IT for telecoms and internet organisations
Telecoms is one of the largest business sectors, and communications providers often have large IT budgets and are early adopters of new technologies. Our news and analysis of this important industry looks at how telecommunications firms, ISPs and other internet companies are using IT, and the regulatory issues that affect the services they provide.
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News
20 Dec 2024
Top 10 data and ethics stories of 2024
Here are Computer Weekly’s top 10 data and ethics stories of 2024 Continue Reading
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News
19 Dec 2024
LockBit ransomware gang teases February 2025 return
An individual associated with the LockBit ransomware gang has broken cover to tease details of a new phase of the cyber criminal operation's activity, which they claim is set to begin in February 2025 Continue Reading
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News
11 Nov 2022
Volume of self-reported breaches to ICO jumps 30%
The number of self-reported breaches to the UK’s Information Commissioner’s Office soared by nearly 30% in the 12 months to 30 June 2022 Continue Reading
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Feature
11 Nov 2022
An encouraging new conversation around sustainable IT, says Nordic CIO
What started as a whisper a decade ago has become distinctly audible chatter among IT leaders sharing best practices on how to protect the environment Continue Reading
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Opinion
11 Nov 2022
Security Think Tank: To stop ransomware, preparation is the best medicine
You can’t ‘stop’ ransomware, but you can do a lot to keep yourself from becoming ensnared when it strikes Continue Reading
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News
10 Nov 2022
Scrutinising AI requires holistic, end-to-end system audits
Understanding the full impacts of artificial intelligence requires organisations to conduct end-to-end social and technical audits of their systems, but the process comes with a number of challenges Continue Reading
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News
09 Nov 2022
Microsoft serves smorgasbord of six zero-days
November’s Patch Tuesday fixes significantly fewer vulnerabilities of late, but includes six actively-exploited zero-days, three of them of critical severity Continue Reading
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News
09 Nov 2022
Qualcomm, Renault go up a gear in electric vehicle partnership
Leading car manufacturer and mobile technologies firm announce plan to enter a strategic long-term cooperation, encompassing co-development of high-performance computing platforms based on Snapdragon Digital Chassis Solutions for next generation of software-defined vehicles Continue Reading
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Opinion
09 Nov 2022
Security Think Tank: Anti-ransomware strategies should be as easy as ABC
When developing and implementing ransomware protection strategies, the importance of paying thorough attention to security measures you might consider elementary cannot be understated Continue Reading
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News
07 Nov 2022
How Globe is driving data analytics with Snowflake
The largest telco in the Philippines has moved its on-premise data warehouse to Snowflake to address scalability challenges and improve customer experience Continue Reading
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Opinion
07 Nov 2022
To fight ransomware, we must treat digital infrastructure as critical
Ransomware defence is failing because we don’t view our digital infrastructure in the same way as our physical infrastructure, argues Elastic’s Mandy Andress Continue Reading
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News
04 Nov 2022
Elon Musk begins mass Twitter layoffs via email
New Twitter owner Elon Musk has begun the process of cutting the company’s workforce in half, but is already facing a legal backlash for allegedly violating US labour laws Continue Reading
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News
04 Nov 2022
Microsoft: Nation-state cyber attacks became increasingly destructive in 2022
The willingness of nation-state actors to conduct destructive cyber attacks is a source of grave concern, as Microsoft’s latest annual Digital Defence Report lays bare Continue Reading
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Opinion
04 Nov 2022
Security Think Tank: Ransomware and CISOs’ balancing act
Ransomware has the potential to cause irreversible business damage, so CISOs should consider not only protection but also response and recovery Continue Reading
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News
03 Nov 2022
Microsoft pledges $100m in new IT support for Ukraine
Microsoft will continue to offer free-of-charge technology support to Ukraine for the foreseeable future Continue Reading
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News
03 Nov 2022
The Security Interviews: Building trust online
Consumer reviews website Trustpilot has built and scaled its IT security team and is now turning to agile methods and DevSecOps to further enhance its cyber capabilities Continue Reading
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News
02 Nov 2022
Shadow digital secretary outlines Labour’s tech priorities
Labour’s digital and technology plans focus on reining in the power of the tech giants, boosting connectivity across the UK, and improving online safety Continue Reading
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News
02 Nov 2022
Dropbox code compromised in phishing attack
Cloud storage service says malicious actors successfully accessed some of its code within GitHub, but insists customer data is secure Continue Reading
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Opinion
02 Nov 2022
Security Think Tank: Know your networks, know your suppliers
To combat the ransomware scourge, we must work harder to monitor and learn from the increasingly complex threat environment, keep a closer eye on supply chains, and share our insights Continue Reading
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News
01 Nov 2022
A third of UK cyber leaders want to quit, report says
Nearly a third of UK security leaders are considering leaving their current role, and more than half are struggling to keep on top of their workload Continue Reading
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Feature
31 Oct 2022
AI experts question tech industry’s ethical commitments
The massive proliferation of ethical frameworks for artificial intelligence has done little to change how the technology is developed and deployed, with experts questioning the tech industry’s commitment to making it a positive social force Continue Reading
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News
31 Oct 2022
Prepare today for potentially high-impact OpenSSL bug
OpenSSL trailed a critical vulnerability patch last week, which will be only the second such flaw ever found in the open source encryption project. Unfortunately, the first was Heartbleed Continue Reading
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Opinion
31 Oct 2022
Security Think Tank: Container security: why so different?
Done well, container security can be a model for securing the enterprise, and businesses that focus their teams on solving it can help accelerate positive change in other areas Continue Reading
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Opinion
28 Oct 2022
How has container security changed since 2020, and have we taken it too far?
While containers are now one of the most popular ways to deploy applications, it is fair to say that the adoption and implementation of security best practice to govern their use has not kept up Continue Reading
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News
27 Oct 2022
Government ups cyber support for elderly, vulnerable web users
DCMS announces a funding boost to help the elderly, disabled and other vulnerable groups stay safe online and avoid being misled by disinformation Continue Reading
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News
27 Oct 2022
LinkedIn adds new features to safeguard user privacy, security
Social media platform is adding a number of features and systems designed to protect legitimate users from inauthentic profiles and activity Continue Reading
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News
25 Oct 2022
Apple patches new iPhone zero-day
Apple’s latest patch fixes yet another zero-day, as security issues keep surfacing in its mobile products Continue Reading
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News
25 Oct 2022
US authorities charge two Chinese spies over telco security probe
Two Chinese nationals have been charged with attempting to obstruct the criminal prosecution of a prominent Chinese telecoms firm Continue Reading
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News
25 Oct 2022
Germany: European Court of Justice asked to rule on legality of hacked EncroChat phone evidence
Berlin’s Regional Court has asked the European Court of Justice to answer questions about whether the use of hacked EncroChat phone evidence complies with European law Continue Reading
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News
25 Oct 2022
Digital-first businesses more willing to accept some fraud
Companies founded in the past 20 years appear more willing to accept higher levels of fraudulent activity during the customer onboarding process, according to a report Continue Reading
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News
24 Oct 2022
Half of staff might quit after a cyber attack, report says
Findings from a survey of CISOs, IT leaders and staffers reveal how experiencing a cyber incident may take a larger-than-thought toll on employee retention Continue Reading
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News
21 Oct 2022
Ukrainian and UK IT sectors to deepen collaboration, partnerships
BCS, the Chartered Institute for IT, and the IT Ukraine Association have signed an MoU to deepen collaboration between the UK and Ukrainian IT sectors, and champion new partnerships and growth opportunities Continue Reading
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News
20 Oct 2022
Cyber professional shortfall hits 3.4 million
Shortage of cyber security professionals continues to grow and shows no signs of abating, says report Continue Reading
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News
19 Oct 2022
Treat cyber crime as a ‘strategic threat’, UK businesses told
The government’s new National Cyber Advisory Board aims to help elevate cyber discussion and spur action in the business community Continue Reading
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News
14 Oct 2022
Office 365 email encryption flaw could pose risk to user privacy
A vulnerability in Microsoft Office 365 Message Encryption could leave the contents of emails dangerously exposed, but with no fix coming it’s up to users to decide how at risk they are Continue Reading
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News
14 Oct 2022
Protecting children by scanning encrypted messages is ‘magical thinking’, says Cambridge professor
Ross Anderson argues in a rebuttal to GCHQ experts that using artificial intelligence to scan encrypted messaging services is the wrong approach to protecting children and preventing terrorism Continue Reading
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News
12 Oct 2022
NCSC urges organisations to secure supply chains
NCSC’s latest guidance package centres supply chain security, helping medium to large organisations assess and mitigate cyber risks from suppliers Continue Reading
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News
06 Oct 2022
EU rolling out measures for online safety and AI liability
The European Council has approved the passage of the Digital Services Act to protect people’s rights online, while the European Commission has announced proposals to help those negatively affected by artificial intelligence to claim compensation Continue Reading
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News
06 Oct 2022
Proposals for scanning encrypted messages should be cut from Online Safety Bill, say researchers
Automatic scanning of messaging services for illegal content could lead to one billion false alarms each day in Europe Continue Reading
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Feature
05 Oct 2022
Clickwork and labour exploitation in the digital economy
Often ignored or assumed to be work conducted by machines rather than people, Computer Weekly explores the hidden human impact of the ‘clickwork’ that underpins the global digital economy Continue Reading
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News
28 Sep 2022
Online Safety Bill needs complete overhaul, say rights groups
Civil society groups write to new digital minister to challenge various aspects of the upcoming Online Safety Bill, which they say threatens rights to privacy and freedom of expression Continue Reading
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News
22 Sep 2022
Privacy Pledge signatories dream of alternative internet
A group of privacy-focused organisations have come together to establish a set of principles for taking the internet back from big tech and surveillance capitalism Continue Reading
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News
21 Sep 2022
NCSC publishes cyber guidance for retailers
The NCSC has published tailored advice to support online retailers, hospitality providers and utility services in protecting themselves and their customers from cyber crime Continue Reading
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News
21 Sep 2022
5G fixed wireless access services to see huge growth
Spending on 5G fixed wireless access services is set to explode globally over the next 12 months Continue Reading
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News
20 Sep 2022
Reports Uber and Rockstar incidents work of same attacker
Rockstar Games was hit over the weekend by an attacker who claimed to have accessed its Slack channel to steal data on an upcoming release, and may be the same person who compromised Uber Continue Reading
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News
16 Sep 2022
Uber suffers major cyber attack
Details are trickling out of an apparent ‘near total’ compromise of ride-sharing service Uber by an alleged teenage hacktivist Continue Reading
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News
15 Sep 2022
EU Cyber Resilience Act sets global standard for connected products
European Commission lays out proposed security regulations on device and software security to better protect consumers and drive global standards Continue Reading
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News
15 Sep 2022
Organisations failing to account for digital trust
The vast majority of businesses are well aware of the importance of digital trust, yet very few have a dedicated staff role responsible for it, report finds Continue Reading
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News
14 Sep 2022
Ex-CISA head Krebs: Disrupt ransomware support networks to win the war
Speaking at an event hosted by data protection specialist Rubrik, former CISA director Chris Krebs calls for the security community to work collectively to kick out the supports from under ransomware gangs Continue Reading
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News
12 Sep 2022
CISOs should spend on critical apps, cloud, zero-trust, in 2023
Faced with a global recession next year, security buyers should try to direct investment towards technology that protects customer-facing and revenue-generating workloads, say analysts Continue Reading
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News
05 Sep 2022
UK payments upgrade to add more than £3bn to GDP, but much more on offer
UK GDP will increase when its ageing payments infrastructure is replaced with the latest technology to enable real-time payments Continue Reading
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News
05 Sep 2022
How Okta is regaining customer trust after a cyber attack
In early 2022, cyber firm Okta was among several tech companies hit by the Lapsus$ gang. Vice-president of customer trust Ben King talks about how he has been working behind the scenes to rebuild confidence after the incident Continue Reading
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Opinion
01 Sep 2022
Security Think Tank: Effective DevSecOps requires collaboration
Application security and effective DevSecOps can only be achieved through collaboration with the business – the ultimate goal is to make it safer to do business, which requires considering integrated risk management and identity and access management alongside cyber security and application security Continue Reading
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News
31 Aug 2022
Google debuts open source bug bounty programme
Google is calling on hackers to take pot-shots at its open source projects for the first time through a new vulnerability research programme Continue Reading
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News
30 Aug 2022
IAM house Okta confirms 0ktapus/Scatter Swine attack
Following last week’s disclosureby Group-IB researchers of a major phishing campaign, Okta has warned its customers to be on their guard Continue Reading
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News
30 Aug 2022
UK government presses on with new cyber rules for telcos
Government has finalised new security rules for telecoms companies and will move to make them binding in the near future Continue Reading
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News
25 Aug 2022
Criminal 0ktapus spoofed IAM firm in massive phishing attack
Researchers at Group-IB have published research on a major phishing campaign that ensnared victims at the likes of Cloudflare and Twilio Continue Reading
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News
25 Aug 2022
Adaptive RedAlert, Monster ransomwares go cross-platform
Kaspersky researchers have shared new intelligence on two emergent cyber criminal groups that have adapted their ransomwares to target different operating systems at the same time Continue Reading
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News
25 Aug 2022
Security pros fret about stress and promotion over cyber attacks
CIISec’s annual report on the state of the security profession reveals some home truths for security leaders Continue Reading
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News
25 Aug 2022
LockBit 3.0 cements dominance of ransomware ecosystem
Ransomware attacks were up 47% in July compared with the previous month, according to the latest threat data from NCC Group, with the LockBit family largely to blame Continue Reading
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News
24 Aug 2022
Most CISOs think they’ve been attacked by a nation state
Most organisations have made changes to their cyber strategies and policies following Russia’s invasion, and almost two-thirds suspect they have been directly targeted or impacted by a nation-state cyber attack Continue Reading
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News
24 Aug 2022
Alleged Twitter security failings spell trouble ahead
Twitter’s former security head, Peiter Zatko, has alleged a number of serious cyber failures at the social media platform, raising the spectre of investigations and sanctions Continue Reading
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News
22 Aug 2022
Kaspersky threat data added to Microsoft Sentinel service
Microsoft and Kaspersky have agreed a collaboration to integrate Kaspersky’s threat data feeds into Microsoft’s cloud-native SIEM/SOAR service Continue Reading
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News
22 Aug 2022
Lloyd’s to end insurance coverage for state cyber attacks
Lloyd’s of London has instructed its members to exclude nation state cyber attacks from insurance policies beginning in 2023, saying they pose unacceptable levels of risk Continue Reading
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News
19 Aug 2022
Google employees demand end to collection of abortion data
In the wake of the US Supreme Court rolling back abortion rights, Google employees are calling on the company to stop collecting abortion-related data, so that it can never be shared with police Continue Reading
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News
19 Aug 2022
Cozy Bear targets MS 365 environments with new tactics
Cozy Bear, or APT29, is trying out new tricks as it seeks access to its targets’ Microsoft 365 environments Continue Reading
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News
18 Aug 2022
Growing MFA use spurs ‘pass-the-cookie’ attacks
The exploitation of stolen session cookies by cyber criminals is once again back on the agenda, thanks to the growing popularity of multifactor authentication tools Continue Reading
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News
18 Aug 2022
It takes a breach to force boards to take notice of cyber, says UK government
Too often, it takes a major incident for business leadership to pay attention to cyber issues, according to a government-commissioned study of victims Continue Reading
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News
18 Aug 2022
GPS tagging of migrants breaches UK data protection law, says Privacy International complaint
Privacy group files complaints with Information Commissioner’s Office and Forensic Science Regulator over Home Office’s GPS monitoring of migrants Continue Reading
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News
16 Aug 2022
Why organisations need to harmonise their CIO and CISO roles
Unless properly managed, conflicting responsibilities between the chief information officer and the chief information security officer can cause project delays and budget overruns, says Netskope’s Mike Anderson Continue Reading
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News
12 Aug 2022
Online Safety Bill ‘not fit for purpose’, say tech experts
IT specialists lack confidence that legislation compelling tech firms to tackle online harms will work as intended, with only a small minority believing ‘harmful but legal’ content can be effectively and proportionately policed by internet platforms Continue Reading
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News
10 Aug 2022
Microsoft fixes two-year-old MSDT vulnerability in August update
August’s Patch Tuesday drop fixes more than 120 CVEs, including another MSDT RCE zero-day that is being actively exploited. Continue Reading
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News
10 Aug 2022
‘Coopetition’ a growing trend among ransomware gangs
Sophos shares data from its new X-Ops unit at Black Hat in Las Vegas, revealing a growing number of ransomware victims being attacked by multiple gangs at the same time Continue Reading
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News
04 Aug 2022
Spyware activity particularly impactful in July
After a quiet June, vulnerability exploitation ramped up in July, with intrusions linked to spyware seeing unusually high volumes of activity, according to a report Continue Reading
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News
03 Aug 2022
New EU due diligence law needs amending to stop tech sector abuse
European corporate due diligence directive seeking to transform how companies approach their human rights and environmental risk is welcome, but without further changes, it will fail to effectively curb tech firms’ harmful practices, claims international non-profit Continue Reading
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News
29 Jul 2022
Austrian data firm accused of selling malware, conducting cyber attacks
Microsoft has accused DSIRF, an Austrian data services firm, of involvement in a string of cyber attacks Continue Reading
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News
28 Jul 2022
Cyber criminals pivot away from macros as Microsoft changes bite
As Microsoft resumes blocking macros by default in its Office application suite, reversing a temporary reversal, analysis from Proofpoint suggests the action has had a remarkable effect Continue Reading
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News
28 Jul 2022
Teams in Grenoble work on 6G breakthrough technology
Even as 5G networks are being rolled out, new requirements are driving scientists, and engineers in Europe are back to the lab to start developing 6G Continue Reading
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News
27 Jul 2022
Consumers left out of pocket as security costs soar
As the average cost of a security incident reaches an all-time high of nearly $4.5m, an IBM Security study reveals how these costs are being passed on to ordinary people Continue Reading
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News
27 Jul 2022
Cyber security training ‘boring’ and largely ignored
Two-thirds of employees don’t bother to pay attention to cyber security training – and the fault does not lie with them Continue Reading
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Opinion
27 Jul 2022
Security Think Tank: Don’t rely on insurance alone
Cyber insurance is a useful addition to the cyber protection toolbox. However, it cannot be regarded as a replacement for the controls that should be in operation, says Turnkey Consulting’s Tom Venables Continue Reading
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News
26 Jul 2022
No More Ransom initiative helps 1.5 million people in six years
One and a half million people have now taken advantage of free ransomware decryption tools offered by a joint European project Continue Reading
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News
26 Jul 2022
Meta publishes first-ever human rights report
Meta details its approach to protecting and promoting human rights, but civil society groups say the company has failed to grapple with the human rights risks associated with its own business model Continue Reading
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News
26 Jul 2022
Ducktail infostealer targets Facebook Business users
Newly uncovered Ducktail operation targets individuals with access to Facebook Business service and tries to steal their accounts Continue Reading
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News
25 Jul 2022
Latest Atlassian Confluence vulnerability raises concerns
CVE-2022-26138 is the second major vulnerability disclosure made for Atlassian’s Confluence collaboration platform in recent months Continue Reading
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News
25 Jul 2022
The Security Interviews: Why you need to protect abandoned digital assets
The war in Ukraine and subsequent boycott of Russia resulted in a swathe of digital infrastructure being abandoned, becoming a potential vulnerability for many organisations, says Cyberpion’s Ran Nahmias Continue Reading
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News
22 Jul 2022
Russia could become the world’s largest market for illegal IT
Russia could become the biggest market for illegal IT equipment as companies try to get round sanctions imposed on the country Continue Reading
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News
22 Jul 2022
LinkedIn most impersonated brand in phishing attacks
Social network LinkedIn, along with Microsoft and DHL, are just some of the brands that are most frequently imitated by cyber criminals conducting phishing attacks Continue Reading
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News
21 Jul 2022
GCHQ experts back scanning of encrypted phone messages to fight child abuse
Ian Levy, technical director of the NCSC, and Crispin Robinson, technical director of GCHQ, back client-side scanning software on mobile phones to detect child abuse Continue Reading
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News
21 Jul 2022
Buy ‘plug-n-play’ malware for the price of a pint of beer
Three-quarters of malwares and almost 90% of exploits retail on the dark web for about £8.40 or less, according to a report Continue Reading
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News
21 Jul 2022
UK government introduces data reforms legislation to Parliament
Proposed changes to UK’s data protection regime include new grounds for data processing, significant powers for the secretary of state to direct the regime’s application, and fewer restrictions on law enforcement’s use of data Continue Reading
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News
20 Jul 2022
(ISC)² expands entry-level cyber programme after UK success
Flush with success from a UK certification programme, reaching 100k in the UK, (ISC)² now wants to provide free security certification to a million people worldwide Continue Reading
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News
20 Jul 2022
Cato aims to bust cyber myths as it extends network protections
Cato Networks is beefing up its platform’s security features with ransomware and data loss protections, and the firm’s security strategy lead Etay Maor is using the occasion – and his unique access to billions of data points from the firm’s network – to explode some cyber myths Continue Reading
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News
20 Jul 2022
Vodafone upgrades global network with SDN for flexible scalability
Software-defined networking stack deployed on both IP and optical global internet network controllers Continue Reading
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News
19 Jul 2022
European IT services see bumper quarter, but signs of slowing emerge
Spending on IT and BPO services in Europe saw significant growth in the past quarter, but there are signs of a slowdown Continue Reading
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News
18 Jul 2022
US cyber agency CISA to open London office
The US Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency has chosen London to host its first office outside America Continue Reading
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News
15 Jul 2022
Log4Shell on its way to becoming ‘endemic’
US government report concludes that, like Covid, Log4Shell will be with us for a long time to come Continue Reading
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News
14 Jul 2022
Videogame maker Bandai Namco confirms cyber attack
Bandai Namco, developer of videogames including Pac-Man, Tekken and Dark Souls, has broken days of silence to confirm it has been hit by a cyber attack Continue Reading
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News
14 Jul 2022
Global IT services market shows signs of slowing
Spending on IT and business process services could be set to reduce over the coming months as the latest ISG figures show early signs of decline Continue Reading
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News
14 Jul 2022
ICO wants to ‘empower people through information’
Information Commissioner’s Office sets out commitment to safeguard the information rights of the most vulnerable people in UK society Continue Reading
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News
13 Jul 2022
Slippery phish wriggles around MFA protections, says Microsoft
Microsoft’s threat researchers share details of a phishing campaign that hit 10,000 organisations, against which standard multifactor authentication provides little defence Continue Reading
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News
13 Jul 2022
July Patch Tuesday brings more than 80 fixes, one zero-day
While some admins can put their feet up and let Windows Autopatch do the hard work of updating their Microsoft estates, for the rest of us, the Patch Tuesday bandwagon keeps on keeping on Continue Reading