IT for small and medium-sized enterprises (SME)

Targeted cyber attacks doubled in past year, study shows

The number of targeted attacks has doubled in the past year compared with the previous 12 months, despite improvements in detecting and blocking them, a cyber resilience study shows Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Flashpoint researchers warn of new VBS Loader

Researchers have issued warnings about a new VBScript downloader that behaves like a remote access Trojan, is designed to run undetected and can update and delete itself Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

UK and US accuse Russia of targeting network infrastructure

The UK and US have accused the Russian government of targeting network infrastructure, calling on network operators to take the necessary protective measures Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

UK businesses urged to ensure they do cyber security basics

The cyber threat to business has never been greater, so the National Cyber Security Centre is urging UK companies to ensure they have implemented all the basic, best-practice cyber security controls and processes Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Cyber attackers can breach targets in hours, report reveals

The majority of hackers claim they can breach an organisation within hours, while most security professionals admit they do not know what to look for Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

UK playing central role in Facebook data misuse probe

Data protection is a hot issue and all about increasing confidence in the way data is handled, says UK privacy watchdog Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Cyber security a shared responsibility, says Amber Rudd

The UK home secretary has emphasised that cyber security is a shared responsibility and committed to promote EU cyber cooperation post-Brexit at the National Cyber Security Centre’s conference in Manchester Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

GCHQ growing cyber capability to match threat

GCHQ continues to grow and develop its cyber capability to match the rapidly expanding and evolving threat landscape, says agency director Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

UK cyber attack reporting set to be more streamlined

Government funding has been allocated to help streamline cyber attack reporting, according to the National Cyber Security Centre Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

The seven levers of digital transformation

Organisations that embark on digital transformation projects often run into difficulties. Following the seven principles of digital transformation will help them reap the benefits of digital technology Continue Reading

By

• Sriram Sabesan, Delegata

O2 and Arqiva begin small cell roll-out in London

Mobile operator will use small cells to boost 4G mobile network data capacity in busy areas, such as around stations Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

New cyber incident classification to boost UK response

A new cyber attack categorisation system has been unveiled to improve UK response to incidents Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Policy yet to catch up with innovation in digital health sector, says report

Barriers such as poor procurement practices and lack of consensus about “what good looks like” can hinder NHS innovation, but there are still opportunities for digital health startups Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

Diversity key to more effective cyber security, says NCSC

Diversity in defence teams is key to improved cyber security, according to the UK’s National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

NSA calls for cyber security community collaboration

A US National Security Agency (NSA) representative has called for cyber security community collaboration at the National Cyber Security Centre’s conference in Manchester Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

UK to launch crackdown on dark web

The UK is to enhance its specialist law enforcement response to crack down on criminals operating on the dark web Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Finnish government backs national AI development strategy

Government is harnessing Finland’s tech base to help make the country a leading location for the artificial intelligence industry Continue Reading

By

• Gerard O'Dwyer

Mobile phishing a growing threat, warns report

Phishing on mobile devices is a growing threat to business as attacks move beyond email to text messages and apps Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Cyber criminals earn up to $2m a year, study shows

Academic study reveals just how lucrative cyber crime can be, with top-level cyber criminals out-earning government leaders and university graduates Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Ransomware top cyber threat, DBIR shows

Ransomware remains the top cyber security threat to organisations, humans continue to be significant weakness and HR departments are a top target, according to the latest Verizon Data breach investigations report Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Cyber threat to UK business greater than ever, report reveals

The cyber threat to UK business is “bigger than ever” and the best way to defend against it is collaboration between government, law enforcement and business, a report shows Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

More than one in 10 employees fall for social engineering attacks

Employees download malicious files, click phishing links, correspond with hackers, and even share contact information for their colleagues, a report reveals Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Facebook data scandal a game changer, says ICO

Facebook’s controversial data sharing with London-based data mining firm Cambridge Analytica is a game changer, according to the UK’s privacy watchdog Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Security Think Tank: Six tips for securing your organisation against cryptojacking

How can organisations best defend against cryptojacking? Continue Reading

By

• Adrian Davis, (ISC)²

Business increases use of encryption in the cloud

The use of encryption has seen double-digit growth in the past year due to a number of security-related drivers, a study has revealed Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Why businesses must think like criminals to protect their data

Cyber criminals use three main methods of operation to steal commercial data. Understanding their mindset can help organisations put the right defences in place Continue Reading

By

• Andy Barratt, Coalfire

Retail sector top cyber attack target

The retail sector was the top cyber attack target in 2017, as cyber attacks evolved to become more organised and structured, a report reveals Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Business should note Facebook data sharing, say security advisers

Businesses that use Facebook and have employees that use it should take note that data is shared with potential cyber attackers, security advisers warn, as Facebook reveals the Cambridge Analytica data exploitation scandal may affect 87 million users Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Security Think Tank: Deal with cryptojacking to avoid security vulnerability

How can organisations best defend against cryptojacking? Continue Reading

By

• Paddy Francis

More than 1.5 billion business and consumer files exposed online

With just over a month to go before the GDPR compliance deadline, more than 1.5 billion data files are exposed online without adequate protections, a report reveals Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Interview: GDPR will give Dutch privacy watchdog its teeth

The Netherlands’ privacy watchdog has not handed out fines so far because there has been no reason to, says the organisation’s chairman, Aleid Wolfsen Continue Reading

By

• Tijs Hofmans

Security Think Tank: User vigilance key to cryptojacking defence

How can organisations best defend against cryptojacking? Continue Reading

By

• Tim Holman, 2-sec

Ransomware puts pressure on incident response

Cyber attackers switched focus to ransomware attacks in 2017 putting pressure on incident response, while human error was responsible for two-thirds of compromised records, a study shows Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

LGA proposes full-fibre broadband kitemark for homebuyers

The Local Government Association has urged housing developers to adopt proposals for a fibre-to-the-premises broadband kitemark for new-build homes in rural areas Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Average attacker dwell time nearly six months for EMEA, study shows

Firms in Europe, the Middle East and Africa take nearly six months to detect cyber attacks on average, a report reveals Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

IT decision-makers trust Facebook less and are changing policies

As Facebook scrambles to contain the damage from the Cambridge Analytica data exploitation scandal, a survey reveals that a majority of IT decision-makers have lost trust in the social networking firm Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

UK firms failing to make financial plans for cyber attacks

Most UK firms are failing to plan for the financial impact of cyber attacks, a survey by Lloyds Bank has revealed Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

How to find the right mobility strategy for your SME

Small businesses still need a strategy to make the most of mobility, so what should business owners look out for? Continue Reading

By

• Rene Millman

Security Think Tank: Use awareness, education and controls to halt cryptojacking

How can organisations best defend against cryptojacking? Continue Reading

By

• Maxine Holt, Omdia

Data breaches revealed at four US retail chains

The Easter weekend has seen another round of data breaches, further underlining that many companies are still failing to take the necessary steps to protect customer data Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

 Automation and gamification key to cyber security

The use of automation and gamification are key to winning the fight against cyber criminals in the face of the skills’ shortage, a study investigating challenges facing IT security teams reveals Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Business unaware of scale of cyber threat

Many businesses, especially board members, do not understand the scale of the cyber threat, but international efforts to combat cyber crime are being hampered by political barriers Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Cryptocurrency mining rampant in higher education

Higher education institutions are the biggest target for illicit cryptocurrency mining, data shows Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

How the IT sector can help plug the cyber security skills gap

Businesses have a role to play in plugging the cyber security skills gap by engaging with future talent at a young age, providing more role models for under-represented groups, communicating the nature of the threat, and changing their approach to cyber security recruitment Continue Reading

By

• Frank Stajano, University of Cambridge

IR35 reforms: IT contractors express concerns over ‘inevitable’ private sector roll-out

Research suggests IT contractors are resigned to the IR35 reforms being implemented in the private sector, and many fear an announcement to that effect will come this year Continue Reading

By

• Caroline Donnelly, Senior Editor, UK

Majority of European firms unprepared for phishing attacks

Most cyber attacks can be traced back to a phishing email, but more than half of European firms are unprepared to deal with email-based attacks, research has revealed Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Microsoft Word document and zero-day attacks on the rise

Macro-less Microsoft Word document attacks and zero-day malware are on the rise, according to data from WatchGuard Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Majority of firms fear mobile workers have been hacked

More than half of organisations fear that their mobile workers have been hacked and most are concerned that a growing mobile workforce means increased cyber security risk, a survey reveals Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

UK organisations urged to develop cyber security skills

Managed cloud computing firm Rackspace is calling on UK organisations to do more to develop cyber security skills in the light of research into expertise in cloud security Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Facebook could be hit with $2tn fine after FTC inquiry

Facebook could face huge fines as the result of a federal inquiry into the data exploitation scandal, further underlining the importance of personal data protection for all enterprises Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

The desktop is changing

In this week's Computer Weekly, corporate PCs haven't changed much in 20 years – as use of Chrome OS grows, we ask if IT leaders are ready for a new approach. Theresa May said Brexit means the UK leaving the EU digital single market – does this mean a return to roaming charges? And we look at the latest developments in Linux. Read the issue now. Continue Reading

UK government publishes export strategy for UK cyber security

The government has published a guide for UK cyber security firms on how it plans to support their efforts to find and secure opportunities to export their products and services Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Cloud key to cyber defence, says Palo Alto Networks

Organisations need to make sense of security intelligence and act on it faster to get ahead of attackers, and cloud-based security is one way of making that possible, according to Palo Alto Networks Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Scottish village rolls out FTTP broadband at half normal cost

Residents of the remote village of Balquhidder in Stirlingshire have banded together to roll out a full-fibre broadband network at just half the cost of a normal fibre network build Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Privacy group calls for UK response to data exploitation

Policy-makers need to respond swiftly to the Cambridge Analytica and Facebook data exploitation scandal, according to privacy rights group Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Canadian broadband expertise speeds Gigaclear fibre dig

Rural broadband provider Gigaclear has enlisted Canadian firm Lite Access Technology to assist in the roll-out of full-fibre services to 10,000 properties in Oxfordshire Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

CityFibre consumer broadband collaboration hits Peterborough

CityFibre is returning to one of its earliest Gigabit City projects with Vodafone in tow to upgrade thousands of homes in Peterborough to gigabit-capable full-fibre broadband Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Application layer DDoS attacks increasing, Imperva data shows

Distributed denial of service attacks targeting applications almost doubled in the last three months of 2017, according to Imperva Incapsula data Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Businesses lack cyber security confidence after majority were breached in past year

Most businesses were hit by a data breach in the past year, yet less than half are confident they would detect a breach, a survey shows Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

MoD to focus on SMEs to raise supply chain cyber security

The Ministry of Defence continues to develop a joint initiative with industry aimed at raising the security posture throughout the UK’s defence supply chain, with increasing focus on SMEs Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

SD-WAN still too complex, survey shows

Despite SD-WAN adoption, WAN complexity remains a major challenge, a survey has revealed, driving firms to managed services, mainly because of security concerns Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Popular culture key to giving cyber security much-needed boost

The cyber security industry should turn to popular culture to raise awareness of the cyber threat to businesses and consumers and attract new blood to the field, says McMafia author Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Danish government launches business-focused national digital strategy

Denmark’s government has launched a plan to get more small businesses into the digital economy as it targets being a leader in advanced technologies such as artificial intelligence Continue Reading

By

• Gerard O'Dwyer

Case study: Stationery firm gets things moving with FTTP broadband voucher

Nuco, a Midlands-based supplier of paper and stationery products, has improved its business agility and is moving its IT into the cloud thanks to the government’s full-fibre broadband connection voucher scheme Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

IBM delivers Watson-powered voice assistant for consumer brands

Alexa and Google Assistant have taken residence in people's homes. IBM aims to give companies a way to deliver their own branded AI voice assistants Continue Reading

By

• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor

Firms need to move from DevOps to DevSecOps, says expert

In the face of competition, organisations are turning to DevOps to improve efficiency and accelerate innovation, but this is creating new security risks, an industry expert warns Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Wigan data breaches underline need to share threat intelligence

Ongoing data breaches experienced by local authorities underline the need for greater sharing of threat intelligence, say security experts Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Network security in the digital transformation era

Network security has always been a core focus for CISOs and IT security managers, but in an era of digital transformation, we examine if network security strategies are keeping up with new and emerging cyber threats Continue Reading

By

• Nicholas Fearn

Southwark brings full-fibre broadband to council estates

London’s Southwark Council has enlisted Hyperoptic to deliver FTTP broadband services across its housing portfolio Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Russia compromised core router in US energy attacks

Russian cyber attackers used a compromised core router in a series of attacks on the US energy sector, security researchers have revealed as the UK energy sector is placed on alert Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Employers face hiring crisis as AI replaces mid-skilled jobs

Artificial intelligence could replace two-thirds of existing jobs within 20 years, and employers will face growing difficulties recruiting skilled staff Continue Reading

By

• Bill Goodwin, Computer Weekly

Network security in the age of the internet of things

Wireless devices and smart technologies are increasingly being brought into the workplace, and pose a growing risk to company data Continue Reading

By

• Peter Ray Allison

SD-WAN needs software-defined security

Digital transformation is driving organisations to move to the cloud, which requires a new architecture that embraces cloud technology, but that in turn requires a new way of thinking about network security to ensure data is protected Continue Reading

By

• Klaus Gheri, Barracuda

US blames Russia for cyber attacks on energy firms

The US has blamed Russia for a series of attacks on energy sector firms, underlining the need to ensure critical infrastructure IT systems are up to date and secure Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Security Think Tank: Fileless malware not totally undetectable

What should organisations do at the very least to ensure business computers are protected from fileless malware? Continue Reading

By

• Greg Temm

Openreach to open 12 fibre broadband engineering schools

Openreach has opened the first of 12 planned training centres around the UK as it sets out to recruit more than 3,000 fibre broadband engineers Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Full-fibre broadband voucher scheme gets green light

Chancellor Philip Hammond has signed off on £67m to fund full-fibre broadband connections for small businesses around the UK Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Government setting up local planning group to support 5G roll-out

Digital minister Margot James is building a new initiative to support collaboration on 5G mobile network roll-out at a local level, bringing together councils, landowners and industry to work on planning challenges and policy Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

WhatsApp to suspend data sharing with Facebook

WhatsApp has agreed to stop sharing personal data with Facebook until data protection concerns are addressed Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Kenyan solar supplier leans on IoT and fintech for new growth

Mastercard packed its stand at Mobile World Congress with new use cases for fintech in the developing world and launched a new partnership with Kenyan solar energy supplier M-KOPA Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Security Think Tank: Awareness is a good starting point to counter fileless malware

What should organisations do at the very least to ensure business computers are protected from fileless malware? Continue Reading

By

• Ed Moyle, Drake Software

Researchers accused of irresponsible disclosure of AMD chip flaws

Israel-based researchers have been accused of irresponsible disclosure for going public with more than a dozen security flaws discovered in AMD processors Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Stoke Council picks VX Fiber to light up fibre broadband network

VX Fiber’s Open Access Platform will allow Stoke-on-Trent council to realise a return on its fibre investment while bringing gigabit broadband services to homes and businesses Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Government hands out £95m for local full-fibre broadband

The government has named the first recipients of a £190m tranche of funding to realise local full-fibre broadband projects Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Security Think Tank: Patch, scan and lock down to counter fileless malware

What should organisations do at the very least to ensure business computers are protected from fileless malware? Continue Reading

By

• Petra Wenham

Businesses need to take cryptojacking seriously

Organisations must pay attention to cyber criminals hijacking computing resources to mine cryptocurrencies, because nearly half are affected and the impact is greater than many realise Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Slingshot router malware: a warning for businesses

A stealthy malware that has been used to carry out cyber espionage undetected for six years should raise a red flag to businesses, say security commentators Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Digital for rural areas worth up to £26bn to UK economy

A study commissioned by Amazon has posited that greater use of digital tools and services could be worth between £12bn and £26bn per annum to the UK economy Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Security Think Tank: Human, procedural and technical response to fileless malware

What should organisations do at the very least to ensure business computers are protected from fileless malware? Continue Reading

By

• Mike Gillespie

Eight new cyber threats a second in Q4 2017, McAfee report reveals

There was an increase in cyber attacks on healthcare organisations, the use of fileless malware and cryptocurrency mining in the last three months of 2017, with eight new threats a second Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Scottish government to spend £25m to fill 4G coverage gaps

The Scottish government has announced a £25m programme to infill gaps in 4G mobile network coverage across Scotland Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Government reveals winners of 5G mobile competition

The government has unveiled the winners of a multimillion-pound competition to create 5G mobile network testbeds around the UK Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

UK government criticised over lack of GDPR explanation

Most IT decision makers in the UK are critical of the government for failing to educate organisations about the GDPR and its implications, and few have a clear understanding of it, a survey shows Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Security Think Tank: Use layered security and patch management to defeat fileless malware

What should organisations do at the very least to ensure business computers are protected from fileless malware? Continue Reading

By

• Maxine Holt, Omdia

Cryptojacking cyber criminals up their game

Cyber criminals hijacking computing resources to mine for cryptocurrencies are raising their efforts to bypass enterprise security controls, researchers have found Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Security Think Tank: Multi-layered security key to fileless malware defence

What should organisations do, at the very least, to ensure business computers are protected from fileless malware? Continue Reading

By

• Simon Persin, Turnkey Consulting

CW Europe: Germany’s Lemoncat takes catering to the cloud

Business catering startup Lemoncat has taken advantage of the affordable cost of living in Berlin and is shaking up the catering sector by harnessing the Amazon and Salesforce clouds. Also in this issue, read how Moscow’s government is taking advantage of high penetration of broadband and mobile internet to expand innovative services under the Russian capital’s smart city programme, and how organisations in the Netherlands still have much to do to comply with the General Data Protection Regulation. Continue Reading

UK cyber security certification pilot launched

UK businesses now have the opportunity to improve their cyber security and prove they have taken steps to protect data they hold, thanks to a police-backed certification scheme Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Businesses warned not to ignore cryptojacking threat

Businesses should not ignore the threat of malware designed to carry out illicit cryptocurrency mining, warns NTT Security Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Businesses under pressure to allow easier access to cloud

Businesses are under pressure from employees to use consumer-focused authentication methods for cloud applications, but that could have both positive and negative security implications, warns Gemalto Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst