Hackers and cybercrime prevention

Business at risk from unidentified network traffic, report warns

A lack of network traffic visibility poses significant security challenges to businesses, a report on network firewalls warns Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

China’s ZTE a national security risk, UK telcos warned

UK national cyber security authority has warned telecommunications companies against using equipment and services from Chinese network equipment supplier ZTE, citing national security risks Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Targeted cyber attacks doubled in past year, study shows

The number of targeted attacks has doubled in the past year compared with the previous 12 months, despite improvements in detecting and blocking them, a cyber resilience study shows Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Flashpoint researchers warn of new VBS Loader

Researchers have issued warnings about a new VBScript downloader that behaves like a remote access Trojan, is designed to run undetected and can update and delete itself Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

UK and US accuse Russia of targeting network infrastructure

The UK and US have accused the Russian government of targeting network infrastructure, calling on network operators to take the necessary protective measures Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

UK businesses urged to ensure they do cyber security basics

The cyber threat to business has never been greater, so the National Cyber Security Centre is urging UK companies to ensure they have implemented all the basic, best-practice cyber security controls and processes Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Australian healthcare services most hit by data breaches

Nearly a quarter of data breaches reported under Australia’s new mandatory data breach regime took place in the healthcare sector Continue Reading

By

• Beverley Head

Cyber attackers can breach targets in hours, report reveals

The majority of hackers claim they can breach an organisation within hours, while most security professionals admit they do not know what to look for Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

UK playing central role in Facebook data misuse probe

Data protection is a hot issue and all about increasing confidence in the way data is handled, says UK privacy watchdog Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Cyber security a shared responsibility, says Amber Rudd

The UK home secretary has emphasised that cyber security is a shared responsibility and committed to promote EU cyber cooperation post-Brexit at the National Cyber Security Centre’s conference in Manchester Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Lauri Love escaped extradition to the US - what does that mean for future cases?

The US lost its attempt to extradite Lauri Love to face hacking charges in a landmark case. What will it mean for other UK citizens facing extradition? Continue Reading

By

• Joanna Dimmock , White & Case

GCHQ growing cyber capability to match threat

GCHQ continues to grow and develop its cyber capability to match the rapidly expanding and evolving threat landscape, says agency director Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

UK cyber attack reporting set to be more streamlined

Government funding has been allocated to help streamline cyber attack reporting, according to the National Cyber Security Centre Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

New cyber incident classification to boost UK response

A new cyber attack categorisation system has been unveiled to improve UK response to incidents Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Government to set up £13.5m cyber security centre

Located at the 2012 Olympic Park, the London Cyber Innovation Centre could create up to 2,000 jobs in cyber security Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Diversity key to more effective cyber security, says NCSC

Diversity in defence teams is key to improved cyber security, according to the UK’s National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

GCHQ to set up shop in Manchester

UK intelligence, security and cyber agency GCHQ is expanding its network of UK sites to north west England Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

NSA calls for cyber security community collaboration

A US National Security Agency (NSA) representative has called for cyber security community collaboration at the National Cyber Security Centre’s conference in Manchester Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

UK to launch crackdown on dark web

The UK is to enhance its specialist law enforcement response to crack down on criminals operating on the dark web Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Mobile phishing a growing threat, warns report

Phishing on mobile devices is a growing threat to business as attacks move beyond email to text messages and apps Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Podcast: Storage compliance for GDPR data subject requests

The General Data Protection Regulation is upon us. Mathieu Gorge, CEO of Vigitrust, talks you through the key areas needed for compliance in storage of data subjects’ data and how to find it quickly on request Continue Reading

By

• Antony Adshead, Storage Editor

Cyber criminals earn up to $2m a year, study shows

Academic study reveals just how lucrative cyber crime can be, with top-level cyber criminals out-earning government leaders and university graduates Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Ransomware top cyber threat, DBIR shows

Ransomware remains the top cyber security threat to organisations, humans continue to be significant weakness and HR departments are a top target, according to the latest Verizon Data breach investigations report Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Cyber threat to UK business greater than ever, report reveals

The cyber threat to UK business is “bigger than ever” and the best way to defend against it is collaboration between government, law enforcement and business, a report shows Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Security Think Tank: Cryptojacking can be costly

How can organisations best defend against cryptojacking? Continue Reading

By

• Emma Bickerstaffe, Information Security Forum (ISF)

More than one in 10 employees fall for social engineering attacks

Employees download malicious files, click phishing links, correspond with hackers, and even share contact information for their colleagues, a report reveals Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Security Think Tank: Six tips for securing your organisation against cryptojacking

How can organisations best defend against cryptojacking? Continue Reading

By

• Adrian Davis, (ISC)²

Business increases use of encryption in the cloud

The use of encryption has seen double-digit growth in the past year due to a number of security-related drivers, a study has revealed Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Why businesses must think like criminals to protect their data

Cyber criminals use three main methods of operation to steal commercial data. Understanding their mindset can help organisations put the right defences in place Continue Reading

By

• Andy Barratt, Coalfire

HSBC IT whistleblower faces extradition to Switzerland

Hervé Falciani, who stole data from thousands of private banking customers, is apprehended in Spain following the issuing of an international arrest warrant Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Retail sector top cyber attack target

The retail sector was the top cyber attack target in 2017, as cyber attacks evolved to become more organised and structured, a report reveals Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Business should note Facebook data sharing, say security advisers

Businesses that use Facebook and have employees that use it should take note that data is shared with potential cyber attackers, security advisers warn, as Facebook reveals the Cambridge Analytica data exploitation scandal may affect 87 million users Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Security Think Tank: Deal with cryptojacking to avoid security vulnerability

How can organisations best defend against cryptojacking? Continue Reading

By

• Paddy Francis

More than 1.5 billion business and consumer files exposed online

With just over a month to go before the GDPR compliance deadline, more than 1.5 billion data files are exposed online without adequate protections, a report reveals Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Interview: GDPR will give Dutch privacy watchdog its teeth

The Netherlands’ privacy watchdog has not handed out fines so far because there has been no reason to, says the organisation’s chairman, Aleid Wolfsen Continue Reading

By

• Tijs Hofmans

Security Think Tank: User vigilance key to cryptojacking defence

How can organisations best defend against cryptojacking? Continue Reading

By

• Tim Holman, 2-sec

Ransomware puts pressure on incident response

Cyber attackers switched focus to ransomware attacks in 2017 putting pressure on incident response, while human error was responsible for two-thirds of compromised records, a study shows Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Average attacker dwell time nearly six months for EMEA, study shows

Firms in Europe, the Middle East and Africa take nearly six months to detect cyber attacks on average, a report reveals Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

UK firms failing to make financial plans for cyber attacks

Most UK firms are failing to plan for the financial impact of cyber attacks, a survey by Lloyds Bank has revealed Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Security Think Tank: Use awareness, education and controls to halt cryptojacking

How can organisations best defend against cryptojacking? Continue Reading

By

• Maxine Holt, Omdia

Data breaches revealed at four US retail chains

The Easter weekend has seen another round of data breaches, further underlining that many companies are still failing to take the necessary steps to protect customer data Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

 Automation and gamification key to cyber security

The use of automation and gamification are key to winning the fight against cyber criminals in the face of the skills’ shortage, a study investigating challenges facing IT security teams reveals Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Europol operation nabs another 20 cyber criminals

Police have arrested 20 cyber criminals in connection with a €1m fraud operation across Italy and Romania Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Business unaware of scale of cyber threat

Many businesses, especially board members, do not understand the scale of the cyber threat, but international efforts to combat cyber crime are being hampered by political barriers Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Cryptocurrency mining rampant in higher education

Higher education institutions are the biggest target for illicit cryptocurrency mining, data shows Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

How the IT sector can help plug the cyber security skills gap

Businesses have a role to play in plugging the cyber security skills gap by engaging with future talent at a young age, providing more role models for under-represented groups, communicating the nature of the threat, and changing their approach to cyber security recruitment Continue Reading

By

• Frank Stajano, University of Cambridge

Most airports not protected from cyber threats

The chairman of the Israel Airports Authority paints a dismal picture of the state of cyber security in aviation, and offers advice on what can be done to avert the next disaster Continue Reading

By

• Aaron Tan, TechTarget

Majority of European firms unprepared for phishing attacks

Most cyber attacks can be traced back to a phishing email, but more than half of European firms are unprepared to deal with email-based attacks, research has revealed Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Facebook announces more privacy control updates

Social media giant updates privacy settings and tools in response to the unfolding controversy over Cambridge Analytica’s use of Facebook data for political campaigns Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Microsoft Word document and zero-day attacks on the rise

Macro-less Microsoft Word document attacks and zero-day malware are on the rise, according to data from WatchGuard Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Majority of firms fear mobile workers have been hacked

More than half of organisations fear that their mobile workers have been hacked and most are concerned that a growing mobile workforce means increased cyber security risk, a survey reveals Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

UK organisations urged to develop cyber security skills

Managed cloud computing firm Rackspace is calling on UK organisations to do more to develop cyber security skills in the light of research into expertise in cloud security Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Most top UK firms fail to disclose cyber risk testing details

Most of the largest UK companies do not reveal their testing of cyber protection plans and do not share security updates with the board regularly, a Deloitte report reveals Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Police arrest €1bn cyber heist mastermind

Police have arrested a key member of the Carbanak gang believed to be responsible for more than 100 cyber heists worldwide Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Blockchain not ready for cross-border bank payments

