IT for small and medium-sized enterprises (SME)

Thousands of critical systems affected by serious security flaws

Multiple and serious vulnerabilities have been found in a software management system widely used in corporate and industrial control environments, researchers warn Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Security Editor

Uncontrolled cyber attacks on UK cyber defenders’ radar

Uncontrolled cyber attacks are just as much a threat as targeted attacks, according to the UK’s cyber defence agency, which continues to consider a major cyber attack imminent Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Security Editor

GDPR: Not too late to ensure real risks will be addressed

With just four months to go before the General Data Protection Regulation compliance deadline, there is a growing anxiety in many parts of the regulated community that their GDPR plans may not be fit for purpose Continue Reading

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• Warwick Ashford, Security Editor

Manchester’s CityVerve launches new internet of things challenge for SMEs and startups

Manchester’s CityVerve smart city project has called for IoT developers and startups to tackle challenges in healthcare, transport and energy Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Norwegian healthcare breach alert failed GDPR requirements

Norwegian healthcare authorities failed General Data Protection Regulation requirements for notifying those affected by a personal data breach by waiting a week before disclosing a breach discovered on 8 January 2018 Continue Reading

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• Warwick Ashford, Security Editor

Cyber attackers exploiting trust in FTP servers

Some cyber attackers are exploiting trust in FTP servers to distribute malware, security researchers warn Continue Reading

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• Warwick Ashford, Security Editor

Powerful Zyklon malware exploiting MS Office flaws

Cyber attackers are exploiting three recently discovered vulnerabilities in Microsoft Office to spread multifunction Zyklon malware, security researchers warn Continue Reading

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• Warwick Ashford, Security Editor

Create security culture to boost cyber defences, says Troy Hunt

Security suffers when there is tension between software developers and security professionals, but it is common in many organisations, says world-renowned security blogger and trainer Continue Reading

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• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Cyber attackers upped their game in 2017, warns report

Cyber attackers ranging from criminals to nation states have upped their game in the past year, “moving the needle” in terms of tactics, techniques and procedures, a report by a cyber security firm warns Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Business needs to reduce cyber threat to payment card data

Cardholder data is a prime target for cyber criminals, and that is only likely to increase in the coming year, according to a cloud-based secure payments firm Continue Reading

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• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Davos: Disintegration of the internet could create economic turmoil

Politicians and business leaders will discuss the risks posed by fake news, cyber attacks, and artificial intelligence to jobs, political stability and global security, at the World Economic Forum in Davos Continue Reading

By

• Bill Goodwin, Computer Weekly

Vulnerability exploit report shows importance of patching

Latest vulnerability exploit report by security firm AlienVault shows the most popular vulnerabilities remain exploited for several years Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Financial savings just the beginning for CIOs who understand code quality

Businesses need to understand the quality of the code in their applications if they are to avoid unnecessary costs and glitches Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Skygofree Android spyware active since 2014, say researchers

Powerful, highly advanced spyware has been targeting Android mobiles for the past four years, security researchers have discovered Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Beware fake Meltdown and Spectre patches

Security experts have warned that cyber attackers will be quick to use the Meltdown and Spectre exploits, but the first attempt to capitalise on them has come in the form of fake updates Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Most UK enterprise mobiles not patched for Meltdown and Spectre

Very few UK enterprise mobile devices have been patched against the recently discovered Meltdown and Spectre exploits and almost a quarter cannot be patched, a study shows Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Check Point finds AdultSwine malware in Google Play apps

Security researchers have discovered new malware code hidden in game apps, mainly aimed at youngsters Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Intel makes security-first pledge

As it scrambles to deal with the Meltdown and Spectre processor exploits, Intel has made a series of security commitments Continue Reading

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• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

F-Secure highlights another critical Intel security issue

As Intel scrambles to issue security updates to address the Meltdown and Spectre exploits, researchers have highlighted another, unrelated, critical security issue that could affect millions of corporate laptops Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Hard Brexit risks 92,000 UK science and technology jobs

Economic analysis commissioned by London mayor Sadiq Khan warns that thousands of jobs in science and technology sectors be at risk if UK crashes out of EU with no deal Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Mobile app flaws are a risk to industrial IT systems, says report

Cyber security vulnerabilities in mobile applications could be exploited to compromise industrial network infrastructure, a report warns Continue Reading

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• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Spyware targets North Korean dissidents via social links, says McAfee

Researchers at security firm McAfee have confirmed that social networks are being used to target North Korean dissidents with spyware Continue Reading

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• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

EC underlines need for data transfer agreement post-Brexit

The European Commission has emphasised the importance of having a data transfer agreement in place after the UK leaves the European Union Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Cyber criminals exploit Oracle WebLogic flaw

Researchers are urging companies to apply a security update to patch a flaw in Oracle’s WebLogic Server component that is being exploited to mine cryptocurrency Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

UAE tech growth prompts firms to review internal IT security

As IT becomes more prominent in the UAE economy, more and more internal connections between people and systems are created, all of which need to be secured Continue Reading

By

• Alicia Buller

ICO fines Carphone Warehouse £400,000

Mobile retailer hit with one of the highest fines for putting personal data at risk as UK privacy watchdog warns that more stringent data protection laws will apply from 25 May 2018 Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Max Schrems champions NGO to fight for GDPR rights

Privacy activist whose legal challenge of Facebook led to the scrapping of the Safe Harbour Agreement says crowdfunding a new type of non-government organisation is essential to deliver privacy rights Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Meltdown and Spectre a big deal for enterprises

Although consumers are relatively unaffected by the recently disclosed security vulnerabilities in most modern processors, enterprises need to take the threat seriously. Computer Weekly looks at how enterprise IT and security professionals should be approaching these threats Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Cyber attacks in 2017 drive Nordic security efforts

The volume of cyber attacks last year has increased boardroom focus on security in the Nordic region Continue Reading

By

• Eeva Haaramo

Intel to set up new group to focus on hardware security

Chip maker is reportedly planning to form a new group to focus on hardware security as it scrambles to limit the impact of recently discovered security flaws in chip designs Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Patch systems against Meltdown and Spectre, urges ICO

UK’s data protection watchdog is calling for organisations to apply security updates to mitigate against exploits of microprocessor flaws as soon as possible to safeguard personal data Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

2018 could be year of critical infrastructure attacks, says report

The coming year is likely to see an increase in the number of cyber attacks on critical national infrastructure (CNI), according to a report based on experts’ forecasts Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Apple confirms all devices affected by Meltdown and Spectre

Apple has confirmed that all iPhones, iPads and Mac computers are affected by the recently discovered microprocessor exploits as the financial services industry assesses the risk Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Zero in on your zero-day vulnerabilities

A zero-day attack comes, by definition, out of the blue. You cannot predict its nature or assess how much damage it might cause, but you can take some basic steps to protect yourself from a potentially crippling cyber strike Continue Reading

By

• Graeme Park

Critical Intel security patch will slow PCs, servers and Macs

AMD shares rise on news that the performance of millions of Windows PCs, Linux servers and Apple Macs is to be impacted by critical updates for a recently discovered security flaw in Intel chips manufactured in the past 10 years Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

IoT botnet DDoS attacks predicted after exploit code published

Security researchers are urging businesses to ensure they are prepared for large-scale DDoS attacks following the online publication of code to exploit a vulnerability in Huawei HG532 routers Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Top IT priorities for Nordic CIOs in 2018

Nordic CIOs tell Computer Weekly about their intentions for the year ahead Continue Reading

By

• Eeva Haaramo

Top UK and US firms still overestimating GDPR readiness

Less than five months before the compliance deadline for the EU’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), most top UK and US firms are still overestimating their state of readiness, a study suggests Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Controversial council broadband service sold to Gigaclear

Ultrafast broadband services supplier Gigaclear has acquired the assets of troubled district-council-backed altnet Aylesbury Vale Broadband Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Ransomware to hit cloud computing in 2018, predicts MIT

Ransomware targeting cloud services is one of the six biggest cyber threats likely to face organisations in 2018, according to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Top 10 IT security stories of 2017

Here are Computer Weekly's top 10 IT security stories of 2017 Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Top 10 enterprise IT in the Nordics stories in 2017

The Nordic region might be best known in IT circles for its startup communities – but it has much more to offer Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Innovation key to halt cyber attacks

In the light of the number of cyber breaches taking place, innovative security systems are required, according to the UK National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Workers should embrace robots, not fear them, says Labour deputy

Labour deputy leader to say workers need not fear robots taking their jobs, but welcome the opportunities they will bring Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Andromeda mastermind Sergey Jarets jailed, say security researchers

Security researchers say they believe that a hacker arrested by Belarus police is Andromeda botnet mastermind Sergey Jarets Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Bitcoin industry enters top 10 DDoS targets

The bitcoin industry has become one of the top 10 industries most targeted by distributed denial of service attacks, a report has revealed Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Researchers warn of new support scam malware

Security researchers have identified a new strain of support scam malware and a way of clearing up infected machines Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Steal a march on cyber criminals through security by deception

Security by obscurity, although a common and tempting practice, is generally not recommended, but security by deception offers a way for defenders to make it more difficult for attackers to succeed and easier for defenders to catch them Continue Reading

By

• Nicholas Fearn

Consumer identity management a growing trend

Consumer identity and access management is a growing trend, but system choice is still challenging, according to KuppingerCole Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Businesses need to balance user experience, privacy and security

Balancing user experience, privacy and security for the connected consumer is a key challenge for online businesses, according to KuppingerCole Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

UK IT professionals could lose out in a free trade deal between UK and India

There could be an increase in Indian IT professionals coming to work in the UK post-Brexit if a new trade deal is signed with India Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Uber recognises need for consumer trust after breach cover up

New Uber leadership has recognised the importance of consumer trust and that they never should have attempted to cover up a 2016 data breach that affected millions of customers and drivers Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

IR35 reforms: Economic concerns raised over prospect of private sector roll-out

With the government’s stance on rolling out the IR35 reforms to the private sector appearing to soften, IPSE and others air concerns over the threat this move could pose to the post-Brexit economy Continue Reading

By

• Caroline Donnelly, Senior Editor, UK

UK cyber defenders set to build on existing capability

UK national cyber attack response and investigation is a well-defined and rehearsed process, but the responsible agencies say they are building more capability and closing the gaps Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Europe not ready for imminent cyber strikes, say infosec professionals

Information security leaders in Europe believe a major breach of critical infrastructure is coming and that data breaches in their own organisations are imminent – yet most are not ready Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Waltham Forest Council gives 5G network plans a boost

Waltham Forest Council in London is to allow Arqiva to deploy small cell technology on 16,000 lampposts across the borough Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Only a quarter of UK law firms are ready for GDPR, study shows

Just 25% of UK law firms are ready for the General Data Protection Regulation and one in five have experienced an attempted cyber attack in the past month Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Why UK police are learning cyber forensics

The need for the UK police force to conduct forensic investigations on computers is nothing new, but a rapid escalation of cyber crime has demanded a different approach Continue Reading

By

• Alex Bennett, Firebrand Training

ISPs agree to Ofcom broadband compensation proposals

BT, Sky, TalkTalk, Virgin Media and Zen Internet have agreed to introduce automatic compensation for consumers when their broadband service goes down Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

WikiLeaks publishes code and analysis of CIA hacking tool

Security experts are questioning the wisdom of WikiLeaks releasing more source code for US intelligence agency hacking tools Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Bangalore offers the best ecosystem for digital transformation, says Economist report

Bangalore ranked as the number one location for businesses looking to access the right ecosystem to support digital transformation Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

GDPR fines may affect almost 80% of US firms, poll shows

Most US companies risk fines for non-compliance with new European data protection laws that apply to all organisations processing any personal data of EU citizens Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Go beyond GDPR for a competitive edge

By exceeding the bare minimum requirements set by privacy regulations, businesses can win customers by offering greater assurances, says a business adviser Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Businesses unprepared for cyber attacks, warn cyber professionals

Businesses are nowhere near prepared enough for a cyber attack, according to a poll of information and security professionals Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Cyber security professionals urged to embrace AI and automation

IBM security intelligence head says professionals should embrace artificial intelligence and automation to ensure they do not become obsolete Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

IOActive warns of security flaws in maritime communication system

Researcher discovers critical security flaws in an Inmarsat maritime communication system, highlighting the cyber risks facing the shipping industry Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

A history of hacking and hackers

A security professional’s view on criminal hacking has shifted away from the traditional stereotype of the hacker, towards a much more diverse cross-section of wider society Continue Reading

By

• Danny Moules

Bad Rabbit malware raises fears of third global ransomware attack

A ransomware attack that has commonalities with WannaCry NotPeya is reportedly hitting organisations in Russia, Ukraine, Turkey, Bulgaria and Germany Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

IT security hindering productivity and innovation, survey shows

IT security is hindering productivity and innovation across enterprises, research has revealed Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Infoblox partners with McAfee to combine web and DNS security

Infoblox is to collaborate with McAfee to combine web and DNS security to deliver unified protection Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

McAfee forges ahead with analytics, deep learning and AI

McAfee is forging ahead with its innovation efforts in advanced analytics, deep learning and artificial intelligence Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Focus needs to shift to breach impact, says McAfee researcher

Breach investigations commonly focus on the attackers and their motives, but a security researcher believes there needs to be more emphasis on business impact Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Cloud service spending almost matches traditional IT outsourcing

Traditional outsourcing spending has plummeted in the latest three-month period, but spending on cloud-based IT services is going some way to filling the void Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

RSA’s Middle East cyber security conference gains its own identity

RSA Abu Dhabi conference focuses on region’s cyber security needs as digital technology deployments expand Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Pizza Hut data breach shows need for board control

The poor handling of the data breach by fast food chain Pizza Hut shows that company boards need to take control, a London-based law firm advises Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

SMEs more vulnerable than ever to cyber attacks, survey shows

The biggest cyber threat to UK and US small businesses is employees’ weak passwords, as the frequency, intensity and cost of cyber attacks continue to rise, a study has revealed Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Dutch government agreement increasingly focuses on IT security

The coalition government in the Netherlands has agreed its plan for the next four years, with IT security prominent Continue Reading

By

• Tijs Hofmans

Global cyber security collaboration initiative launched in Krakow

Cyber security ecosystems around the world have launched an initiative aimed at strengthening collaboration between regional ecosystems Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Some IT contractors earning more than £700 a day

Research shows 40% of contractors reach the average annual IT salary within three months Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Yahoo breach affected 3 billion accounts

Yahoo’s personal data breach affected three billion user accounts, the company’s new owners have revealed Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Cyber security industry key to solving skills gap

In the face of a growing shortage of cyber security skills around the world, the security industry itself needs to do more to attract people Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

CIOs moving to revenue-generating roles

Gartner survey shows changing role for CIOs to cover revenue generation and deriving value from data, and spending less time on traditional IT delivery Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Where the device hits the network – a mobile device management update

As business becomes increasingly mobile, we look at the latest trends in mobile device management to give businesses the edge Continue Reading

By

• Rene Millman

WannaCry an example of pseudo-ransomware, says McAfee

The global WannaCry and NotPetya attacks were both examples of pseudo-ransomware, according to McAfee researchers Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Global hacker botnet tops 6 million hijacked devices

A year after the first Mirai botnet attacks, the global botnet has grown, with many countries and cities unwittingly hosting large number of bot-infected devices Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Amazon launches Middle East region

Amazon opens its latest delivery hub in Bahrain to serve customers in the Middle East Continue Reading

By

• Triska Hamid

NotPetya attack cost up to £15m, says UK ad agency WPP

Advertising giant was one of many companies hit in June 2017 by malware distributed through Ukrainian accounting software Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Malware hidden in CCleaner targeted tech firms

Major tech firms were targeted by malware hidden in Avast’s Piriform CCleaner software, researchers have found, leading to speculation that it may have been state-sponsored espionage attack Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Most UK councils hit by cyber attacks

A study has revealed that most UK local authorities have suffered cyber attacks in the past year, showing local government is a key target for cyber criminals and that legacy software is a top security concern Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Cyber crime a significant risk to individuals and organisations

Cyber crime is still a significant risk to individuals and organisations, a report claims, with the top threats including business email compromise, ransomware, and banking and mobile malware Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Blockchain tests delivering results and IBM seen as leader

Businesses that have invested in trials of blockchain technology will repeat their investments Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Openreach and rivals want collaborative approach to broadband

The government’s ambitions for FTTP broadband roll-out can only be met through collaboration, and an urgent shake-up of Ofcom regulatory policy is needed to reflect this, say Openreach and CityFibre Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

European Union states question copyright law proposal

European states are questioning legality of a new copyright law proposed by the EU Continue Reading

By

• Jennifer Baker

People with non-IT backgrounds could help fill cyber security skills gap

Organisations should look to fill cyber security roles with people who are curious and have work experience rather than focusing solely on graduates Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Gigaclear extends narrow trenching FTTP broadband dig

Fibre broadband provider Gigaclear is extending its BDUK dig in Herefordshire and Gloucestershire Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Women still under-represented in Nordic IT despite region’s efforts

Although countries in the Nordic region are often hailed as pioneers of digital and equal worker rights, there is still gender inequality in the IT sector. Continue Reading

By

• Eeva Haaramo

Government launches FTTP pilot for businesses, schools and hospitals

The government has released £10m to six FTTP trial projects around the UK, testing ultrafast broadband technology in businesses, schools and hospitals Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Amazon Alexa and Microsoft Cortana to offer integration

Amazon and Microsoft’s voice assistants will be able to integrate with each other to provide users with the best features from both Continue Reading

By

• Zach Emmanuel, Computer Weekly

Researcher finds over 711 million compromised email accounts

A security researcher has discovered a spambot using more than 711 million compromised email accounts to spread data-stealing malware Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Security professionals name top causes of breaches

Security professionals have named the top reasons for successful cyber attacks, which are affecting more than half of organisations Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst