not Continue Reading

By

• Simon Persin, Turnkey Consulting

Security Think Tank: Focus on malicious use of AI in 2019

At the close of 2018, we asked CW Security Think Tank contributors to name one thing predicted for 2018 that did not happen, one thing that was not predicted but did happen, and one thing that should happen in 2019 but probably will not Continue Reading

By

• Rob Clyde, Isaca

Top 10 stories on national security in 2018

From Russian disinformation, state surveillance, and police stop and seizure powers, to Facebook and WikiLeaks Continue Reading

By

• Bill Goodwin, Computer Weekly

Security Think Tank: Strong 2FA should be a goal in 2019

At the close of 2018, we asked CW Security Think Tank contributors to name one thing predicted for 2018 that did not happen, one thing that was not predicted but did happen, and one thing that should happen in 2019 but probably will not Continue Reading

By

• Paddy Francis

Top 10 IT security stories of 2018

Here are Computer Weekly’s top 10 IT security stories of 2018 Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Security Think Tank: Let’s hope for treaty on online norms

At the close of 2018, we asked CW Security Think Tank contributors to name one thing predicted for 2018 that did not happen, one thing that was not predicted but did happen, and one thing that should happen in 2019 but probably will not Continue Reading

By

• Stephen Bonner, Deloitte Cyber Risk Services

'Serious' Twitter flaw allows hackers to post on other people's accounts

A vulnerability in Twitter allows hackers to send tweets, private messages, post images or videos, and turn off security features, says British security researcher Continue Reading

By

• Bryan Glick, Editor in chief

Government announces new plans to develop cyber talent

The government has announced plans for a Cyber Security Council to form a strategy for developing future cyber talent Continue Reading

By

• Clare McDonald, Business Editor

Security Think Tank: Put collaboration on 2019 security agenda

At the close of 2018, we asked CW Security Think Tank contributors to name one thing predicted for 2018 that did not happen, one thing that was not predicted but did happen, and one thing that should happen in 2019 but probably will not Continue Reading

By

• Emma Bickerstaffe, Information Security Forum (ISF)

Top 10 cyber crime stories of 2018

Here are Computer Weekly’s top 10 cyber crime stories of 2018 Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Marriott data breach losses could be over half a billion dollars

Direct losses related to a huge data breach at US hotel group could reach $600m Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Top 10 Australia IT stories of 2018

Australia continues to cement its position as a leader in mastering and deploying advanced information and communications technology across a large segment of its economy Continue Reading

By

• Aaron Tan, TechTarget

Lauri Love battles police for return of computers as NCA confirms live investigation

The National Crime Agency (NCA) confirms there is a live investigation into Lauri Love in the UK, as Love brings legal action against UK police for the return of seized computer equipment Continue Reading

By

• Bill Goodwin & Julia Gregory

Security Think Tank: Align security strategy to business objectives

At the close of 2018, we asked CW Security Think Tank contributors to name one thing predicted for 2018 that did not happen, one thing that was not predicted and did happen and one thing that should happen in 2019, but probably will not Continue Reading

By

• Mike Gillespie

APAC cyber security landscape to be more tumultuous in 2019

Amid growing cyber threats, the Asia-Pacific cyber security landscape will not get any rosier in 2019 unless organisations start shoring up their cyber hygiene Continue Reading

By

• Aaron Tan, TechTarget

Mobile security needs a rethink for the 5G era

A report released through the government’s 5G Testbeds and Trials programme has recommended the UK rethink its mobile security strategy Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Broadband coverage improved through 2018, says Ofcom

Ofcom’s annual Connected Nations report reveals that the number of people who cannot receive a 10Mbps broadband connection has halved Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Security Think Tank: Let’s get back to basics in 2019

At the close of 2018, we asked CW Security Think Tank contributors to name one thing predicted for 2018 that did not happen, one thing that was not predicted but did happen, and one thing that should happen in 2019 but probably will not Continue Reading

By

• Mike Sheward

Security Think Tank: Prioritise multifactor authentication in 2019

At the close of 2018, we asked CW Security Think Tank contributors to name one thing predicted for 2018 that did not happen, one thing that was not predicted but did happen, and one thing that should happen in 2019 but probably will not Continue Reading

By

• Corey Nachreiner, Watchguard Technologies

Iranian cyber espionage highlights human element

State-backed hackers in Iran have reportedly upped efforts to compromise US officials’ email accounts using phishing scams Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Australia passes controversial encryption law

Arguments continue over law that requires companies to work with government agencies to ensure that encrypted communications can be read if a crime is suspected Continue Reading

By

• Beverley Head

Security Think Tank: Smart botnets resist attempts to cut comms

As attackers begin to use multiple command and control systems to communicate with backdoors and other malware, how can organisations ensure that they detect such methods and that all C&C systems are removed, including "sleepers" designed to be activated at a future date Continue Reading

By

• Raef Meeuwisse

Security Think Tank: Strategies for blocking malware comms

As attackers begin to use multiple command and control systems to communicate with backdoors and other malware, how can organisations ensure that they detect such methods and that all C&C systems are removed, including “sleepers” designed to be activated at a future date? Continue Reading

By

• Greg Temm

Machine identity protection development gets funding boost

Cyber security firm Venafi has launched a development fund aimed at accelerating the delivery of protection for machine identities Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Detail of Dutch reaction to Russian cyber attack made public deliberately

 Continue Reading

Social engineering at the heart of critical infrastructure attack

Social engineering is the core technique used in a series of cyber attacks targeting government, defence, nuclear, energy and financial organisations around the world, which means people are key to defence Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Most UK retailers plan to up cyber security

The majority of UK retailers are planning to increase cyber security measures during the Christmas season, a survey reveals Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Security Think Tank: Prevention and detection key to disrupting malware comms

As attackers begin to use multiple command and control systems to communicate with backdoors and other malware, how can organisations ensure that they detect such methods and that all C&C systems are removed, including “sleepers” designed to be activated at a future date? Continue Reading

By

• Simon Persin, Turnkey Consulting