The use of blockchain in certain parts of the financial services industry is limited at present due to the additional IT work required around its use Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

UK government publishes export strategy for UK cyber security

The government has published a guide for UK cyber security firms on how it plans to support their efforts to find and secure opportunities to export their products and services Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Ransomware publicity heightened awareness but other threats remain, experts say

Due to several high profile attacks over the past year, ransomware is now well known across organisations, but there are other threats to be aware of, say cyber security experts Continue Reading

By

• Zach Emmanuel, Computer Weekly

Dutch SMEs’ cyber security is insufficient

Nowhere in the Netherlands is digitisation as big as it is in small and medium-sized enterprises, but the sector still has a lot to do in terms of cyber security Continue Reading

By

• Kim Loohuis

Cloud key to cyber defence, says Palo Alto Networks

Organisations need to make sense of security intelligence and act on it faster to get ahead of attackers, and cloud-based security is one way of making that possible, according to Palo Alto Networks Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Private sector over-investing against nation-state attacks

The creator of a routing technique that protects the domain name system says the money spent on guarding against nation-state actors could have been better used for other purposes Continue Reading

By

• Aaron Tan, TechTarget

Application layer DDoS attacks increasing, Imperva data shows

Distributed denial of service attacks targeting applications almost doubled in the last three months of 2017, according to Imperva Incapsula data Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Businesses lack cyber security confidence after majority were breached in past year

Most businesses were hit by a data breach in the past year, yet less than half are confident they would detect a breach, a survey shows Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

MoD to focus on SMEs to raise supply chain cyber security

The Ministry of Defence continues to develop a joint initiative with industry aimed at raising the security posture throughout the UK’s defence supply chain, with increasing focus on SMEs Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

SD-WAN still too complex, survey shows

Despite SD-WAN adoption, WAN complexity remains a major challenge, a survey has revealed, driving firms to managed services, mainly because of security concerns Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Popular culture key to giving cyber security much-needed boost

The cyber security industry should turn to popular culture to raise awareness of the cyber threat to businesses and consumers and attract new blood to the field, says McMafia author Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Think tank reports lifts lid on police cyber crime training

UK think tank Parliament Street has lifted the lid on spending by police forces on training staff to deal with cyber crime and recommended greater collaboration in this regard Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Where neuroscience meets technology

In this week’s Computer Weekly, we find out how computer scientists are using data, cloud and virtual reality to understand the brain and improve mental wellbeing. We analyse newly published government documents detailing the early problems with the Universal Credit IT project. And we look at how emerging artificial intelligence techniques can help improve cyber security. Read the issue now. Continue Reading

Firms need to move from DevOps to DevSecOps, says expert

In the face of competition, organisations are turning to DevOps to improve efficiency and accelerate innovation, but this is creating new security risks, an industry expert warns Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Wigan data breaches underline need to share threat intelligence

Ongoing data breaches experienced by local authorities underline the need for greater sharing of threat intelligence, say security experts Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

How AI will underpin cyber security in the next few years

Cyber security risks are growing in complexity and volume, but artificial intelligence techniques can help businesses track and fight them in real time Continue Reading

Network security in the digital transformation era

Network security has always been a core focus for CISOs and IT security managers, but in an era of digital transformation, we examine if network security strategies are keeping up with new and emerging cyber threats Continue Reading

By

• Nicholas Fearn

Russia compromised core router in US energy attacks

Russian cyber attackers used a compromised core router in a series of attacks on the US energy sector, security researchers have revealed as the UK energy sector is placed on alert Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Network security in the age of the internet of things

Wireless devices and smart technologies are increasingly being brought into the workplace, and pose a growing risk to company data Continue Reading

By

• Peter Ray Allison

IT contractors not a risk despite Snowden leaks, GCHQ tells court

The government argues in the Investigatory Powers Tribunal that contractors with systems administration rights to computers holding GCHQ’s most sensitive intelligence pose no more of a security risk than the agency’s employees Continue Reading

By

• Bill Goodwin, Computer Weekly

SD-WAN needs software-defined security

Digital transformation is driving organisations to move to the cloud, which requires a new architecture that embraces cloud technology, but that in turn requires a new way of thinking about network security to ensure data is protected Continue Reading

By

• Klaus Gheri, Barracuda

Cyber criminals using complex financial system, study shows

Cyber criminals are using a combination of new cryptocurrencies, gaming currencies and micro-payments to launder up to $200bn in ill-gotten gains, research has revealed Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Defence industry urges government to relax controls on crypto exports

Trade body representing defence, aerospace and security companies calls on government to make it easier to export “non-contentious” cryptography to secure organisations against cyber crime Continue Reading

By

• Gamil Jassin

US blames Russia for cyber attacks on energy firms

The US has blamed Russia for a series of attacks on energy sector firms, underlining the need to ensure critical infrastructure IT systems are up to date and secure Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Australian firms need to move faster in the digital age

Just over a tenth of IT professionals in Australia say their companies can roll out a new product in less than three months, despite operating in fast-moving markets with digitally savvy customers Continue Reading

By

• Jessica McGreal, Contino

Navigating ASEAN’s patchy cyber security landscape

Cyber resilience remains low across Southeast Asia, a regional economic powerhouse that is increasingly susceptible to cyber threats as its digital economy grows. Continue Reading

CW ASEAN: Time to boost cyber defences

With a relatively young and tech-savvy population, ASEAN has been at the forefront of technology adoption. Yet, this has exposed its people and businesses to more cyber threats, including the massive data leak in Malaysia in 2017. In this month’s issue of CW ASEAN, we take a closer look at ASEAN’s patchy cyber security landscape, including varying levels of cyber resilience across the region, cyber security strategies adopted by different countries, as well as efforts to improve cyber capabilities and foster greater collaboration in the common fight against cyber threats. Download the issue now. Continue Reading

How the biggest cyber security disasters could have been avoided

The headline-grabbing breaches that hit Accenture and Equifax in 2017 could have been averted had basic cyber hygiene been in place. Continue Reading

CW ANZ: Report data break-ins – it’s the law

Cyber security is an increasingly global endeavour, with threat actors who know no boundaries unleashing attacks from nearly anywhere in the world. In this month’s issue of CW ANZ, we look at how Australia’s mandatory data breach notification law underscores recent efforts to lift its cyber security game, both locally and internationally. Download the issue now. Continue Reading

Security Think Tank: Fileless malware not totally undetectable

What should organisations do at the very least to ensure business computers are protected from fileless malware? Continue Reading

By

• Greg Temm

DocuTrac medical software is a breach risk, warns Rapid7

Security researchers have issued a security warning about medical billing and documentation software they say puts patients at risk of data breach Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Security Think Tank: Awareness is a good starting point to counter fileless malware

What should organisations do at the very least to ensure business computers are protected from fileless malware? Continue Reading

By

• Ed Moyle, Drake Software

Researchers accused of irresponsible disclosure of AMD chip flaws

Israel-based researchers have been accused of irresponsible disclosure for going public with more than a dozen security flaws discovered in AMD processors Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Most people think cryptocurrency will be accepted on buses by 2025

Cryptocurrency is a mystery to many people, yet 55% of respondents to a survey expect shops and buses to accept digital money in seven years’ time Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

APAC security chiefs expect imminent attack on critical systems

Nearly 70% of cyber security leaders in the APAC region believe a major attack affecting critical infrastructure across multiple countries will happen in the next two years, a survey reveals Continue Reading

By

• Aaron Tan, TechTarget

Government ‘unlawfully delegated’ bulk data powers to GCHQ, court hears

Privacy International urges Britain’s most secret court, the Investigatory Powers Tribunal, to rule that the government illegally collected surveillance data from internet and phone companies until at least September 2017 Continue Reading

By

• Bill Goodwin, Computer Weekly

Security Think Tank: Patch, scan and lock down to counter fileless malware

What should organisations do at the very least to ensure business computers are protected from fileless malware? Continue Reading

By

• Petra Wenham

Businesses need to take cryptojacking seriously

Organisations must pay attention to cyber criminals hijacking computing resources to mine cryptocurrencies, because nearly half are affected and the impact is greater than many realise Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Public sector organisations ill-prepared for GDPR

Public sector organisations in the UK need to do much more to comply with the General Data Protection Regulation rule on providing information to citizens about details held about them Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Slingshot router malware: a warning for businesses

A stealthy malware that has been used to carry out cyber espionage undetected for six years should raise a red flag to businesses, say security commentators Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Security Think Tank: Human, procedural and technical response to fileless malware

What should organisations do at the very least to ensure business computers are protected from fileless malware? Continue Reading

By

• Mike Gillespie

Eight new cyber threats a second in Q4 2017, McAfee report reveals

There was an increase in cyber attacks on healthcare organisations, the use of fileless malware and cryptocurrency mining in the last three months of 2017, with eight new threats a second Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Fileless attacks surge as hackers exploit PowerShell scripts

Malicious scripting through Microsoft’s PowerShell IT admin tool is being used to take control of Windows machines and Apple Macs Continue Reading

By

• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor

UK leads global upward trend in SOC maturity

The UK is leading the way towards more efficient security operations centres, but many still continue to operate with serious gaps in security, a report reveals Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Cooperation and exercises key to cyber defence, says Nato centre

International cooperation and regular tabletop exercises are essential to ensure effective cyber defence, according to the Nato cyber defence centre Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Security researchers demonstrate ransomware attack on robots

Researchers have carried out a ransomware attack on robots to show that such attacks are possible and should be guarded against Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst