IT for small and medium-sized enterprises (SME)

Cyber attacks cost UK business more than £34bn a year, study shows

Nearly half of UK firms lack advanced cyber defences, despite the high level of concern about cyber attacks and associated costs Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Cost-effective managed IPS for small businesses

Small businesses typically struggle to afford cyber intrusion prevention systems, but the introduction of a service tailored for this market could change that Continue Reading

By

• Peter Ray Allison

IBM sets up security centre in Canberra

IBM leads the charge as large private businesses invest heavily in security resources across Australia in an attempt to close the security gap Continue Reading

By

• Beverley Head

IBM’s Watson gets to work

In this issue we explore the many ways IBM’s Watson has evolved from the machine that bettered humans in US game show Jeopardy! to providing deep analytical insights to solve real-world crises. We also look at how Barclays bank is using DevOps to remain competitive and reveal new research that illustrates why cloud computing is at the heart of business innovation. Read the issue now. Continue Reading

Datadog calls for password reset after cyber breach

Monitoring and analytics firm detected unauthorised activity associated with production servers and database of user credentials Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

CW@50: A history of IT outsourcing

Computer Weekly looks at where and when IT outsourcing was invented and considers the changes the sector has gone through since Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

The problem of passwords and how to deal with it

Security experts have long recognised passwords as inadequate, but finally technology is offering some viable alternative authentication methods that businesses can explore to keep their data safe Continue Reading

By

• Peter Ray Allison

Business has critical role in fighting cyber crime, says report

The National Crime Agency is calling for a stronger collaboration between business and law enforcement to fight cyber crime in the light of a report produced with private sector partners Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Openreach starts duct and pole sharing trials for broadband delivery

Openreach enlists five broadband services providers to take part in a trial of processes for sharing access to its duct and pole infrastructure Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

UK's Darktrace aims to lead the way to automatic cyber security

Darktrace hopes to be a leader in the move to automated cyber security to free up security professionals to focus on business risk and innovation Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

LizardStresser IoT botnet launches 400Gbps DDoS attack

Attack groups using the LizardStresser botnet are exploiting IoT devices to mount massive DDoS attacks without using amplification techniques, say researchers Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Most cyber security strategies ignore the way attackers really work

Cyber attackers use more legitimate software than malware, which means most organisations are incapable of detecting much of the malicious activity in their networks, a report reveals Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Cyber security industry mostly welcomes report on TalkTalk breach

Most of the recommendations of a government committee inquiry into the TalkTalk breach have been welcomed, but pundits have expressed reservations about some, particularly proposed new fines Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Lower average cost of Australian data breaches is not a sign of comfort

The average cost of a data breach to Australian organisations dropped in 2015, according to research Continue Reading

By

• Beverley Head

Euro Championship network traffic spike highlights OTT boom

The BBC and EE both reported massive spikes in network traffic during the England versus Wales clash at Euro 2016 Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Hays Recruitment service desk project is all gain and no pain

The firm was attracted by the many benefits of a cloud-based service desk, but chief among them was the low risk involved in implementation Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Digital Leaders 100 Awards 2016 winners

In a packed room at the Hilton Park Lane, the winners of the Digital Leaders 100 Awards (DL100) were revealed Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

Openreach announces SME FTTP service roll-out

A number of cities are to receive a fibre-to-the-premises broadband service specifically designed for small to medium-sized enterprises Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Isle of Man: From seaside getaway to tech startup hub

The Isle of Man government is stepping up efforts to position itself as the low-tax jurisdiction of choice for the startup community. But what's it like to do business there? Continue Reading

By

• Caroline Donnelly, Senior Editor, UK

EU firms slow in detecting cyber attacks, study shows

European firms take an average of 469 days to discover a compromise, compared with an average of 146 days globally, according to Mandiant Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

IoT security: Lack of expertise will hurt, says Bruce Schneier

Government action at national and international levels is essential for addressing IoT security issues, but the relevant expertise is lacking, according to security expert Bruce Schneier Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Citrix expands in Middle East with first Saudi Arabia office

Citrix is increasing its presence in the Middle East, opening its first office in Saudi Arabia with plans to expand into Qatar and Egypt Continue Reading

By

• Triska Hamid

Unlicensed software rife among Asean computer users, says BSA

The Asean region has the highest levels of unlicensed software use, according to the 2016 Global Software Survey from the Business Software Alliance (BSA) Continue Reading

By

• Ai Lei Tao

Millions of sensitive IT services exposed to the internet, study finds

Encryption should become the default as study reveals millions of sensitive services are exposed to the internet, says Rapid7 Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

UK government details plans for National Cyber Security Centre

The objectives of the UK’s National Cyber Security Centre are to address systemic vulnerabilities, reduce risks, respond to serious incidents and nurture national cyber security capability Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Digital Catapult creates open source permissions platform to track creative IP

The Digital Catapult innovation centre launches an open permissions platform to allow creatives to track where their content has been used Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

Lessons from LinkedIn data breach revelations

There are several important lessons to be learned from revelations about LinkedIn's 2012 data breach, say security experts Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Cyber espionage campaign targets Ukraine separatists

Security researchers discover a surveillance operation against separatists in Eastern Ukraine using spear phishing attacks to spread previously unknown malware Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Police set for better engagement with UK tech firms

The policing lead for digital investigation and intelligence says new structures will improve engagement and collaboration between the UK tech industry and police forces Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Time to shift information security focus away from prevention, says Swiss bank CISO

Organisations need a new approach which recognises security is “breakable”, according to Michael Meli Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

10 key facts businesses need to note about the GDPR

With less than two years before the new EU data protection rules come into force, there are key areas businesses need to focus on to ensure they will be compliant Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Swift reports another Bangladesh central bank-style cyber attack

Global financial messaging organisation Swift warns of a highly adaptive cyber criminal campaign targeting banks with user credentials to submit transfer requests Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

IAM central to Deutsche Bank’s digital transformation

Deutsche Bank is using a centralised identity and access management (IAM) system and an application program interface (API) architecture for digital transformation Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

CCS technology products framework to focus on quality, not cost

The Crown Commercial Service’s £4bn technology products and services framework opens up for SMEs and moves focus to quality rather than price Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

Ebay sellers demand better broadband and mobile

A study of SME sellers conducted by eBay in the UK finds that many feel held back by poor broadband and mobile coverage Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

EE expands 4G roll-out with satellite backhaul

EE signs communications provider Avanti to use satellite capacity for mobile backhaul on its 4G network at a number of sites in the UK Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Ransomware emerges as a top cyber threat to business

Security researchers at Kasperky Lab and FireEye confirm that the upward trend of ransomware is continuing and has emerged as a top threat to business Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

BT pledges to pass two million homes with FTTP by 2020

Telecoms giant ramps up rhetoric around ultrafast broadband following Ofcom’s criticism in its recent market review Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

D-Day for GDPR is 25 May 2018

The European Parliament’s official publication of the General Data Protection Regulation means it will become enforceable on 25 May 2018 Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Cyber security in Belgium will gain prominence after terror attacks

Belgium’s physical security has been branded inadequate, so how does the country’s cyber security measure up? Continue Reading

By

• Stef Gyssels

Saudi Arabia could warm to cloud computing, so long as regulation and connectivity keep pace

One of the world’s biggest oil producers has responded to tumbling crude prices by announcing a $2tn war chest to fund an economic diversification strategy, with IT set to be a beneficiary Continue Reading

By

• Alicia Buller

Disrupting IT in the Nordics, from banks to taxis

IT is dramatically changing traditional industry sectors in the Nordic region. Computer Weekly examines the transformation Continue Reading

By

• Eeva Haaramo

Mobilising a workforce drives up performance and productivity

Mobile workers are also more creative, satisfied and loyal, says EIU study Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

IPv6 alone will not secure IoT, warns GE CISO

It is important for all users of the internet of things to understand what they are getting into with IPv6, and to be aware of the risks and myths, says GE CISO Hanns Proenen Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Singapore is second most cloud ready country in Asia-Pacific

Broadband quality, data privacy and pro-business regime makes Singapore the second most cloud ready country in the Apac region Continue Reading

By

• Ai Lei Tao

Business failing to learn lessons of past cyber attacks, report shows

Organisations are still failing to address basic security issues and well-known attack methods, Verizon’s latest Data Breach Investigations Report reveals Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Indonesian internet users turn to smartphones to go online

Organisations with a cyber footprint in Indonesia must understand most internet users in the country access online content and services on smartphones Continue Reading

By

• Ai Lei Tao

Employees’ use of personal devices puts firms at risk of malware infection, says report

Downloaders care about their own security while grabbing pirated content, not that of their employers Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Hyperoptic launches FTTP services in Brighton

Hyperoptic rolls out its fibre-to-the-premises (FTTP) broadband service to housing developments in Brighton Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Interview: GDS CTO Liam Maxwell and deputy CTO Andy Beale

Government Digital Service’s Liam Maxwell and Andy Beale talk about the service’s future, its relationship with departments, tactical outsourcing extensions and lessons learned Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

Digital Leaders Awards open for public vote

The Digital Leaders 100 is open for a public vote to decide the winners of this year’s awards, including Digital Leader and FinTech Innovation of the Year Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

CW@50: Fertile British breeding grounds for information security innovation

Computer Weekly is marking its 50th anniversary this year with a series of articles celebrating 50 years of British technology innovation. In this article, we look at the evolution of information security threats and some of the British innovation to counter those threats Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

HMRC reaches agreement with IT suppliers on Aspire contract exit

HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) plans on going to market next month for a number of smaller IT services contracts for a phased exit of its Aspire outsourcing deal Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

Security should be driven by business, says Corvid’s Andrew Nanson

Information security should be business-driven and investments assessed for their effectiveness and business value, according to Corvid CTO Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Cyber criminals use Microsoft PowerShell in ransomware attacks

A newly discovered family of ransomware, dubbed PowerWare, uses Microsoft PowerShell to target organisations through macro-enabled documents Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Businesses urged to update Apple software to dodge zero-day attacks

Security experts are urging Apple Mac, iPhone and iPad users to update their operating systems to avoid data-stealing attacks that exploit a new zero-day vulnerability Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Canadian Elizabeth Denham set for the UK's next information commissioner

Canadian privacy commissioner Elizabeth Denham is to become the UK's next information commissioner as government pushes ahead with the snoopers' charter Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

US hospital claims to have fought off a ransomware attack

A hospital in Kentucky claims to have regained control of its IT systems five days after cyber criminals hit it with a ransomware attack Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Southend Council to connect key sites with dark fibre network

Southend-on-Sea Borough Council selects CityFibre to supply a 50km dark fibre network across 120 public sector sites in the town Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

National Cyber Security Centre to be UK authority on information security

The UK’s National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) is to be the UK's one-stop authority on infosec, based in London and led by GCHQ's Ciaran Martin Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

NHS England injects £55m to boost e-Referrals uptake

NHS England will use £55m to reward GPs and hospitals using digital referrals by 2018 to increase uptake of its e-Referrals programme Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

Lack of security knowledge limiting business initiatives, survey shows

Security concerns are limiting the adoption of cloud and mobility throughout organisations, according to the first Dell Data Security Survey Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Security Think Tank: Many breaches down to poor access controls

In the modern business environment, what are the most common access control mistakes – and how best are these corrected? Continue Reading

By

• Paul Yung

Security Think Tank: Top five access control mistakes

In the modern business environment, what are the most common access control mistakes and what is the best way to correct them? Continue Reading

By

• Tim Holman, 2-sec

GDS hindered delivery of rural payments programme, says PAC

The rural payments programme was a “Whitehall fiasco” with too much focus on the digital front end, says the public accounts committee (PAC) Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

RSAC16: US works on data access agreement with UK

The US is negotiating with the UK to establish a new framework that will permit UK authorities to access electronic communications directly from US companies Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Cyber crime is fastest growing economic crime, says PwC report

More than half of UK organisations say they expect to be the victim of cyber crime in the next two years, suggesting it will become the UK’s largest economic crime, says a PwC report Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Social engineering confirmed as top information security threat

Cyber attackers shifted away from automated exploits in 2015 and instead tricked people into doing the dirty work, Proofpoint researchers found Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

HR technology heads to cloud in Finland

Computer Weekly talked to Finnish experts about Finnish enterprises moving to cloud-based HR IT systems Continue Reading

By

• Eeva Haaramo

CW Europe: February 2016

In Europe cloud is restricted and hybrid setups make use of local compute and storage. Continue Reading

HMRC shares details of IT transformation plans

HM Revenue & Customs has published its IT strategy outlining how it plans to transform its IT estate by taking a platform approach, moving to virtual infrastructure and cloud-based services Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

EU managers need to up cyber security collaboration, study finds

There is still much work to be done in the area of collaboration and sharing responsibility when it comes to preventing data breaches, a study has found Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

US IT professionals overconfident in cyber attack detection, study finds

Most US IT professionals are confident in key security controls to detect cyber attacks – but unsure how long it would take automated tools to discover a breach Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Social engineering is top hacking method, survey shows

Social engineering tops the list of popular hacking methods, underlining the need for continuous monitoring, according to security firm Balabit Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

TechUK calls on government to take reports on spy laws seriously

Government must address the fundamental concerns raised by expert witnesses, MPs and Lords about the draft Investigatory Powers Bill, says TechUK Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

MK:Smart enlists IoT supplier ThingWorx for speedy development

Milton Keynes smart city project selects ThingWorx to provide a rapid application deployment environment Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Bulk data collection unnecessary for surveillance, says cyber expert

Opting for bulk data collection and other intrusive surveillance overlooks other means available that do not involve collateral damage to businesses and innocent people, says cyber expert Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Google’s Chrome to flag deceptive embedded content

Browser will warn of any embedded content such as ads that pretend to act like, and look and feel like, a trusted entity Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

DDoS is most common cyber attack on financial institutions

January’s attack on HSBC is typical for the financial sector, but no business should consider itself unlikely to be targeted in this way, say security experts Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

ICO launches data privacy assessment tool for SMEs

The ICO has launched an online self-assessment tool to help SMEs to comply with data protection laws and improve data handling procedures Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Business urged to take action on data privacy

Security professionals use Data Protection Day to encourage businesses to do more to protect personal data Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Keep data safe or risk financial impact, ICO warns business

The knock-on effect of a data breach can be devastating for a company, warns information commissioner Christopher Graham Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

New government plan to support cyber security startups

Government has announced a £250,000 programme to increase the rate of cyber security startup development in the UK Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Average DDoS attacks fatal to most businesses, report reveals

Criminal activity is top motivation for DDoS attacks as average attacks become strong enough to down most businesses, Arbor Networks report reveals Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

$54m cyber fraud hits aircraft supplier share price

Austrian aircraft industry supplier reports cyber fraud loss of $54m, way above the average cost of the worst breaches in the UK of up to $4.4m in 2015 Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Crunch time for Australian CIOs as analytics platforms drive strategy in 2016

CIOs in Australia and elsewhere will be expected to deploy technologies that promise to help them get more from the information they own Continue Reading

By

• David Braue

Candy Crush maker King secures mobile access through cloud

Candy Crush maker King.com uses cloud-based Duo Security authentication for access to cloud services, customised apps and remote VPNs Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

PwC acquires Polish cloud consultancy for European operation

PwC is buying Poland-based IT services firm Outbox to build its cloud skills and resources across Europe Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Government should exploit blockchain technology, says chief scientist Mark Walport

Distributed ledgers – the technology behind systems such as bitcoin – could transform public services, says government chief scientist Mark Walport Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

Australian prime minister Malcolm Turnbull calls for free, open and secure internet

International norms of behaviour should prohibit states from conducting cyber intellectual property theft, says Australian prime minister Malcolm Turnbull Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Chinese university targeted by Islamic State hacktivist

Beijing’s Tsinghua University is the latest organisation to be attacked by hackers with a social or political agenda Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Intel share price drops despite strong results

Despite growth in Intel's key datacentre and IoT businesses, investors remain concerned by falls in its core PC chip business amid market declines Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Firms can monitor employees’ online chats, EU court rules

Human rights court says it is not unreasonable for employers to want to verify that staff are completing their professional tasks during working hours Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Upgrade to Internet Explorer 11 to reduce risk

Failure to update to the latest version of Internet Explorer by 12 January 2016 could put users at risk, Microsoft warns Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Fears of software skills shortage in Germany and the Netherlands

Organisations in Germany and the Netherlands are struggling to fill positions for software developers as they digitise Continue Reading

By

• Rian van Heur

Top 10 cyber crime stories of 2015

Computer Weekly takes a look back at the top cyber crime stories of 2015 Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Eight startups selected for Cyber London security accelerator programme

Cyber London has selected startups from the UK, Finland, Hungary, Israel, Brazil and South Africa for its second cyber security accelerator programme Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

UK firms act quickly to fix payment card data encryption

Security firm found that 16 global companies had failed to effectively encrypt traffic to the payment portion of their websites and apps Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

How to deal with the aftermath of a data breach

Considering that a data breach could happen to any company, at any time, a plan of action is the best tactic Continue Reading

By

• Dan Raywood

Russian big data in early stages

The use of big data technologies in Russia is still embryonic and the economic slowdown is stalling developments Continue Reading

By

• Vladimir Kozlov