IT for small and medium-sized enterprises (SME)

Security Think Tank: Risk tolerance key to security outsourcing policy

What critical security controls can be outsourced, and how do organisations – SMEs in particular – maintain confidence that they are being managed effectively and appropriately? Continue Reading

By

• Bruce Beam , (ISC)²

Gorgon Group shows simple cyber attacks remain effective

A highly effective cyber attack group that appears to be based in Pakistan is carrying out targeted attacks against nation states at the same time as criminal operations, researchers have found Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Reddit breach exposes 2FA flaws

Reddit has reported a password breach despite using 2FA, exposing the weaknesses of two-factor authentication based on mobile text messages Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

GDPR harmonised with local laws in Nordic EU states

Sweden provides an interesting challenge for the European Union’s data protection regulation due to its laws around freedom of press and free speech Continue Reading

By

• Gerard O'Dwyer

Three Carbanak cyber heist gang members arrested

Three alleged members of the Carbanak gang believed to be responsible for more than 100 cyber heists worldwide have been arrested, US authorities have announced Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Security Think Tank: Top things to consider in security outsourcing

What critical security controls can be outsourced, and how do organisations – SMEs in particular – maintain confidence that they are being managed effectively and appropriately? Continue Reading

By

• Paddy Francis

Bromium evolves virtualisation-based security

Virtualisation-based security firm Bromium has evolved its technology to offer bidirectional protection for applications and underlying operating systems Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Top dark web indicators of compromise

There are 10 common activities on the dark web that indicate a data breach or some other security compromise has taken place, according to a specialist monitoring firm Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Security Think Tank: A risk-based approach to security outsourcing

What critical security controls can be outsourced and how do organisations, SMEs in particular, maintain confidence that they are being managed effectively and appropriately? Continue Reading

By

• Rory Alsop

Intelligent automation spending to hit $232bn by 2025

Technologies such as artificial intelligence, robotic process automation and machine learning could help traditional enterprises gain ground on digital-first giants Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

UK business overestimating level of consumer trust, study shows

UK consumer trust is low, with the majority of UK businesses admitting to selling customer data, a report reveals Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

SamSam ransomware reaps $5.9m and counting

In just two and a half years, SamSam campaigns are believed to have netted nearly $6m for cyber criminals, an analysis of this adaptive and evasive strain of active ransomware reveals Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Comms providers may be forced to notify out-of-contract users

Providers of landline, broadband, TV and mobile services will have to notify their customers when they approach the end of their minimum contract period under proposed new rules Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Dixons Carphone ups data breach figure to 10 million

Dixons Carphone now believes the number of personal data records affected in 2017’s data breach is nearly 10 times greater than initially thought Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Security Think Tank: Not all security service providers are created equal

What critical security controls can be outsourced, and how do organisations, SMEs in particular, maintain confidence that they are being managed effectively and appropriately? Continue Reading

By

• Maxine Holt, Omdia

Search begins for UK’s cyber security Unsung Heroes

The Security Serious cyber awareness campaign has opened nominations for the third annual cyber security Unsung Heroes awards Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Post-quantum security on Airbus’s radar

With quantum computing on the horizon, multinational aerospace and defence firm Airbus is among those organisations that are looking at evolving their cryptography capabilities to stay ahead of technology Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Openreach doubles down on full-fibre broadband roll-out

In its first annual review since splitting from BT, Openreach has recommitted to its targets for full-fibre broadband Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Fileless malware a growing trend, warns McAfee

Cyber attackers are increasingly moving away from traditional malware to using trusted Windows executables to invade systems and breach corporate networks, say security researchers Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Hackers targeting software supply chains, US report warns

A US government report on cyber espionage by China, Russia and Iran says software supply chains are increasingly under attack Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Brace for PowerGhost cryptominer, warns Kaspersky Lab

Corporate networks are the target of a new illicit cryptocurrency mining malware that is difficult to detect and eradicate, security researchers warn Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Crest report highlights need for bug bounty best practice

A lack of best practice guidelines for bug bounties is leaving researchers, organisations and bounty platforms confused and at risk, a report reveals Continue Reading

Software development remains insecure

The prevalence of common and well-known web-based vulnerabilities underlines the need for better education around secure software development Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Cyber security vulnerability concerns skyrocket

Security professionals are more worried about data breaches and cyber attacks than they were a year ago, with most fearing that Meltdown-Spectre attacks are becoming the norm Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Dark web cyber crime markets thriving

The market for cyber criminals’ services is thriving on the dark web, research reveals Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

ERP applications are under cyber attack, research confirms

ERP applications are increasingly being targeted by cyber criminals, hacktivists and nation-state actors, a report reveals Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Apache OpenWhisk users urged to patch

IBM has patched vulnerabilities in its Cloud Functions service that is based on Apache OpenWhisk in response to vulnerability disclosures, and all other users are urged to do the same Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Application attacks demand new security approach

Applying security software updates is an ineffective way to deal with application layer cyber attacks and businesses should change their approach, security experts advise Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Ransomware concern drops despite being top cost

Fewer organisations are worried about ransomware even though it remains one of the most costly cyber attacks Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Ofcom proposes regulatory changes to support broadband investment

Following the recommendations of the government’s Future Telecoms Infrastructure Review, regulator Ofcom has proposed a package of measures to better support investment in full-fibre broadband Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Top execs cyber security hypocrites, report shows

There is a critical disconnect between the cyber security behaviour that top executives recommend and the way they behave themselves, while many firms do not know where their data lives and moves, a report reveals Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Openreach to cut wholesale broadband costs for CSP customers

Openreach plans to introduce wide-ranging cuts to FTTC and FTTP wholesale prices to get other providers to upgrade their users to faster broadband Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

What the ICO's Facebook fine teaches us

Legal expert Alexander Egerton considers whether the ICO’s planned £500,000 fine for Facebook is the precursor of a spate of increased fines across the board, or if it shows the ICO’s stance has not changed and will continue to target certain activities Continue Reading

By

• Alexander Egerton, Seddons

Alphabet shares up after better-than-expected quarter

Shares in Google’s parent company Alphabet have risen in value after it reported quarterly revenue of $32.7bn, up 26% year on year Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

BDUK has £200m to kick-start rural full-fibre network build

Government plans to use money from the BDUK superfast broadband programme to drive the roll-out of full-fibre broadband to underserved rural areas Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Government spend with SMEs down in 2016/17

Government figures show direct and indirect spend on small to medium-sized enterprises by government departments in the 2016/17 financial year have fallen Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

Zero trust security model boosts business confidence

Organisations that combine the zero trust security model with next-gen access are more confident about meeting access control challenges, a study shows Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Cyber security: A work in progress

Piers Wilson, director of the Institute of Information Security Professionals, reflects on the findings of the latest IISP industry survey and suggests there is still more work to do Continue Reading

By

• Piers Wilson, IISP

Full-fibre broadband for all to cost £30bn

The government has released its Future Telecoms Infrastructure Review, setting the stage for the national roll-out of a full-fibre broadband network Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Huge Singapore data breach shows need for new approach

A major data breach in Singapore underlines the need for a new approach to protecting critical data and applications, say security experts Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

GDPR drives down UK insider threat

The insider threat in European countries is falling post-General Data Protection Regulation, but continues to rise in the US, a study has revealed Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

NCSC report underlines cyber threat for legal firms

Legal firms are a top target for cyber attackers, the latest report from the National Cyber Security Centre shows, emphasising the need for comprehensive cyber defence capabilities Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Uptick in UK privacy awareness, says ICO

The UK’s privacy watchdog, the Information Commissioner’s Office, reports increased public awareness of privacy and information rights issues Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Cloud sales stoke Microsoft’s strong growth

Microsoft says cloud-based Office products made a huge contribution to sales growth Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

UK alerted to potential cyber risks of Huawei equipment

A report has raised concerns about the shortcomings of Huawei engineering processes, which it says could put UK telecommunications networks at risk Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Cyber criminals use fake domains to scam businesses

UK police are warning businesses that cyber criminals are using fake domains to scam businesses out of hundreds of thousands of pounds Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

CNI sector lacks cyber security skills, government warned

The UK’s critical national infrastructure sector is being negatively impacted by the lack of cyber security skills, a report warns Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Collaborative alliance to advance UK’s cyber security profession

Leading UK organisations in cyber security have united to develop a national professional body in the field Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Uber appoints first privacy and data protection chiefs

Uber is getting its privacy and data protection house in order in the wake of damaging data breaches and in anticipation of the company’s planned stock market launch in 2019 Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Retail cyber security spending ineffective as breaches rise

Cyber attacks on the retail sector are increasing, and although most retailers plan to increase cyber security spending, planned investments are unlikely to be effective, a report reveals Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Cryptominers plateau while backdoors shoot up

Illicit cryptocurrency mining appears to be slowing down, but backdoors increased rapidly in the second quarter of the year, a report warns Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Kcom secures second aggregate HSCN contract

Network services provider Kcom will supply broadband connectivity over the Health and Social Care Network to 10 health organisations in the north-east of England Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Mobile devices lost in London underline security risk

The security risk of lost mobile devices is underlined by the fact that almost 26,000 mobile phones and computing devices were lost in London in the past year alone Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Disaster recovery as a service: what you need to know 

Technological advances make disaster recovery as a service possible, but Computer Weekly investigates whether it is practical option for all businesses Continue Reading

By

• Rene Millman

Russian cyber attacks show need for international rules

Russian cyber attacks aimed at influencing foreign elections highlight the need for the international community to agree on rules of conduct and punitive consequences Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Matching disaster recovery to cyber threats

While it is important to take steps to prevent cyber attacks, they can still happen. That is why disaster recovery practices are equally critical Continue Reading

By

• Nicholas Fearn

Hackers increasingly targeting cloud infrastructure

Cloud infrastructure is a growing target for cyber attackers because of available computing resources, as well as the repositories of valuable data, a report reveals Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Security Think Tank: A good password policy alone is not enough

In light of the fact that complex passwords are not as strong as most people think and that most password strategies inevitably lead to people following them blindly, what actually makes a good password and when is a password alone not enough? Continue Reading

By

• Bruce Beam , (ISC)²

Cyber attackers cashing in on ‘hidden’ attack surface

Cyber attackers are cashing in on organisations’ lack of visibility into all online interactions that can involve multiple third parties, a report reveals Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Three-quarters of consumers have interacted with artificial intelligence

Capgemini survey finds 55% of people prefer a mix of AI and humans when they interact with organisations Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

An exciting time to be in cyber security innovation

Cyber security innovation has received a £1.35m shot in the arm from the UK government with the opening of a new innovation centre in London. Computer Weekly looks at why now is a good time to be working and innovating in this industry Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

White-hat hackers find record number of vulnerabilities

White-hat hackers are finding more vulnerabilities than ever before, with crowdsourced security testing continuing to gain popularity, a report reveals Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Security Think Tank: Cracking the code – what makes a good password?

In light of the fact complex passwords are not as strong as most people think, and that most password strategies inevitably lead to people following them blindly, what actually makes a good password and when is a password alone not enough? Continue Reading

By

• Ramsés Gallego, Isaca

UK firms too confident about cyber security

Three-quarters of UK companies say their cyber protection is above average, and nearly half think they are a “top performer” despite the growth in data breaches Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Hidden costs of data breaches difficult to manage, study finds

The full cost of “mega breaches” can be up to £264m, with the average UK data breach costing £2.69m, a study has revealed Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Corporate networks vulnerable to insider attacks, report finds

Researchers found that 100% of corporate networks tested in 2017 were vulnerable to insider attacks, with Wi-Fi networks and employees among the top areas of weakness Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Cyber crime: why business should report it as soon as possible

Cyber crime is affecting a growing number of businesses, yet few are reporting it. Computer Weekly lifts the veil on cyber crime reporting, looking at the who, what, when, where, how and why Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Security Think Tank: Some basic password guidelines

In light of the fact that complex passwords are not as strong as most people think and that most password strategies inevitably lead to people following them blindly, what actually makes a good password and when is a password alone not enough? Continue Reading

By

• Petra Wenham

Collaborative taskforce launches security intelligence network

BAE Systems, Vodafone, cyber security incubator CyLon and other partners have joined forces in unveiling a manifesto for safeguarding society in the digital age Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Security Think Tank: Passwords alone are not good enough

In the light of the fact that complex passwords are not as strong as most people think, and that most password strategies inevitably lead to people following them blindly, what actually makes a good password and when is a password alone not enough? Continue Reading

By

• Emma Bickerstaffe, Information Security Forum (ISF)

Infosec community welcomes bank sector focus on cyber resilience

The information security community has welcomed regulators’ call on the banking industry to demonstrate their capability to respond to cyber attacks because it highlights the importance of cyber resilience for all businesses Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Security Think Tank: Firms need to support good password practices

In the light of the fact that complex passwords are not as strong as most people think and that most password strategies inevitably lead to people following them blindly, what actually makes a good password and when is a password alone not enough? Continue Reading

By

• Mike Gillespie

ICO Grants Programme launches second round of funding

The ICO is inviting a second round of applications for funding to promote and support independent, innovative research and solutions focused on privacy and data protection Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

European Parliament calls for suspension of Privacy Shield

The Privacy Shield framework that replaced the Safe Harbour agreement for personal data transfers between the EU and the US is under increased pressure due to alleged non-compliance by US firms Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Security Think Tank: How to create good passwords and add security layers

In light of the fact complex passwords are not as strong as most people think and most password strategies inevitably lead to people following them blindly, what actually makes a good password - and when is a password alone not enough? Continue Reading

By

• Simon Persin, Turnkey Consulting

Beware blockchain security blindspots, warns RSA

Companies need to ensure that rushed blockchain and other new technology projects are not introducing security vulnerabilities by gaining granular visibility of network activity, according to RSA Security Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Slow broadband fuels a post-Brexit storm for rural communities

Lack of access to reliable broadband and mobile networks threatens rural livelihoods after Brexit, according to a Local Government Association report Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Industry bets on fixed wireless access for first 5G deployments

Separate tests in Romania and the UK have been demonstrating the potential of fixed wireless access as a component of 5G Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Security Think Tank: Complex passwords provide a false sense of security

In the light of the fact that complex passwords are not as strong as most people think, and that most password strategies inevitably lead to people following them blindly, what actually makes a good password and when is a password alone not enough? Continue Reading

By

• Tim Holman, 2-sec

Software firm Clevermed enhances NHS user experience on Health and Social Care Network

Clevermed, a supplier of maternity and neonatal care record software to the NHS, reveals how users are benefiting after it switched to the new Health and Social Care Network Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Israel accuses Hamas of using spy apps to target soldiers

Israel has accused Hamas of using apps to hijack soldiers’ phones to spy on them, and UK defence secretary demonstrates how effective that could be Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Security Think Tank: Use pass phrases and 2FA to beef up access control

In light of the fact complex passwords are not as strong as most people think, and that most password strategies inevitably lead to people following them blindly, what actually makes a good password – and when is a password alone not enough? Continue Reading

By

• Paddy Francis

Government launches G-Cloud 10

The 10th iteration of G-Cloud is now live, with more than 3,500 suppliers awarded a place on the procurement framework Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

Security Think Tank: Put more layers around passwords to up security

In light of the fact that complex passwords are not as strong as most people think and most password strategies inevitably lead to people following them blindly, what actually makes a good password and when is a password alone not enough? Continue Reading

By

• Maxine Holt, Omdia

Linux targeted by illicit cryptocurrency miners

Cryptojacking is increasingly being used by cyber criminals to raise funds, Watchguard report reveals Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

HMRC deactivates record number of fake websites

HM Revenue & Customs has removed more than 20,000 malicious websites in the past year, but warns people to stay alert to the threat from online fraudsters Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

UK government cyber security standard welcomed

The information security community has welcomed the publication of the government’s minimum cyber security standard, which could be used by any organisation to improve its cyber defences Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

GDPR exposes breach reporting flaws

In the month since the GDPR compliance deadline, it has become clear that many organisations are not well prepared for personal data breach notifications, says PwC’s data protection lead Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Openreach starts full-fibre roll-out in Exeter

Network builder Openreach adds Exeter to its Fibre First FTTP broadband roll-out Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

First Lorca cohort to focus on security orchestration

The first companies to benefit from the new London cyber innovation centre will focus on cyber security orchestration and automation Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Ticketmaster warns of third-party data breach

Ticketmaster has warned of a potential data breach through malware found in a third-party customer support service, underlining the importance of supply chain security Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Lorca will help drive UK cyber exports, says ex-GCHQ boss

New London cyber security innovation centre will help to boost exports of UK cyber security expertise, says former GCHQ director Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Government must challenge popular smart city misconceptions

A report by the All Party Parliamentary Group on Smart Cities says many people feel alienated by the concept, and calls on the government to challenge some popular misconceptions Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Cyber criminals 'infect and collect' in cryptojacking surge

Illicit cryptocurrency mining offers cyber criminals lower risk, higher efficacy and greater ease of making money, adding passive exploitation to ransomware extortion, data breach theft and fraud, a report reveals Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Brent Council tenants to receive full-fibre broadband service

Borough-wide FTTP broadband roll-out could address up to 100,000 homes and businesses in North London Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Technology key to keeping staff happy

Giving employees access to the latest technologies will improve their satisfaction and increase productivity, survey shows Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

AI and other tech key to post-Brexit success, says Matt Hancock

Digital secretary Matt Hancock highlights the importance of emerging technologies to the future of the UK at the opening of London’s cyber security innovation centre Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

High-Tech Bridge bets on machine learning capabilities

Machine learning has a great potential to drive the automation of some security tasks to free up information security professionals to do more strategic work, says High-Tech Bridge founder Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Hospitality industry under siege from botnets

The hospitality industry, including hotels, airlines and cruise lines, is the biggest target for cyber criminal botnet attacks that abuse credentials and overwhelm online systems, a report reveals Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

London cyber innovation centre opens

The government-funded London cyber innovation centre is set to open today and welcome the first cyber security businesses as a study reveals that a quarter of UK firms lack the right security technology Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst