Hackers and cybercrime prevention

Clop begins naming alleged MOVEit victims

Clop uploaded details of 12 new victims to its dark web leak site late on 14 June, many of them likely linked to the ongoing MOVEit cyber attack Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Ransomware-stricken Capita to run Action Fraud successor

A £50m deal to replace the Action Fraud service has been handed to PwC and Capita, which is facing investigations over its handling of customer data in a ransomware incident Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

No zero-days for June Patch Tuesday, but plenty to chew over

On the face of it, Microsoft’s monthly round of updates is a lighter-than-usual load for security teams, with no zero-days in evidence, but there are still plenty of issues needing attention Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

TSB calls on Meta to intervene and protect users from fraud losses of £250m this year

TSB is the latest bank to demand more action from social media sector in helping to reduce online fraud Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Clop’s MOVEit ransom deadline expires

A seven-day deadline set by Clop for victims of its latest attack to contact it to arrange payment passes today Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Cyber attacks against APAC commerce sector surpass 1.1 billion

Retailers, hotels and travel-related organisations in the region saw over a billion cyber attacks last year amid the surge in e-commerce activity and online travel bookings Continue Reading

By

• Aaron Tan, TechTarget

Ofcom data stolen in MOVEit cyber attack

Communications regulator Ofcom says data on employees and regulated communications companies was stolen by the Clop gang Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Progress Software releases patch for second MOVEit Transfer vulnerability

Progress Software releases a patch for a second MOVEit Transfer issue, which was uncovered by third-party security specialist Huntress Security during post-incident code scanning Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Extreme Networks emerges as victim of Clop MOVEit attack

Network equipment and services supplier Extreme Networks has revealed its instance of Progress Software’s MOVEit tool was compromised in the ongoing Clop cyber attack Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

University of Manchester hit by cyber attack

The University of Manchester has been hit by a cyber attack of an undisclosed nature Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Bishop Fox’s Vinnie Liu talks offensive security skills

There is growing demand for offensive security testing, but it needs a multi-layered skillset that can be hard to quantify. Bishop Fox’s CEO and co-founder explains why and some potential mitigation strategies Continue Reading

By

• Peter Ray Allison

CW EMEA: IT budgets buck economic trends

Despite the gloomy economic outlook across the world, IT leaders in the EMEA region appear confident that they will have more to spend on IT this year, with 44 expecting IT budgets to increase, according to TechTarget/Computer Weekly’s IT Priorities survey for 2023. Also in this issue, we look at how health authorities in the United Arab Emirates are increasing their emphasis on new, smart technologies to modernise healthcare services, we find out how global tech pioneers Finland and Estonia are increasingly sharing their expertise, and we look at what the Dutch government is doing to address unconscious stereotypes and bias that are still preventing girls in the Netherlands to study engineering or IT. Read the issue now. Continue Reading

Clop cyber gang claims MOVEit attack and starts harassing victims

The Clop cyber extortion and ransomware operation is demanding organisations pay a ransom to avoid data stolen via an exploited vulnerability in a file transfer product being leaked Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Payments regulator makes APP fraud reimbursement mandatory

UK payments regulator confirms changes to rules around repaying customers who lose money to authorised push payment fraudsters Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Victims of MOVEit SQL injection zero-day mount up

The BBC, Boots, and British Airways are among the victims of cyber incidents arising from a recently disclosed vulnerability in the MOVEit file transfer, exploitation of which is spreading fast Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Cyber spotlight falls on boardroom ‘privilege’ as incidents soar

Three quarters of data breaches now involve a significant human element, and the higher up they get in an organisation, the more risks people seem to take, according to Verizon’s annual Data Breach Investigations Report Continue Reading

Bank of International Settlement sets up channel secure from quantum breach

The Bank of International Settlement has worked with two of Europe's central banks to explore preventing the security risks posed by quantum computers Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

HSBC explores quantum computing for finance sector

UK banking giant works with quantum computing specialist to explore the technology’s potential in the finance sector Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Generative AI – the next biggest cyber security threat?

Following the launch of ChatGPT in November 2022, several reports have emerged that seek to determine the impact of generative AI in cyber security. Undeniably, generative AI in cyber security is a double-edged sword, but will the paradigm shift in favour of opportunity or risk? Continue Reading

By

• Luke Witts

Why we need advanced malware detection with AI-powered tools

AI-powered cyber security tools have now developed to a point where they are becoming an effective approach to protecting the organisation. Learn how you can benefit from adopting them Continue Reading

By

• Isla Sibanda

Lloyds Bank calls on tech companies to control social media ‘wild west’

Lloyds Banking Group is calling on tech giants to step forward in the fight against online fraud, which emanates in the social media ‘wild west’ Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Downstream breaches of Capita customers spreading

As many as 90 organisations that used Capita services have now reported data breaches arising from various security incidents at the outsourcer Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Bumbling IT security analyst convicted of blackmail offences

A Hertfordshire man has been convicted of blackmail and other offences after piggybacking on an in-progress ransomware attack to try to defraud his employer, but failing to cover his tracks in any meaningful way Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Cabinet Office publishes response to data sharing for digital ID consultation

The majority of respondents to government’s consultation on data sharing for digital identity are critical to the plans and concerned about data privacy, but Whitehall’s response says many of the responses ‘were driven by anti-digital commentaries’ Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

Alert over Chinese cyber campaign targeting critical networks

A Chinese threat actor known as Volt Typhoon has been observed infiltrating CNI networks in a cyber espionage campaign, according to intelligence Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Almost all ransomware attacks target backups, says Veeam

Some 93% of ransomware attacks go for backups and most succeed, with 60% of those attacked paying the ransom, according to a Veeam survey Continue Reading

By

• Antony Adshead, Storage Editor

Two-thirds of all 2022 breaches resulted from spear phishing

Research by Barracuda Networks has found that, despite the low volume of spear-phishing attempts, the attacks are highly successful and have major consequences Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

Cohesity Turing aims AI tools at backup and ransomware

Backup supplier continues to enrich its ecosystem with more artificial intelligence for backup and ransomware, with chat-like reporting functions and new security partners in its alliance Continue Reading

By

• Antony Adshead, Storage Editor

How to secure your software supply chain

In this week’s Computer Weekly, our latest buyer’s guide looks at secure coding, and kicks off by examining the challenges of securing your software supply chain. Cyber law enforcement leaders are calling on firms to end the secrecy around ransomware attacks. And we find out how facial recognition technology is being adopted by retailers. Read the issue now. Continue Reading

How Mimecast thinks differently about email security

CEO Peter Bauer believes a comprehensive approach towards email security has enabled it to remain relevant to customers for two decades Continue Reading

CW APAC: Expert advice on security and threat intelligence

Organisations are all too aware of the importance of cyber defence. In this handbook, focused on security and threat intelligence in the Asia-Pacific region, Computer Weekly looks at the software supply chain, Mimecast’s email security, Australian data breaches and Singapore’s threat intelligence. Continue Reading

Pentera ups ante in penetration testing

The Israeli startup, which expanded to the APAC region last year, scans for vulnerabilities and emulates cyber attacks through its automated security validation platform Continue Reading

By

• Aaron Tan, TechTarget

Scality pushes anti-ransomware features in Artesca object storage

Object storage specialist announces v2.0 of Artesca, with a heavy focus on functionality that can protect against ransomware such as object locking, sharding, backup to object etc Continue Reading

By

• Antony Adshead, Storage Editor

Let’s put an end to secrecy and cover-ups in ransomware attacks

The NCSC and the ICO are calling for organisations to bite the bullet and be more open about cyber security and ransomware incidents, and the community is firmly behind them Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

IT Priorities 2023: Budgeting for IT innovation

In spite of the economic slowdown, IT leaders are driving forward investments in IT Continue Reading

By

• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor

How Splunk is driving security automation

Splunk’s head of security in APAC talks up the company’s efforts to ease the workloads of security analysts amid lower adoption of security automation and analytics in the region Continue Reading

By

• Aaron Tan, TechTarget

Investigatory Powers Tribunal finds NCA EncroChat hacking warrants were lawful

Investigatory Powers Tribunal refers questions over whether messages obtained from the EncroChat encrypted phone network are legally admissible back to the criminal court Continue Reading

By

• Bill Goodwin, Computer Weekly

Australia to shore up cyber and digital capabilities in Budget 2023

Australia is spending more than A$2bn to strengthen cyber resilience, improve digital government services and fuel AI adoption, among other areas, in its latest budget Continue Reading

By

• Stephen Withers

AI outcry intensifies as EU readies regulation

Policymakers are battling to keep pace with AI developments, while experts warn of societal impact Continue Reading

By

• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor

Black Basta ransomware attack to cost Capita over £15m

Exceptional costs arising from the March 2023 Black Basta ransomware attack on the systems of outsourcer Capita will be somewhere between £15m and £20m, the organisation says Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

How datacentre operators can fend off cyber attacks

Applying zero-trust principles in the form of strong authentication controls and network segmentation can help datacentre operators to mitigate cyber threats Continue Reading

By

• Aaron Tan, TechTarget

Capita pension clients told data may have leaked

Capita has told trustees of some of the pension funds for which it provides outsourced services that their customer data may have been stolen by the Black Basta ransomware operation Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Santander reports increase in scams and admits fraud head was impersonated

Santander has reported an increase in impersonation scams, and admitted its own head of fraud was impersonated by a fraudster Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Inside BlackBerry’s cyber security playbook

BlackBerry’s president of cyber security discusses the company’s cyber security strategy and what it is doing to deliver an integrated set of capabilities for enterprises Continue Reading

By

• Aaron Tan, TechTarget

Cyber Action Plan for Wales launched

The devolved Welsh government has set out four priorities in an action plan designed to foster cyber resilience, talent and innovation across the country Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

TikTok fixes vulnerability that could have exposed user activity data

A potentially dangerous vulnerability in the TikTok video-sharing platform was discovered by Imperva researchers, and has now been fixed Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Government anti-fraud strategy targets the tech behind the scams

The UK government’s anti-fraud strategy proposes to make it much harder for criminals to target their victims by cracking down on the exploitation of technology Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Researchers see surge in scam websites linked to coronation

Scammers and fraudsters continue to take advantage of large public events, with the coronation of King Charles III no exception Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Government is playing ‘psychic war’ in battle over end-to-end encryption

Peers hear that the UK government is being deliberately ambiguous about its plans to require technology companies to scan the content of encrypted messages Continue Reading

By

• Bill Goodwin, Computer Weekly

Tenable opens playground for generative AI cyber tools

A set of generative AI cyber tools designed to help security researchers in reverse engineering, debugging and other areas of work have been made available for the community to experiment with Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Researchers deal blow to Gootloader gang that supported REvil

Thousands of compromised WordPress blogs have been spreading the Gootloader malware for years, but eSentire’s security research team are turning the tables on the gang that played a key role in REvil ransomware attacks Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Ransomware gang exploiting unpatched Veeam backup products

Cyber criminals with links to multiple virulent ransomware strains are exploiting a recently disclosed vulnerability in Veeam’s Backup & Replication product, threat analysts have warned Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Cyber security and analytics propel jobs boost in Scotland’s tech sector

A tech industry survey from ScotlandIS indicates the country’s tech sector is set to grow, with cyber security as the hottest domain Continue Reading

By

• Brian McKenna, Senior Analyst, Business Applications

CISOs under-supported, under pressure, Trellix finds

The vast majority of CISOs say they are finding it difficult to get sign-off on the resources they need to do their job Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Podcast: Ransomware, data protection and compliance

Ransomware is a huge and ever-present threat, but there are ways to avoid it and to mitigate its effects. We get key practical steps from Mathieu Gorge, CEO of Vigitrust Continue Reading

By

• Antony Adshead, Storage Editor

Almost three-quarters of cyber attacks involve ransomware

Data from Sophos’s annual Active Adversary Report reveals that almost three-quarters of the cyber security incidents it responded to in 2022 involved ransomware Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

CyberUK 23: New advice on smart city security issued

The NCSC and key allies have drawn up new guidance to help communities balance the cyber security risks involved with creating smart cities Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Bumblebee malware flies on the wings of Zoom and ChatGPT

Bumblebee malware, often used as a stepping stone to ransomware, is now spreading via trojanised installers for popular software applications Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

UK Emergency Alert Test sparks cyber fraud warning

Fraudsters and scammers are likely to use the upcoming test of the UK's new mobile Emergency Alert system as bait in their attacks, while misinformation and conspiracy theories spread Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

3CX incident may be world’s first double supply chain attack

It’s supply chain attacks all the way down as Mandiant publishes information suggesting that the 3CX software supply chain compromise was initiated via a prior software supply chain compromise Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Good Friday Agreement key to growth of Northern Ireland cyber hub

Now 25 years since the historic Good Friday Agreement ended the Troubles, Northern Ireland has become a flourishing centre of cyber security excellence and has ambitions to grow further Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Capita customer data was stolen in March ransomware attack

Capita says it has uncovered evidence of data exfiltration from a small proportion of its server estate following a cyber attack at the end of March Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

CyberUK 23: Ukraine offers masterclass in withstanding cyber war

Russian cyber activity has seen an unprecedented evolution in scale and pace over the past year, but Ukraine’s resilience has enabled it to mount a masterful response, says the NCSC Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

CyberUK 23: Irresponsible use of commercial hacking tools a rising threat

Commercial cyber tools and hackers-for-hire pose a growing threat to organisations and individuals worldwide, according to an NCSC report Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

UK plc sees fewer cyber breaches and attacks, but lacks resilience

Latest government figures reveal UK businesses and charities reported lower volumes of cyber breaches and attacks over the past 12 months, but the statistics mask widespread underreporting and the true state of cyber readiness and resilience appears poor Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

CyberUK 23: NCSC launches Cyber Advisor service for SMEs

The UK’s NCSC has launched an industry assurance scheme designed to address the needs of SMEs, and is calling for potential advisors to step up and help out Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

CyberUK 23: NCSC CEO calls for collaboration and warns against complacency

NCSC boss Lindy Cameron kicked off the annual CyberUK conference in Belfast with a plea for collaboration and a warning against complacency Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Global finance firms take part in NATO cyber attack simulation

Global financial services organisations take part in NATO annual event which simulates cyber attacks on critical infrastructure Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Cisco urges users to keep its network hardware up-to-date

In the wake of a campaign of threat activity targeting a six-year-old Cisco router vulnerability, the networking giant has warned users to be on high alert and update their hardware Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

CyberUK 23: Alert over mercenary Russian threat to CNI

Russian hacktivists supportive of their government’s war on Ukraine are turning their attention to disruptive or destructive attacks on critical infrastructure in the UK, the NCSC has warned Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

How organisations can succeed with zero trust

By starting small, taking a long-term view and prioritising the most critical assets in their zero-trust implementations, organisations will be able to reap returns from their investments in the security paradigm Continue Reading

By

• Aaron Tan, TechTarget

IT Priorities 2023: Cloud and disaster recovery top storage and backup plans

Cloud storage still the biggest project planned in data storage in 2023, with disaster recovery the most important area in data protection cited by TechTarget/Computer Weekly survey respondents Continue Reading

By

• Antony Adshead, Storage Editor

CyberUK 23: NCSC conference centres cyber collaboration

The NCSC’s annual CyberUK conference gets underway in Belfast this week, with collaboration and cooperation high on the agenda Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Focus on these three risky behaviours to boost cloud security

Some 80% of cloud security alerts are triggered by just 5% of security rules. Security teams can substantially improve their resilience by zeroing in on a small set of risky behaviours, according to a report Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Restaurants hit by IT problems after BlackCat attack on supplier NCR

Ransomware attack on systems of payments giant causing service outages for restaurants around the world Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Charity data stolen in ransomware attack on supplier

A number of charities in Ireland and the UK have had their data compromised following a ransomware attack on an IT supplier Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Securing your software supply chain

Organisations need to have a thorough understanding of software components and build security controls into development lifecycles to shore up the security of their software supply chains Continue Reading

By

• Aaron Tan, TechTarget

Three charged over banking fraud for hire website

UK authorities have charged three men in connection with the operation of a website that sold social engineering tools to cyber fraudsters Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Dutch cyber security professionals experience stress akin to soldiers in war zone, claims expert

Cyber attacks are taking a heavy toll on Dutch IT professionals, with over a third reporting that their mental health suffers as a result Continue Reading

CW EMEA: Under attack and stressed out

In this month's CW EMEA, we look at how cyber attacks are taking a toll on security professionals, damaging their mental health and forcing some to quit. We also look at Finland's allure for tech entrepreneurs, how software is enabling a new business model for a Swedish car manufacturer, and the importance of backup testing. Read the issue now. Continue Reading

Okta integrates with Singapore’s national digital ID system

The integration with Singpass will let Okta customers authenticate consumers using Singapore’s national digital ID system and is expected to expand the company’s reach in regulated industries Continue Reading

By

• Aaron Tan, TechTarget

Anne Keast-Butler named as new director of GCHQ

The government has appointed current MI5 deputy director general Anne Keast-Butler to head signals and cyber agency GCHQ Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

KFC, Pizza Hut data stolen in January ransomware attack

Yum!, the parent organisation behind KFC and Pizza Hut in the UK, has disclosed that employee data was accessed and exfiltrated in a January 2023 ransomware attack Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

UKtech50 2023: Help us find the most influential people in UK IT

Computer Weekly’s annual search for the 50 most influential people in UK IT is back – let us know who you would like to nominate for this year’s list Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

Prioritise automated hardening over traditional cyber controls, says report

A report from strategic risk specialist Marsh McLennan advises security buyers to funnel their budgets towards automated cyber security hardening techniques, saying they have a much better chance of reducing risk in a meaningful way Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Clop ransomware booms in March as Fortra zero-day pays off for gang

Backed by the threat actor tracked variously as Gold Tahoe and TA505, the Clop ransomware operation hit new ‘heights’ of activity last month, according to researchers Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Quick-acting Rorschach ransomware appears out of nowhere

Emergent Rorschach ransomware strain is highly advanced and quite unusual in its capabilities, warn researchers, who say they have been unable to link it to any other known strains Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Cops bust Genesis cyber crime marketplace

Multinational Operation Cookie Monster takes down Genesis Market, a crucial source of compromised data used by criminals for fraud and other cyber attacks Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

National Cyber Force carrying out daily hacking operations to disrupt hostile threats

Government discloses details about the National Cyber Force’s disruption activities against terrorists, organised criminals and nation states – and names first NCF chief as James Babbage Continue Reading

By

• Bill Goodwin, Computer Weekly

Threat researchers dissect anatomy of a Royal ransomware attack

Trellix researchers share the inside track on a Royal ransomware attack that hit one of its customers in late 2022 Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Over 90% of organisations find threat hunting a challenge

Understaffed security teams and high levels of background noise are making basic security operations tasks a chore for defenders, according to a report Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Australia’s media and telecoms sector saw most data breaches in 2022

The media and telecoms industry accounted for the bulk of stolen credentials in Australia in 2022, underscoring the need to shore up the country’s cyber security posture Continue Reading

By

• Aaron Tan, TechTarget

Three-day Capita outage was result of cyber attack

Public sector outsourcer Capita has confirmed a major outage which began on 31 March was the result of a cyber attack affecting its Office 365 apps Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Mounting Russian disinformation campaign targeting Arab world

Researchers have found evidence of a broad Russian disinformation campaign targeting Arabic-speakers in the Middle East and North Africa Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Ukrainians bust cyber criminals who stole over £3m across Europe

Ukrainian police have arrested members of a cyber crime gang who stole and embezzled millions of pounds from victims across Europe Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

3CX unified comms users hit by supply chain attacks

Ongoing supply chain attacks against customers of UC firm 3CX appear to be linked to North Korean threat actors Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Podcast: Cloud storage, data protection and compliance

The lure of cloud storage hides its drawback, namely that you can lose control of it from a compliance perspective. We talk to Mathieu Gorge, CEO of Vigitrust, about how to tame it Continue Reading

By

• Antony Adshead, Storage Editor

New North Korean APT launders crypto to fund spying programmes

Mandiant has attributed an ongoing campaign of malicious activity to a newly designated APT that is engaged in the acquisition and laundering of cryptocurrency to fund the regime’s espionage activities Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

How organisations can weaponise data privacy

Organisations should turn data privacy into a competitive advantage and look beyond regulatory compliance to build a privacy programme that aligns with business targets, says Gartner Continue Reading

By

• Aaron Tan, TechTarget

Microsoft expands AI Copilot project into security realm

New Microsoft service, Security Copilot, will supposedly expand the reach, speed and effectiveness of cyber teams Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor