Hackers and cybercrime prevention

The true cost of a cyber security breach in Australia

The costs of cyber security breaches can quickly add up with fines, reputational damage and overhauls to network security all hitting the coffers. The case of one Australian firm shows why paying a ransom to a hacker might be tempting. Continue Reading

By

• Beverley Head

Cyber security innovation is crucial, says security evangelist

Visibility and automation are key areas of cyber security innovation, but firms should concentrate first on the basics and not overlook the human element of security Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Encryption is a double-edged sword, says Blue Coat

Seven more security suppliers join Blue Coat encrypted traffic management programme amid fresh warnings of attackers using encryption to hide malicious activity Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

The security dangers of home networks

Most companies take reasonable steps to protect their networks from virus attacks, but one area of vulnerability that is often overlooked is infection from employees’ home networks Continue Reading

By

• Peter Ray Allison

How to ensure strong passwords and better authentication

Five steps to ensure stronger passwords and better authentication to reduce the threat of business data theft Continue Reading

By

• Peter Wood, First Base Technologies LLP

Apple removes more iOS apps over security concerns

Apple has blocked more apps over security concerns just weeks after ridding the App Store of XcodeGhost malware Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Samsung Pay isolated from LoopPay attack

Hackers who compromised LoopPay’s computer systems had no access to Samsung Pay’s user data or other core information, says Samsung Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Max Schrems: The man who broke Safe Harbour

Schrems has persuaded a high court judge to confirm that Edward Snowden’s evidence is acceptable in court and that the US is engaged in mass surveillance of European citizens Continue Reading

By

• Kevin Cahill

Researchers find credential-stealing webmail server APT attack

Security researchers have discovered a new and unique advanced persistent threat (APT) technique that involves a malicious module loaded onto a webmail server Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

CW Europe – October 2015

Access to vast amounts of educational resources via the cloud promises much for education. But like in the business world there are fears associated with the cloud. Read the issue now. Continue Reading

David Jones online customers hit by data breach

Hackers have accessed the personal details of an unknown number of David Jones online customers, but the retailer says payment details and passwords are not affected Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Medical devices must be secure by design, say industry experts

The information security industry is calling for medical device manufacturers to design and build cyber security into all internet-enabled devices after thousands are found to be hackable Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

120-day patching gap puts many firms at risk of cyber attack, study shows

The probability of a vulnerability being exploited hits 90% between 40-60 days after discovery, but many firms are taking up to 60 days beyond that to patch, while others are failing to patch at all, a study shows Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

How to fully test IT networks for vulnerabilities

Making sure a company network is secure is a very important task, and one that should be scheduled regularly Continue Reading

By

• Steve Evans

Public-private co-operation in the Nordics tackles growing cyber crime threat

Nordic governments and businesses are putting cyber security at the centre of their planning as threats increase Continue Reading

By

• Eeva Haaramo

BT launches ethical hacking service for bankers

BT introduces a certified Crest Star ethical hacking test service for financial services customers Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Most DDoS attacks hiding something more sinister, Neustar warns

Smaller DDoS attacks can be more dangerous than a powerful attack that knocks a company offline but does not install malware or steal data, warns Neustar Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

RSA Group flags ID theft risk to Lloyds Bank customers following datacentre storage theft

International insurance group has seen 500 customers take up offer of identity theft protection in wake of datacentre theft Continue Reading

By

• Caroline Donnelly, Senior Editor, UK

Security industry welcomes GCHQ password guidelines

GCHQ's guidance on password policy covers some of the most pressing issues facing UK businesses and employees today, according to Skyhigh Networks Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

DD4BC cyber extortion gang adds social media to arsenal

Cyber extortion gang DD4BC is using social media campaigns to garner more attention for its ability to create service disruptions by publicly embarrassing large organisations Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

US health insurer Excellus BlueCross BlueShield hit by data breach

Forensic investigation reveals a data breach at US health insurer Excellus BlueCross BlueShield exposing up to 11 million records 21 months after the first intrusion Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Security pros failing to address digital certificate risks, survey shows

Even though 90% of security professionals believe a leading CA will be compromised in next two years, only 13% have existing automation to deal with that happening Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Conventional security measures hit productivity, study shows

Most IT professionals say context-aware security would improve productivity without compromising security, a survey from Dell reveals Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Security vulnerability management more than patching, warns Secunia

Keeping track of what makes an IT environment vulnerable is an ongoing and complex task, according to Secunia Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

US State Department plans cyber security playbook

The US State Department issues a request for information to determine the capabilities of commercial industry to provide and maintain a cyber security playbook Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

DDoS attack on NCA highlights need to be prepared, says Barracuda Networks

A Lizard Squad DDoS attack the NCA says is a fact of life highlights the need for organisations to be prepared, according to Barracuda Networks Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Use 2FA to mitigate KeyRaider iOS malware, says Rapid7

KeyRaider iOS malware targeting iPhone users in China and 17 other countries including the UK has raised enterprise security concerns Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Police arrest six UK teenagers for using DDoS cyber attack tool

Police arrest six UK teenagers on suspicion of using a DDoS attack tool targeting a national newspaper, a school and online gaming companies and retailers Continue Reading

Rapid7 calls on router makers to eliminate backdoors

Until manufacturers stop using default passwords, we will continue to see opportunistic attacks on home and small business routers, says Rapid7's Tod Beardsley Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Many firms not getting to grips with third-party data security risk

Supply chain data security risk is pervasive, but being unable to deal with it is down to basic failings, says a cyber risk expert Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Sans Institute identifies top UK cyber talent

The cream of UK cyber security talent selected from 24,000 candidates are set to begin eight weeks of intensive training in the first-ever intake at the Sans UK Cyber Academy Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Life’s a breach: How to handle the press after a hacking attack

Emily Dent, specialist in crisis PR, offers some advice to organisations that unexpectedly find themselves in the headlines Continue Reading

By

• Emily Dent

Mumsnet suffers multi-vector cyber attack

Mumsnet has been hit by a DDoS attack, its admin hacked and data stolen, and then a hoax call sent armed police to the home of the organisation's co-founder, Justine Roberts Continue Reading

Premiership Rugby scores security and efficiency with Intralinks

By setting access controls, Premiership Rugby can ensure that its partners get quick access only to role-appropriate content Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Mobile phone users at risk as hackers bug and track victims

An investigation by Australian TV show 60 Minutes demonstrates how hackers based thousands of miles away in Germany were able to record the calls of an Australian senator and track his movements Continue Reading

By

• Ross Coulthart, 60 Minutes Australia

FBI uncovers cyber insider trading gang

Nine suspects are expected to be charged in the US with insider trading based on corporate press releases stolen by hackers before they had been made public Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

BlackHat 2015: Industrial hacking - the untold story

Hackers have been penetrating industrial control systems for at least a decade for extortion, yet little is known about how they gain access Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Carphone Warehouse data breach hits 2.4 million UK customers

Carphone Warehouse confirms the authorities have been notified about the breach, and urges customers to take steps to protect themselves Continue Reading

By

• Caroline Donnelly, Senior Editor, UK

Why the time is ripe for security behaviour analytics

Recent months have seen an uptick in announcements by security suppliers around behavioural analytics, but what is driving this trend? Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Commercial software more secure than open source, finds report

A study has found that commercial code is more compliant than open source code with security compliance standards, such as the Owasp top 10 and the CWE top 25 Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

A third of employees will sell company data if the price is right, study reveals

For £5,000, a quarter of employees polled said they would sell confidential company data, and risk both their job and criminal convictions Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Contactless card fraud highlights need for 2FA

A Which? report on contactless card fraud highlights the need for multi-factor authentication for payments, say security experts Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Jeep hack raises questions about responsibility for security

The hack of a Jeep raises the question whether users or car manufacturers should be responsible for protecting against cyber attackers Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Information security governance maturing, says Gartner

Increasing awareness of the impact of digital business risks, coupled with high levels of publicity regarding cyber security incidents, is making IT risk a board-level issue, says Gartner Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Hackers threaten to expose ALM’s dating and cheating site users

A hacking group, calling itself The Impact Team, claims to have compromised Avid Life Media’s user databases, source code repositories, financial records and email system Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

United Airlines begins bug bounty payouts

United Airlines has paid out the maximum award to two hackers, which means the flaws are likely to be remote code execution vulnerabilities Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

UK man arrested for hacking into US government computers

Briton Lauri Love is accused of hacking into various US agencies, including the US army, Nasa, the federal reserve and the environmental protection agency Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Land Rover praised for recall over software security bug

BT Security head Mark Hughes says Land Rover's recall of vehicles to fix a software security flaw is a sensible step to address evolving criminal threats Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Symantec bets on simplicity, cloud and mobile

Symantec is not trying to be all things to all people, but is instead focusing on threats and protecting information in the mobile and cloud environments Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

UK sales teams are the most exposed to cyber attacks, study reveals

UK sales staff, callcentre agents and customer services teams are among the most highly targeted by cyber attacks, yet few firms give these groups IT security training, a study shows Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Symantec uncovers Morpho cyber espionage operation

A cyber espionage group has targeted high-profile technology, internet, commodities and pharmaceutical companies in the US, Europe and Canada, reports Symantec Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

MtGox chief Mark Karpeles arrested for fraud

Former chief Mark Karpeles is under arrest on suspicion of $1m fraud and involvement in the disappearance of 650,000 bitcoins Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Dashlane bullish about the future despite LastPass hack

Password management firm Dashlane is confident its business model will evolve and continue to be relevant even if passwords eventually disappear Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Italy’s Hacking Team gets hacked

Unknown hackers have posted a torrent file-sharing link to more than 400GB of Hacking Team data, including source code, internal documents and emails that could reveal the identity of customers Continue Reading

UK universities revise computer course guidelines to boost ranks of cyber warriors

UK universities revise course guidelines to transform computing degree courses and ensure that undergraduates learn cyber security skills Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Dutch court orders Facebook to identify revenge porn poster

Facebook has a legal obligation to provide information about a user who posted a revenge porn video on the site, a Dutch court has ruled Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

App development companies fight back against digital piracy

How can digital companies protect their IP against a tidal wave of smartphone boosted piracy? Is digital rights management software effective enough, or is it better to adapt your business model? Continue Reading

By

• Peter Ray Allison

Government Digital Service insists Verify safe despite claims of vulnerabilities

An academic paper suggests the Gov.uk Verify system could be used as a spy network, but the Government Digital Service (GDS) insists this is not the case Continue Reading

By

• Clare McDonald, Business Editor

FBI investigates US baseball team over rival's hacking allegations

FBI investigations, into claims a US baseball team stole data from a rival, highlights cyber crime perpetrated by competitors – not just anonymous criminals Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

DD4B cyber extortion gang ramps up operations

Cyber criminals using DDoS attacks to extort funds from victims are carrying out more attacks despite a $26,000 bounty Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Kaspersky Lab praised for handling of Duqu 2.0 cyber attack

Kaspersky Lab determined the best approach to cyber attack was to not only admit that it had been hacked, but also to provide extensive information on the malware Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

International police operation arrests cyber fraud gang

Police in six countries have arrested 49 people suspected of committing financial fraud involving email account intrusions Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

How to cull old, potentially risky data

Unused data is a potential security risk, with old spreadsheets, reports and email containing industry secrets and laced with company gossip. If it's no longer useful, it's time to delete it Continue Reading

By

• Christian Cawley

VMware puts network virtualisation to work in McAfee environments

VMware announces an integrated system to automate distribution and enforcement of McAfee’s network security platform using its NSX network virtualisation system Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

The drivers and inhibitors of cyber security evolution

A study shows a shift in IT security spending to detection and response – but why are most organisations falling way behind the more enlightened front runners? Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Data classification key to IP protection, says Titus

Data classification can help organisations get more value out of encryption and data loss prevention systems Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Google announces security features for Android

Google announces better app permission controls and other Android security changes at its Google I/O developer conference Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Social engineering attacks more complex than ever, says expert

Expert warns attackers are starting to use increasingly sophisticated ways to get people in organisations to help them circumvent security controls Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

How to reduce the risk of social engineering attacks

Implement simple checks to reduce the risk of the main types of social engineering attacks Continue Reading

By

• Peter Wood, First Base Technologies LLP

Researchers raise privacy concerns about Bluetooth Low Energy devices

Researchers have raised privacy concerns about a growing number of devices using Bluetooth Low Energy technology Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

BT Openreach turns to Crimestoppers to catch cable thieves

Openreach extends its partnership with crime-fighting charity Crimestoppers to tackle cable theft Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

St Louis Federal Reserve Bank not target of DNS hack, say experts

The hacking of a domain name server (DNS) for the Federal Reserve Bank of St Louis is more likely to be aimed at customers than the bank itself, say security experts Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Digital age a turning point for policing, says commissioner Leppard

Policing in the digital age will face a turning point in the next two years, according to City of London Police commissioner Adrian Leppard Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

The IoT industry needs to do more to secure data, says Beecham Research

There are key areas where the industry supporting the internet of things (IoT) needs to provide better security, according to Beecham Research Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Businesses should prepare for black swans, says resiliency consultant

While black swan events are random and unexpected, businesses can still prepare for them, according to a resiliency consultant Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Future IAM will need to be broader, says Martin Kuppinger

Identity and access management systems need to look at all forms of identity, not just employees or users, says KuppingerCole analyst Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

IoT benefits and privacy not mutually exclusive, says industry expert

It is possible to mitigate the privacy and security risks of the internet of things (IoT) without losing its benefits, according to an industry expert Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Ryanair remains tight-lipped over £3.3m hacker theft

Ryanair provided no details of how hackers took £3.3m from one of its bank accounts, as industry pundits call for greater collaboration Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Time to embrace a new level of IAM, says Martin Kuppinger

A new level of identity and access management is at hand, yet many businesses still rely on usernames and passwords Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Top tips for remote and mobile workers to improve their cyber security

Steps remote and mobile workers can take to improve cyber security on mobile devices, using public Wi-Fi and computers, and handling USB devices Continue Reading

By

• Peter Wood, First Base Technologies LLP

Bill Binney, the ‘original’ NSA whistleblower, on Snowden, 9/11 and illegal surveillance

Always a patriot: Computer Weekly talks to Bill Binney, the senior NSA official who blew the whistle before Edward Snowden Continue Reading

By

• Fiona O'Cleirigh

Mobile malware overhyped, says security company Damballa

Mobile internet users are 1.3 times more likely to get struck by lightning than infected by mobile malware, research by security firm Damballa finds Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Destructive cyber attacks making security a business concern, says Microsoft

Destructive cyber attacks are driving a fundamental shift in the information security market, according to Microsoft Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Collaboration key to cyber security, says US homeland security chief

Collaboration between governments and with the private sector key to improving global cyber security Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Cyber security boot camp launched to boost skills

Sans Cyber Academy unveils eight-week security boot camp after businesses demand more cyber security specialists Continue Reading

By

• Kayleigh Bateman, Computer Weekly

Banks hide cyber crime losses, says City of London Police

Banks obscure the amount of money lost to cyber fraudsters – preferring to write off cyber theft as operating losses – says the City of London Police Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Security risk potential linked to young, mobile users

A study conducted by wireless supplier Aruba Networks has identified a distinct cohort of high-risk, security-agnostic workers Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Can legislation stop cyber crime?

Rising cyber crime suggests criminal law does not deter criminals and that a better legal solution is required to prevent further rises Continue Reading

By

• Stewart James

French TV5Monde network cyber attack the latest in destructive trend in system intrusions

The cyber attack on French television network TV5Monde is the latest in a growing list of incursions intended to destroy data and IT systems Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Alleged White House hack highlights typical security failings, say experts

The alleged penetration of sensitive White House computer networks highlights typical security failings, say information security experts Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

CIO interview: Bruna Pellicci, global head of IT, Ashurst

Global law firm Ashurst is rolling out a new IT strategy based on single platforms worldwide for its core business areas Continue Reading

By

• Mark Samuels

DDoS losses potentially £100k an hour, survey shows

DDoS attacks could expose 40% of businesses to losses of £100,000 or more an hour at peak times, a survey shows Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

British Airways rewards scheme hack highlights password problem

The hacking of British Airways’ executive club frequent flyer accounts shows the importance of using strong, unique passwords for all online accounts Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

UK attacks on crypto keys and digital certificates endemic

All UK security professionals polled in a global survey have responded to attacks on keys and certificates in past two years Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Identity fraud still top UK fraud threat

Identity fraud continues to be the single biggest fraud threat, according to the latest report by UK fraud prevention service Cifas Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Google warns of fake digital certificates

Google has warned of unauthorised digital certificates issued for several of its domains that could be used to intercept data traffic Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Home devices threaten enterprise data security, warn researchers

Poor or lacking security on ADSL routers and other devices used by teleworkers a threat to global enterprise information security Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Target agrees to $10m breach compensation

US retailer Target has agreed to a $10m compensation package for victims of its 2013 data breach Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Premera hack exposes 11 million financial and medical records

US health insurance firm Premera Blue Cross reveals an IT systems breach, exposing financial and medical records of 11 million customers Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Microsoft warns of fake SSL certificate for Windows Live

Microsoft has warned that a fake security certificate has been issued for the Windows Live domain that could be abused by attackers Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst