Hackers and cybercrime prevention

Lookout bets on big data analytics to secure enterprise mobiles

Mobile security SaaS provider Lookout is betting on its cloud-based big data analytics capability to attract enterprise customers Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Japan recruits hackers for cyber security force

The Japanese government plans to recruit hackers to identify and protect against cyber security threats Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Why IAM is topping security investments in 2015

It is not surprising identity and access management (IAM) is set to move to the fore in 2015 Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

US cyber crime indictment prompts calls for zero tolerance

A newly-revealed US indictment of three suspected cyber criminals has prompted a call for zero tolerance for cyber intrusions Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Group claiming links to Isis hacks small business websites

The FBI is investigating the hacking of a number of SME websites in the US and Europe by people claiming affiliation with Islamic State Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

2015 IT priorities: SDN yet to prove itself, fear of network hacks growing

In Computer Weekly’s 2015 IT priorities study, software-defined networking is still behind management and monitoring as a networking priority Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

How to ensure your hot-desking colleagues keep their data secure

Once hot-desking is implemented, data security suddenly demands greater attention Continue Reading

By

• Christian Cawley

How to secure the SDN infrastructure

As more enterprises look to deploy software-defined networking, the need for security from the ground up should not be underestimated Continue Reading

By

• Rene Millman

China and US cross swords over software backdoors

Barack Obama criticises Chinese plans to force tech firms trading in China to share encryption keys and put backdoors in software Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Cyber crime: What every business needs to know

Computer Weekly gets the low-down on cyber crime from law enforcement officers and investigators Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Case study: Norwegian insurer invests in Darktrace machine-learning cyber defence

Shipping insurance company DNK hopes to inspire the rest of the shipping industry to adopt Darktrace’s cyber defence system Continue Reading

By

• Jenny Stadigs

Cloud security still needs a lot more work, say European experts

Security and privacy remain a stumbling block for cloud computing, according to information experts at the Trust in the Digital World conference Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

PrivDog SSL compromise potentially worse than Superfish

Some versions of PrivDog software designed to block online ads compromise internet security in a similar way to Superfish Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Intel Security warns of six social engineering techniques targeting businesses

An Intel Security report encourages businesses to address and educate employees on “six levers of influence” used by hackers Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Five ways to prepare a company board for a cyber breach

Five key things that boards need to do to stop their businesses leaking like sieves and potentially going to the wall Continue Reading

By

• Neil Hare-Brown

International spyware operation linked to NSA

The US National Security Agency has reportedly hidden surveillance software in the hard drives of several top computer makers Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

MasterCard to pilot facial, voice and fingerprint authentication

MasterCard will pilot a biometric authentication and verification tool this year as part of cyber security technology investment Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

$1bn cyber heist underlines need for detection, say security experts

The theft of up to $1bn from financial institutions in a daring cyber crime operation underlines the need for monitoring, say security experts Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Damballa report highlights the limitations of prevention-centric security

Anti-virus (AV) suppliers can take more than six months to create signatures for malware, according to a report from security firm Damballa Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

General election 2015: Major parties focus on tech agenda

With advancements around data protection and state surveillance of internet traffic, the UK is heading into its first tech-aware general election Continue Reading

By

• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor

Sony data breach claims first scalp as co-chair steps down

Amy Pascal, co-chair of Sony Pictures Entertainment, steps down in wake of data breach that exposed "inappropriate" comments in emails Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Ross Ulbricht faces life for Silk Road dark market conviction

Ross Ulbricht faces life in jail after being convicted of seven charges related to the Silk Road online illegal drugs dark market Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

IoT could be key to farming, says Beecham Research

The internet of things could be key to the farming industry meeting the challenge of increasing food production by 70% by 2050, says report Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Sony says cyber attack will cost $15m

Sony expects the investigation and remediation costs of the November 2014 cyber attack on its movie subsidiary will amount to $15m Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

EC3 announces industry partnership in fight against cyber crime

Europol's European Cybercrime Centre has partnered with security firm AnubisNetworks to help fight the global threat of cyber crime Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

How to implement risk-based security

Implement a simple process to identify, analyse and prioritise risk without significant investment in time or money Continue Reading

By

• Peter Wood, First Base Technologies LLP

Five questions every board should ask after Sony Pictures breach

What can the board do to avoid having to answer embarrassing questions at the next shareholder meeting? Continue Reading

By

• Sarb Sembhi

Cyber crime is a threat to global economy, says researcher

Halting cyber crime could have a positive impact on the global economy, says Intel Security Europe security researcher and CTO Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Darknet technologies have legitimate security uses, says researcher

Darket technologies have legitimate security applications for business, says security investigator Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Data Protection Day: Five steps to securing data

Data management firm Iron Mountain has compiled five steps to securing data to mark Data Protection Day Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

QinetiQ hosts latest Cyber Security Challenge competition

UK defence firm QinetiQ challenged amateur cyber defenders in a realistic global online terrorist attack simulation Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Why we need cyber war games

In this week’s Computer Weekly, the UK and US are starting a cyber war on each other – all in the name of testing each other’s defences. We look at why the cyber war games are needed. We examine what IT managers can learn from the car industry to improve supplier relationship management. And we find out why innovation should be top of the IT agenda in 2015. Read the issue now. Continue Reading

Younger users prefer biometrics to passwords

Younger bank customers would rather use biometrics than PINs and passwords for security, according to Visa Europe Continue Reading

By

• Clare McDonald, Business Editor

Security Think Tank: How to deal with wiper malware

How much should businesses worry about destructive, computer-killing malware, and what steps should they take to mitigate attacks? Continue Reading

By

• Tim Holman, 2-sec

FTSE 350 firms still have long way to go on cyber risk

Many FTSE 350 firms still have a long way to go to manage the risks of a cyber attack, a government-backed cyber governance health check has revealed Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Quantum key distribution is the future for secure comms

Quantum teleportation is a technology that will ultimately replace encryption as the foundation of communication security Continue Reading

By

• Peter Ray Allison

Obama calls for single US data breach notification law

The US president is calling for a single US data breach notification law as part of proposed legislation to improve data security Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Attackers bypass conventional security, says FireEye study

Hackers breach most conventional, signature-based security technologies, with 27% involving advanced threats Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Sony Pictures admits it was unprepared for November’s cyber attack

Sony Pictures admits it was not prepared for the nature and extent of the cyber attack that hit the company last November Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Traditional security putting UK businesses at risk, study shows

Traditional approaches to security are exposing UK businesses to heightened risk of attack, a study shows Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Cyber attack now primary weapon for countries, says ViaSat UK

Cyber attacks are becoming the first weapon of choice for countries in conflict, says ViaSat UK Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Google under fire over Windows zero-day disclosure

Google has come under fire for publishing a proof-of-concept attack exploiting a flaw in Windows 8.1 before Microsoft had released a security update Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

CW Europe – January 2015 Edition

As we start another new year we look back at what technology has been playing a vital role in keeping Europe safe. Headlines are regularly filled with threats about cyber wars and attacks which, although are important to bring to light, can sometimes overshadow the role technology plays in keeping us safe. Continue Reading

Hackers can exploit free mobile apps to steal data, study shows

Hackers can access private data by exploiting vulnerabilities mainly in free mobile apps, according to security researchers Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Top 10 cyber crime stories of 2014

Computer Weekly looks back at the most significant stories on cyber crime in the past 12 months Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

What might North Korea v US cyberwarfare over Sony mean for other corporates?

North Korea behind Sony attack and US counter-penetration -- what now, asks SearchCIO's Francesca Sales. Continue Reading

Fears over the IT security of new banks are overblown

Challenger banks such as PayPal are perceived to be less secure than traditional banks when protecting personal data. But is this the case? Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Cabinet Office begins procurement for next stage of Gov.uk Verify

The Cabinet Office has submitted a tender notice for a £150m three-year framework for the provision of identity assurance services Continue Reading

By

• Caroline Baldwin, Freelance editor and journalist

US interception in the EU faces new legal challenges

US government orders against Microsoft to hand over email data 'infringes privacy legislation' in other countries Continue Reading

By

• Fiona O’Cleirigh

Social media threats to business on the rise, says report

Social media threats to business are increasing, according to the first in-depth analysis covering Fortune 100 companies Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Hacker group Lizard Squad downs Sony PlayStation Network

Sony remains in the firing line of hackers – who have now brought down its PlayStation Network and PlayStation Store Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Cyber criminals are targeting smartphone supply chains, warn researchers

A new mobile trojan dubbed “DeathRing” is being pre-loaded onto smartphones somewhere in the supply chain, warn researchers Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Sony hack exposes poor security practices

Sony Pictures Entertainment remains tight-lipped about its recent cyber attack, but security lessons can be drawn from what is known Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Films leaked online after Sony Pictures hack

High-quality copies of still-to-be-released films have been leaked online a week after Sony Pictures Entertainment was reportedly hacked Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

CGI secures communications between pilots and air traffic control

Satellite communications firm Inmarsat has outsourced the provision of security IT and services to CGI Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

BSI urges UK businesses to bolster cyber security

UK businesses are at risk of reputational damage due to lack of awareness on how to protect their data assets, BSI research shows Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Cert-UK calls for better cyber threat data-sharing

Cert-UK has called for more UK firms to join the government’s Cyber Security Information Sharing Partnership Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Russian webcam-spying site highlights common security failing

A Russian website collecting images from internet-connected cameras highlights a common security failing, say security professionals Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

UK police make four arrests in international cyber crime crackdown

UK police make four arrests during an international crackdown on cyber criminals using malware tools to steal data Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Microsoft releases emergency security patch for Windows and Windows Server

Microsoft emergency patch fixes a Windows and Windows Server vulnerability hackers are exploiting to compromise networks Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

US State Department bolsters email security after suspected breach

The US State Department took its unclassified email system offline to bolster security after a suspected breach in October 2014 Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Network firewalls as relevant to data security as ever, says industry pioneer Gil Shwed

Network firewalls are as relevant to data security today as they were 20 years ago, says industry pioneer Gil Shwed Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

US Postal Service latest government target for cyber attack

Hackers breach the networks of the US Postal Service in the latest of a series of attacks on US government agencies Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Home Depot traces credit card data hack to supplier compromise

US retailer Home Depot reveals its recent data breach was linked to a compromised supplier’s credentials Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

The real story behind The Imitation Game film

The life of Alan Turing is being celebrated on the big screen this month. The Imitation Game from Studio Canal opens on November 14th 2014 and tells the story of the war hero who’s achievements until recently were largely unknown. Continue Reading

By

• Caroline Baldwin, Freelance editor and journalist

Business needs to take cyber crime seriously, says top EU cyber cop Troels Oerting

Troels Oerting, head of Europol’s European Cybercrime Centre, says businesses must heed the risk of cyber crime Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Many firms still unprepared for cyber attack, EY survey shows

More than a third of organisastions have no real-time insight on cyber risks necessary to combat rising threats, a survey has shown Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Firms at serious risk of data loss through file sharing, study shows

Businesses are at serious risk of data loss and compliance violations due to risky file-sharing practices, a study has shown Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Most businesses do not understand risks of data breaches, study finds

More than 70% of businesses do not understand fully the risks associated with data breaches, a study shows Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Incident response: a common failing

Organisations hit by cyber attacks often lack an effective incident response plan. Why are so many unprepared? Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Securing critical industrial systems

In this week’s Computer Weekly, we examine the security threats to the industrial control systems that power the UK’s critical national infrastructure, and ask what can be done to better protect them. We look at the key considerations when choosing an infrastructure as a service supplier. And we compare six of the top hybrid flash array products from the leading storage hardware providers. Read the issue now. Continue Reading

GCHQ embodies British values, says Iain Lobban

Outgoing GCHQ director Iain Lobban has defended the intelligence agency in his final speech before retiring Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

US retailer Staples investigates possible data breach

US retailer Staples confirms it is investigating a possible credit and debit card breach Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

FBI director James Comey joins call for online surveillance tools

FBI director James Comey has reiterated the need for online surveillance and joined calls for more tools to do so Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

UK is prime target for cyber attacks, says FireEye

The UK has been greatest target of advanced cyber attacks in Europe, the Middle East or Africa in the first half of 2014, report shows Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Industrial control systems: What are the security challenges?

Targeted attacks on industrial control systems are the biggest threat to critical national infrastructure, says Kaspersky Lab Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Cybercrime fighters to target kingpins, says top EU cyber cop

International cybercrime fighters are to focus on the relatively small number of top malware producers, says Europe's top cyber cop Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Azure CTO Mark Russinovich's top ten public cloud security risks

Microsoft Azure cloud CTO Mark Russinovich identified ten key security risks of public cloud services Continue Reading

By

• Archana Venkatraman, Datacentre Editor

WordPress most attacked application

Websites that run the WordPress content management system are attacked 24% more often than those using other systems Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Malware being used to steal cash from ATMs

Criminals are using malware to steal cash from ATMs without debit and credit cards Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Google could face $100m lawsuit over nude celebrity pictures

Lawyers of celebrities whose private pictures were published by hackers are threatening to sue Google Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

European firms far from ready for new data rules, study shows

As European authorities aim to ratify revised data protection rules by 2015, many firms have a lot to do to comply Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Cyber Essentials for public sector IT suppliers: pros and cons

What are the pros and cons of the Cyber Essentials Scheme certification mandated for public sector IT suppliers? Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Hacking IT from the inside

In this week’s Computer Weekly, car giant Daimler talks about its IT security strategy and the benefits of having its own in-house hacking team. App developers are under fire for collecting too much personal data – we examine the latest best practice. Our new buyer’s guide looks at virtualisation backup. And our review of Microsoft’s Surface Pro 3 tablet asks whether it can replace the laptop. Read the issue now. Continue Reading

Bash bug could be bigger threat than Heartbleed

A bug in the Bash command prompt software used by many Unix computers could be a greater threat than Heartbleed. Continue Reading

Nato and business join forces to tackle cyber security threats

In this week’s Computer Weekly, we look at how Nato wants to work with businesses to tackle their common cyber security threat. Is Amazon Web Services becoming the new Microsoft? We examine the historic similarities between two very different suppliers. And low-cost airline easyJet talks about how it has implemented a hybrid cloud for greater IT and business flexibility. Read the issue now. Continue Reading

Conficker infections an indictment of IT security, says CWG

Conficker worm infections reflect the “sad state of affairs of IT security”, says the Conficker Working Group Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Home Depot under fire for data breach notification

US retailer Home Depot criticised for delays in telling customers their payment card details may have been compromised Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Risk management key to cyber strategy, says BP

Cyber attacks constitute a group-level risk that is managed as part of BP’s standard set of risk management processes, says group chief Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Google denies breach after hackers leak millions of user logins

Google denies claims cyber criminals stole users' data and downplays the threat after a hacker purportedly leaked 4.9 million Gmail logins Continue Reading

Ransomware on the rise, warns cyber threat report

The first half of 2014 saw an increase in online attacks that lock up user data and hold it for ransom, reports F-Secure Labs Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Nude celebrity hack forces changes at Apple and 4Chan

Apple and image-sharing site 4Chan take security measures after celebrity iCloud accounts were compromised and photos leaked Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Barclays bank launches biometric authentication

Barclays bank plans to launch biometric readers that read users' finger veins to authenticate customers Continue Reading

By

• Clare McDonald, Business Editor

Apple and FBI launch iCloud hack investigation

Apple and FBI investigate the breach of Apple’s iCloud causing fresh business concerns over cloud security Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Nato set to clarify stance on cyber attack

Leaders will discuss changing the mission of collective defence with respect to cyber attack at this week’s Nato summit Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Nude celebrity pictures posted online after alleged iCloud hack

Hundreds of nude images of female celebrities have been leaked, allegedly after Apple’s iCloud service was hacked Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Microsoft re-releases security bulletin MS14-045

Microsoft has re-released a software security update that was withdrawn because it put some computers in endless reboot loops Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Security experts identify top 10 software design flaws

The IEEE Center for Secure Design has published a report on how to avoid the top 10 software security design flaws Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

South Korea arrests 16 suspects in massive cyber fraud

South Korea has arrested 16 suspects in connection with a multi-million-dollar fraud enabled by the theft of 27 million online gaming credentials Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

DDoS attacks hit Sony’s PlayStation Network and other gaming services

Sony's PlayStation Network and other gaming services reported disruptions at the weekend in a suspected cyber attack campaign Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst