IT for consulting and business services
Companies in the consulting and business services industries often have specialist needs that require effective use of IT. Law firms, consultancies, accountants, recruitment firms and other advisory services use innovative technology to deliver business benefits, and you can read our news and analysis of the key trends and what they mean to you
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News
03 Jan 2024
Artificial intelligence to the front in Sweden’s National Technology Strategy
Sweden focuses in on artificial intelligence in its latest far-reaching national IT strategy Continue Reading
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Feature
07 Sep 2023
Interview: Ashish Gupta, head of EMEA, HCLTech
It’s not just enterprises that changed their operating models during and after Covid, but also the suppliers that took them on the journey, HCLTech Europe’s head explains Continue Reading
By- Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA
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News
12 Mar 2014
Tim Berners-Lee calls for internet users’ "bill of rights"
World Wide Web creator marks its 25th anniversary by calling for a “free, open and truly global internet” enshrined in a "bill of rights" Continue Reading
By- Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst
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News
10 Mar 2014
Dark web key enabler for cyber criminals, say McAfee researchers
The dark web is a key conduit for the malware industry to refine and distribute its products and services, say security researchers Continue Reading
By- Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst
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News
28 Feb 2014
Liverpool council to end BT IT joint venture
Liverpool City Council is to cancel a £70m-a-year IT joint venture deal with BT and bring services back in-house Continue Reading
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News
27 Feb 2014
Microsoft takes aim at passwords
Microsoft says it is determined to solve the problem of ineffective authentication that relies on usernames and passwords Continue Reading
By- Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst
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News
21 Feb 2014
Employee mobiles expose firms to attack, says Webroot
Employees mobile devices expose companies to malicious applications and attacks, according to the latest mobile threat report from Webroot Continue Reading
By- Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst
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News
19 Feb 2014
UK firms see 1,000+ internal data breaches a day, study finds
Internal threats are not a high priority for UK firms despite more than 1,000 internal data breaches a day Continue Reading
By- Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst
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News
19 Feb 2014
NHS England puts patient database on hold
NHS England is to delay by six months the roll-out of its controversial Care.data scheme for sharing patient records through a central database Continue Reading
By- Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst
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News
18 Feb 2014
Indian suppliers face recruitment challenges as visa rejections increase
US clampdowns on Indian IT firms bringing staff to its shores is forcing Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) to increase local hires Continue Reading
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News
18 Feb 2014
Cut Microsoft admin rights to mitigate 92% of threats, study shows
Removing Microsoft admin rights from employees mitigates 92% of critical vulnerabilities reported in 2013 Continue Reading
By- Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst
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News
11 Feb 2014
Why IT outsourcing is increasingly blamed for IT failures at banks
Are the IT problems at UK banks caused by outsourcing or the use of decades-old mainframe technology – or is it a combination of the two? Continue Reading
By- Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA
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News
11 Feb 2014
Rights groups call on White House to open privacy review
A coalition of 25 rights groups is calling for a 90-day US government review of big data and the future of privacy to be opened up to the public Continue Reading
By- Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst
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News
11 Feb 2014
UK among targets of 'Mask' advanced cyber espionage campaign
The UK has been hit more than 100 times in an advanced global cyber espionage campaign that has gone undetected for more than five years Continue Reading
By- Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst
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News
10 Feb 2014
Barclays bank leaks thousands of customer records
Regulators investigate Barclays after a whistleblower claims the bank leaked 27,000 customer records Continue Reading
By- Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst
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News
06 Feb 2014
UK critical infrastructure at risk of cyber attack, says IET report
UK critical national infrastructure is at risk of cyber attack, says a report by consultancy Atkins for the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET) Continue Reading
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News
04 Feb 2014
NHS site malicious redirects are a warning to developers
A coding error that redirected NHS website visitors to malicious content should be a warning to developers, say security experts Continue Reading
By- Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst
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News
31 Jan 2014
Hackers access Yahoo Mail with stolen passwords
Yahoo has revealed that hackers have tried to access some Yahoo Mail accounts with stolen passwords Continue Reading
By- Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst
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News
30 Jan 2014
Lenovo buys Google’s Motorola Mobility in $3bn deal
Google has announced the sale of its Motorola Mobility unit to Chinese computer maker Lenovo in a $3bn deal Continue Reading
By- Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst
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News
29 Jan 2014
Cyber security quest strong in UK, says Isaca
There is a strong interest in cyber security in the UK, says Rob Stroud, international president-elect for Isaca Continue Reading
By- Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst
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News
23 Jan 2014
New Snapchat security measure easily by-passed, says researcher
A new Snapchat security measure to verify users are human is easily by-passed, says researcher Continue Reading
By- Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst
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News
23 Jan 2014
US startup aims to turn tables on hackers
US startup Shape Security is turning the tables against hackers by using one of their own techniques against them Continue Reading
By- Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst
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News
22 Jan 2014
CERT-UK to drive international cyber security collaboration
The UK’s new national computer emergency response team (CERT-UK) is set to drive international cyber security collaboration once it becomes operational Continue Reading
By- Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst
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News
16 Jan 2014
HCL and CSC partner to modernise applications
Indian IT services firm HCL and US competitor CSC are working together to win business in the application modernisation and cloud migration segments of the application outsourcing sector Continue Reading
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News
14 Jan 2014
Post Office seeks contractors for network and back-office work
The Post Office is looking for IT services firms to provide back-office IT applications and networking technologies in contracts worth hundreds of millions of pounds Continue Reading
By- Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA
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News
14 Jan 2014
Top European IT initiative to support business in 2014?
Expanding IT to support business growth is one of the biggest areas of focus for IT departments in 2014, so what does this mean? Continue Reading
By- Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst
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News
07 Jan 2014
Security Think Tank: Information security strategy should support the business
How should Edward Snowden's revelations about the NSA and GCHQ influence future information security strategies in the UK? Continue Reading
By- Adrian Davis, (ISC)²
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News
06 Jan 2014
Infosec Skills, BCS announce winners of Cyber Security Challenge
Stuart Pringle, Simon Robinson and Robert Wyllie have won over £2,000 of training and a place in the semi-final of the current UK Cyber Security Challenge Continue Reading
By- Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst
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News
06 Jan 2014
Yahoo claims malicious ads under control
Yahoo says the situation is under control after its advertising network served up malware to thousands of visitors last week Continue Reading
By- Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst
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News
03 Jan 2014
FireEye acquires Mandiant in $1bn deal
Security firm FireEye has bought Mandiant in a deal worth just over $1bn Continue Reading
By- Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst
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News
03 Jan 2014
Facebook faces lawsuit over monitoring private messages
Facebook is facing a lawsuit that claims it scans the contents of private messages to profile the user’s online activity Continue Reading
By- Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst
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News
24 Dec 2013
Top 10 IT privacy stories of 2013
Stories related to whistleblower Edward Snowden’s revelations about internet mass surveillance programmes by the US and the UK have dominated this year Continue Reading
By- Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst
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Opinion
19 Dec 2013
User acceptance testing needs real training, not just a short course
In spite of its importance, user acceptance testing (UAT) is often chaotic, problematic and ineffective Continue Reading
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News
11 Dec 2013
Research reveals widespread mobile app hacking
The top 100 paid Android apps and 56% of the top 100 paid Apple iOS apps have been hacked, research has revealed Continue Reading
By- Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst
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News
11 Dec 2013
Thirteen plead guilty to Anonymous DDoS attack on Paypal
Thirteen people have pleaded guilty to taking part in DDoS attacks on eBay’s Paypal, organised by the Anonymous hacker group in 2010 Continue Reading
By- Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst
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News
11 Dec 2013
Ransomware looks set to increase, warns Sophos
Cyber criminals are planning to produce new forms of ransomware on an unprecedented scale, according to IT security firm Sophos Continue Reading
By- Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst
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News
09 Dec 2013
Computer system failure delays hundreds of UK flights
Hundreds of flights at several UK airports were delayed or cancelled at the weekend because of a computer failure at National Air Traffic Services (NATS) Continue Reading
By- Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst
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News
05 Dec 2013
Automation key to balancing agility and security, says AlgoSec
Automated critical business application management enables a more agile business and enhances security, says security policy management firm AlgoSec Continue Reading
By- Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst
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News
04 Dec 2013
Proof-of-concept malware jumps air gap with sound card
Researchers demonstrate proof-of-concept malware exfiltrating data using high-frequency transmissions inaudible to humans Continue Reading
By- Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst
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News
04 Dec 2013
The Guardian denies Snowden stories damaged national security
Guardian editor Alan Rusbridger defends decision to publish stories on documents leaked by whistleblower Edward Snowden Continue Reading
By- Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst
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News
04 Dec 2013
UK proposes formal talks on cyber security with China
Prime minister David Cameron has called on China to be more open about cyber security Continue Reading
By- Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst
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News
28 Nov 2013
EU calls on US to rebuild trust in post-Snowden era
The EC has called on the US to provide guarantees to restore trust in the wake of spying revelations Continue Reading
By- Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst
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News
26 Nov 2013
NCA changed UK cyber crime fighting, says NCCU head
The NCA has changed the UK law enforcement landscape, says Andy Archibald, head of the NCA’s National Cyber Crime Unit Continue Reading
By- Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst
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News
26 Nov 2013
Government lays out 2014 cyber security agenda
The UK government has reiterated its commitment to addressing cyber security and laid out some plans for 2014 at the Cyber Security Summit 2013 Continue Reading
By- Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst
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News
26 Nov 2013
IT suppliers relaxed about contract visibility
IT and BPO suppliers Atos and Capita say they are relaxed about being more open about the often obscured details of large government contracts, as outsourcing giants are put under pressure by MPs to open up to public scrutiny Continue Reading
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News
26 Nov 2013
The state of agile software development in the UK
Lately it is more surprising to hear that businesses are developing using a methodology other than agile, such is its widespread use Continue Reading
By- Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA
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News
26 Nov 2013
White hat Wi-Fi hacking shows vulnerability of business data
Whitehat hackers have shown that senstitive data can be sniffed easily from public Wi-Fi hotspots Continue Reading
By- Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst
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News
26 Nov 2013
FTSE 350 firms complete cyber risk assessment
Most FTSE 350 companies put cyber risk on the board agenda, but many need to improve how they manage that risk Continue Reading
By- Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst
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News
21 Nov 2013
CSA appoints Microsoft’s Adrienne Hall to board
The CSA has appointed Adrienne Hall, from Trustworthy Computing at Microsoft, to its board of directors Continue Reading
By- Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst
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News
20 Nov 2013
Report highlights poor UK attitudes to mobile security
Businesses should note that many UK mobile users do not take security precautions and do not know how to guard against data theft Continue Reading
By- Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst
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News
19 Nov 2013
Google reaches $17m multi-state settlement over Safari snooping
Google has reached a $17m settlement agreement with 10 US states for bypassing Apple Safari privacy settings Continue Reading
By- Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst
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News
18 Nov 2013
Google and Microsoft to block searches for child porn
Google and Microsoft have announced measures to make it more difficult to find child abuse images online Continue Reading
By- Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst
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News
15 Nov 2013
Cyber collateral damage a concern for all, says Lancope
All organisations could be affected by cyber attack collateral damage, says network security firm Lancope Continue Reading
By- Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst
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News
14 Nov 2013
Shell delivers global SAP upgrade
Shell has simplified and standardised business processes in its business focused on refining and marketing activities for oil products and chemicals, through a global SAP upgrade Continue Reading
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News
14 Nov 2013
Europe to follow US clearance of mobile devices on flights
The European aviation regulator is to follow the US lead in easing restrictions on the use of mobile electronic devices during flights Continue Reading
By- Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst
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News
12 Nov 2013
Mass surveillance a bad idea, says Information Commissioner Christopher Graham
Information Commissioner Christopher Graham says issues of national security must not overshadow concerns of legitimate public interest Continue Reading
By- Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst
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News
12 Nov 2013
Web surveillance not a good idea, says Info Commissioner
Information Commissioner Christopher Graham says issues of national security cannot be allowed to overshadow concerns of legitimate public interest Continue Reading
By- Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst
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News
08 Nov 2013
NSA and GCHQ mass surveillance violates EU law, study finds
Mass internet surveillance by US and UK intelligence agencies violates European law, according to a study by two academics Continue Reading
By- Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst
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News
07 Nov 2013
UK intelligence heads defend mass surveillance operations
Heads of the UK’s intelligence services insist all they do in term of mass surveillance is strictly within the confines of UK law Continue Reading
By- Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst
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News
29 Oct 2013
Analysis: RSA says security needs to change, but what does that mean?
RSA executive chairman Art Coviello has issued a call to action to the security industry to improve technology and collaboration Continue Reading
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News
29 Oct 2013
Most businesses need to transform IT security, says RSA
No modern network or IT system can withstand the onslaught of a skilled adversary, given focus and time, says Amit Yoran, general manager of RSA Continue Reading
By- Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst
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News
28 Oct 2013
CIO Interview: Ann-Marie Rafferty, head of IT, Access, on partnership models
Ann-Marie Rafferty, who heads up IT for the partnership between Serco and Glasgow council, discusses strategic frameworks Continue Reading
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News
28 Oct 2013
Cyber attack shuts down Israeli toll road tunnel
A cyber attack has shut down a major link in Israel's national road network, experts claim Continue Reading
By- Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst
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News
25 Oct 2013
Fulham football club address skills shortfall with cloud database
Fulham football club’s IT team moves its database infrastructure to the cloud with a database as a service implementation Continue Reading
By- Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA
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News
25 Oct 2013
Samsung reports record Q3 profits of £4.8bn
Samsung has reported record third quarter profits of £4.8bn driven mainly by revenues from memory chips Continue Reading
By- Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst
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News
24 Oct 2013
Thales launches critical infrastructure cyber security lab
Thales has set up a cyber security lab dedicated to help improve the security of critical national infrastructure, government and business Continue Reading
By- Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst
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News
23 Oct 2013
US publishes draft cyber security framework
The US has published a draft framework of voluntary cyber security standards aimed at reducing risks to critical national infrastructure Continue Reading
By- Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst
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News
21 Oct 2013
Microsoft withdraws faulty Windows RT 8.1 update for Surface tablets
Microsoft has widthdrawn its Windows 8.1 update for Surface RT tablets after some users reported system crashes Continue Reading
By- Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst
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News
18 Oct 2013
Google share price at record high on third quarter results
Google’s share price has hit a record high in response to better-than-expected third quarter results Continue Reading
By- Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst
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News
17 Oct 2013
Dexter payment card malware variant hits South Africa
The Dexter payment card skimming malware discovered last year has resurfaced in South Africa, resulting in millions of pounds lost to fraud Continue Reading
By- Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst
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News
16 Oct 2013
Case study: Richard Branson's Virgin Management moves to IaaS platform
Virgin Management, a subsidiary of Virgin Group, has migrated its IT to a cloud-based IaaS platform for BYOD capabilities and savings Continue Reading
By- Archana Venkatraman, Datacentre Editor
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News
16 Oct 2013
Neustar to host first DDoS awareness day
Communications firm Neustar is to host the first international awareness day on distributed denial of service (DDoS) attacks Continue Reading
By- Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst
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Opinion
16 Oct 2013
Who owns your LinkedIn account?
It is common for employees to use personal social networking accounts for work, but who actually owns those accounts? Continue Reading
By- Sarah Burke
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News
15 Oct 2013
OFT launches investigation into public sector IT supply
The Office of Fair Trading (OFT) has launched a formal study into the supply of IT products and services to the public sector Continue Reading
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News
15 Oct 2013
The ICO issues BYOD warning after breach
The ICO is calling on organisations to ensure data protection policies reflect how employees are using personal devices for work Continue Reading
By- Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst
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Photo Story
15 Oct 2013
10 security reasons to upgrade to iOS 7
Even if it did not include numerous security fixes, iOS 7 has compelling reasons for corporates to adopt it to improve their security Continue Reading
By- Rob Buckley
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News
15 Oct 2013
D-Link begins fixing router backdoor
D-Link has begun releasing security patches to close the backdoor discovered on some of its routers Continue Reading
By- Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst
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News
11 Oct 2013
Legitimate users of Tor need not worry, says NCA
The National Crime Agency (NCA) says criminals cannot hide on the internet, but legitimate business users of anonymity software Tor are safe Continue Reading
By- Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst
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News
07 Oct 2013
UK National Cyber Crime Unit becomes operational
The UK's National Cyber Crime Unit has become operational as part of the new National Crime Agency Continue Reading
By- Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst
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News
03 Oct 2013
FBI shuts down Silk Road online drug market
The FBI has shut down the Silk Road online drug market and arrested kingpin Ross Ulbricht, previously known only as Dread Pirate Roberts Continue Reading
By- Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst
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News
03 Oct 2013
IT outsourcing no longer main recession-busting tool
Process optimisation and shared services have become a higher priority than IT outsourcing Continue Reading
By- Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA
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Opinion
03 Oct 2013
Privacy concerns in the digital world
Considering the full spectrum of privacy, people need to ask themselves if they are comfortable with all their characteristics in the public domain Continue Reading
By- Yves Le Roux, (ISC)2
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News
02 Oct 2013
McAfee Focus 2013: McAfee leadership upbeat about Stonesoft acquisition
Intel-owned security firm McAfee is upbeat about its acquisition of Stonesoft and its future capability to tackle security differently Continue Reading
By- Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst
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News
01 Oct 2013
IT security industry still immature, says (ISC)2 board member
The information security industry is still immature and failing to act or speak as one, says Dave Lewis, (ISC)2 board member Continue Reading
By- Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst
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News
27 Sep 2013
Financial markets next big cyber target, says US expert
Manipulation of international financial markets will be the next evolution of cyber crime, says US Cyber Consequences Unit chief Continue Reading
By- Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst
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News
27 Sep 2013
Top 10 cyber crime stories of 2013
Cyber crime featured heavily in security news coverage in 2013, with cyber criminals and cyber law enforcers upping their games with each passing month Continue Reading
By- Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst
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News
27 Sep 2013
Software acquisition is risk acquisition, says industry panel
New software often means new security vulnerabilities, panel tells the (ISC)2 Security Congress 2013 Continue Reading
By- Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst
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News
19 Sep 2013
NSA reveals how Snowden accessed secret Prism files
Prism whistleblower Edward Snowden accessed secret documents through a file-share, the NSA has revealed Continue Reading
By- Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst
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News
16 Sep 2013
Risk assessment key to cloud adoption, says Isaca
There is mass confusion among small and medium businesses about cloud computing, says Amar Singh, chair of Isaca UK Continue Reading
By- Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst
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News
09 Sep 2013
Most websites could be targeted through PHP, warns Imperva
Hackers are focusing on vulnerabilities in PHP web application development platform, threatening most websites, warns Imperva Continue Reading
By- Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst
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News
09 Sep 2013
Lloyds website continuity hit as TSB launches
Lloyds Banking Group websites, including the new standalone TSB, have been hit by problems on TSB launch day Continue Reading
By- Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst
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News
03 Sep 2013
Disinfecting PCs false security, says security expert
Many companies proud of their ability to identify and clean malware infected machines are missing a trick, says veteran security expert Continue Reading
By- Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst
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News
22 Aug 2013
Charlie McMurdie joins PwC’s cyber practice
Charlie McMurdie, former head of the Metro Police central e-crime unit, is joining business consultancy firm PwC as its senior crime adviser Continue Reading
By- Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst
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Opinion
14 Aug 2013
How to appoint a new outsourcing supplier
Outsourcing can come with its own security risks if not managed appropriately, making due diligence and clear contractual arrangements key Continue Reading
By- Sheila Pancholi
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News
06 Aug 2013
Capita and Barnet deal to be completed after campaigner’s court appeal fails
Outsourcing contracts worth over £470m will be signed off by Barnet Council after a Court of Appeal ruled that the deal was lawful Continue Reading
By- Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA
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Opinion
30 Jul 2013
The ideology of hacking
Business leaders need to be educated on the true threats their firms face and IT security professionals have to arm their executives with that information Continue Reading
By- Mark Brown
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News
30 Jul 2013
ICO to investigate sale of online dating profiles
The UK’s data protection watchdog is to investigate the sale of 10,000 online dating profiles to the BBC’s Panorama programme Continue Reading
By- Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst
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Feature
29 Jul 2013
An introduction to cyber liability insurance cover
Cyber liability insurance cover has been around for 10 years, but most security professionals seem to have not heard of it or know that it exists Continue Reading
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News
29 Jul 2013
Continual vigilance key to security, says Damballa
UK businesses must update their approach to cyber security to look for signs of compromise continually Continue Reading
By- Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst
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News
26 Jul 2013
FireEye partners with Phishme for multi-layered security
Security technology developer FireEye has partnered with phishing awareness training firm PhishMe to offer a multi-layered approach to securing information networks Continue Reading
By- Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst
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News
25 Jul 2013
MI5 and GCHQ call for FTSE 350 cyber health check
Intelligence agencies MI5 and GCHQ call on UK’s top listed companies to take part in a cyber governance health check Continue Reading
By- Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst
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News
23 Jul 2013
Cisco buys cyber security company Sourcefire for $2.7bn
Networking giant Cisco has reached an agreement to buy cyber security business Sourcefire in a $2.7bn deal Continue Reading
By- Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst