IT for utilities and energy
Utility firms and energy companies rely on IT to support their often highly complex operations. The industry is being forced by politial and customer pressure to be greener and technology is central to achieving greater energy efficiency, through major initiatives such as smart meters. Our stories about energy and utility firms examine how IT is helping to enable change and improvement in these companies.
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News
20 Nov 2024
Apple addresses two iPhone, Mac zero-days
Two zero-day vulnerabilities uncovered in Apple’s operating systems could have allowed for arbitrary code execution and cross-site scripting attacks Continue Reading
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Opinion
19 Nov 2024
Underfunded, under pressure: We must act to support cyber teams
With almost half of cyber pros experiencing more incidents this year, security leaders say their teams are coming under increasing strain. Businesses must be more proactive approach about building a resilient, future-ready workforce Continue Reading
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News
08 Jul 2013
UK takes cyber threats to infrastructure seriously
The UK is taking seriously potential cyber threats to critical national infrastructure, according to GCHQ head Iain Lobban Continue Reading
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News
05 Jul 2013
Tougher EU penalties for cyber crime not enough, say security experts
The European Parliament has adopted a draft directive to toughen up EU penalties for cyber crime, but security experts say this is not enough on its own Continue Reading
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News
05 Jul 2013
Security Think Tank: Prism unlikely to change much
Does the data collected by Prism put the US Government at risk from other state or non-state sponsored activists? Continue Reading
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News
05 Jul 2013
UK joins EU demands for Google to rewrite privacy policy
The UK’s privacy watchdog has joined data protection authorities in France, Spain, Germany and Italy in demanding changes to Google’s privacy policy Continue Reading
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News
05 Jul 2013
NSA Prism scandal could hit US cloud providers, says EC vice-president
EC vice-president Neelie Kroes says US cloud services providers could lose business because of fears over US Prism surveillance programme Continue Reading
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News
04 Jul 2013
FBI warns of increased spear phishing attacks
The FBI has issued a warning about an increase in spear-phishing attacks targeting multiple industry sectors Continue Reading
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News
02 Jul 2013
Security Think Tank: Prism – Sitting duck or elaborate honeypot?
Does the data collected by Prism put the US Government at risk from other state or non-state sponsored activists? Continue Reading
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News
02 Jul 2013
Senior MPs flout EU cookie law
Two years after the EU cookie regulation and UK law came into force, not all UK websites are compliant, including the sites of 13 senior MPs Continue Reading
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News
01 Jul 2013
Stuxnet leak investigation leads to project originator
The US government investigation into Stuxnet leak of classified information leads to retired general in the Marines, James Cartwright Continue Reading
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News
27 Jun 2013
How BP made its IT future-ready with a hybrid cloud infrastructure
BP bridged its cloud gap with a cautious and calculated approach using a mix of private cloud, public cloud and in-house IT infrastructure Continue Reading
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News
26 Jun 2013
Data quality more important than fixating over big data, says Shell VP
Johan Krebbers, vice-president of architecture at Shell, says it is more important to get data quality right than to find a ‘big data silver bullet’ Continue Reading
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News
26 Jun 2013
Encrypting enterprises miss out on cloud benefits
Enterprises sending encrypted data to the cloud are missing out on some of the greatest benefits of cloud computing, says Thales e-Security Continue Reading
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News
24 Jun 2013
Identity management key to browser-based IT strategy
A cloud-based identity management system is key to enabling a browser-based IT strategy at online recruitment firm Reed.co.uk Continue Reading
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News
21 Jun 2013
Most firms underestimate volume of malware, study shows
Most companies greatly underestimate the number of malicious programs appearing daily, a global survey of more than 2,000 IT professionals has revealed Continue Reading
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News
21 Jun 2013
UK businesses failing to secure virtual environments, study finds
Most UK businesses are failing to secure data in virtual environments, a survey of IT decision makers has revealed Continue Reading
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News
21 Jun 2013
Government launches cyber awareness campaign
UK government debuts the first stage of a £4m cyber awareness campaign as part of the National Cyber Security Programme Continue Reading
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News
11 Jun 2013
UK links to US internet surveillance remain unclear
The government insists that UK spy agencies operate within the law, but questions remain Continue Reading
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News
07 Jun 2013
PM urged to criminalise internet rape porn
Campaigners are calling for the criminalisation of possessing internet pornography depicting rape Continue Reading
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News
05 Jun 2013
Human error causes most data breaches, Ponemon study finds
Human errors and system problems caused two-thirds of data breaches in 2012, according to a study from Symantec and the Ponemon Institute Continue Reading
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News
29 May 2013
Stratfor hacker pleads guilty
US hacktivist Jeremy Hammond pleads guilty to accessing computers of law enforcement agencies and government contractors illegally Continue Reading
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News
29 May 2013
Syrian hackers deface Sky Android apps
Syrian hackers have defaced several of Sky’s Android apps, forcing the broadcaster to remove them temporarily from the Google Play store Continue Reading
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News
21 May 2013
Privileged accounts key to most APT attacks, says Cyber-Ark
The theft, misuse and exploitation of privileged accounts is becoming an increasingly key tactic in advanced persistent threat attacks Continue Reading
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News
16 May 2013
Most IT environments immature, Microsoft reveals
Most business IT environments are immature, analysis of data from Microsoft’s Cloud Security Readiness Tool has revealed Continue Reading
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News
15 May 2013
Microsoft declares conformance with ISO 27034-1
Microsoft has declared conformance with ISO 27034-1, the first part of an international standard for secure software development Continue Reading
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News
08 May 2013
Adobe moves to cloud-based subscription model
Adobe has announced that it is to introduce a cloud-based subscription model for popular applications, including Photoshop Continue Reading
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News
07 May 2013
Symantec helps NHS trust cut security costs by a quarter
The Royal Liverpool and Broadgreen University Hospitals NHS Trust cut security costs by 25% in its partnership with security supplier Symantec Continue Reading
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News
07 May 2013
Windows 8 passes 100 million in sales
Microsoft says Windows 8 OS has sold more than 100 million copies, roughly matching Windows 7 in the six months after launch Continue Reading
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News
03 May 2013
Netherlands considers hacking powers for police
The Netherlands government considers legislation to give police powers to hack into computers, install spyware and read emails Continue Reading
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News
01 May 2013
What’s to be done about data breach discovery?
The time from first contact by cyber attackers to the victim learning of it is still measured in months and years, not hours and days Continue Reading
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News
25 Apr 2013
Infosec 2013: Cyber crime challenges law enforcement
Cyber crime is forcing police and law enforcement agencies to re-think basic skills needed, according to experts at Infosecurity Europe 2013 Continue Reading
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News
25 Apr 2013
Lib Dems will block Snoopers’ Charter, says Nick Clegg
The draft Communications Data Bill will not go ahead while the Lib Dems are in government, says deputy prime minister Nick Clegg Continue Reading
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News
22 Apr 2013
Infosec 2013: University research challenges reliability of IPS
Research shows intrusion prevention systems (IPS) are not as effective at detecting malicious activity as some might think Continue Reading
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News
22 Apr 2013
Security spend misaligned with threats, says security veteran
Security budget allocations have remained the same for the past 15 years, but threats have changed, says Shlomo Kramer, chief executive at security firm Imperva Continue Reading
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News
22 Apr 2013
US jails LulzSec hacker Cody Kretsinger
The US has jailed a member of hacktivist group LulzSec for a year for his role in breaching computer systems at Sony Pictures Entertainment in 2011 Continue Reading
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News
19 Apr 2013
Conficker makes way for web-based attacks, says Microsoft
Web attacks emerge as top threat as businesses finally begin to win the battle against Conficker and other worms, says Microsoft Continue Reading
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News
19 Apr 2013
Microsoft reports strong quarterly results for all divisions
Microsoft reported profit of $6bn for the past quarter, up 17% from a year ago, despite a mixed response to Windows 8 and a decline in PC sales Continue Reading
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Feature
16 Apr 2013
How to create a good information security policy
Information security policies provide vital support to security professionals, yet few organisations take the time to create decent policies Continue Reading
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News
15 Apr 2013
Anonymous hacks North Korean websites for a second time
Members of the Anonymous hacktivist collective claim to have again hacked several prominent North Korean websites Continue Reading
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News
15 Apr 2013
Google reaches deal with EU competition authorities
Google has reportedly reached a deal with European Union (EU) competition authorities over concerns about its business practices Continue Reading
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News
12 Apr 2013
Google has another go at allaying EU competition concerns
Google has submitted a fresh set of proposals to address European concerns about its business practices and avoid punitive action Continue Reading
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News
11 Apr 2013
Bots and web apps among top threats to data security, says Check Point
Bots, viruses, breaches and attacks are a constant and real threat to the information security of organisations Continue Reading
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News
11 Apr 2013
Porn websites pose malware risk, says researcher
Browsing popular pornography internet sites pose a growing risk of malware infection, according to a security researcher Continue Reading
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News
11 Apr 2013
South Korea accuses North Korea of launching cyber attacks
South Korea blames North Korea for the cyber attacks that shut down thousands of computers at broadcasters and banks two weeks ago Continue Reading
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News
03 Apr 2013
Case Study: 192business switches to tokenisation to speed up business processes
Online payment card verification firm 192business uses tokenisation to speed up its processes and protect credit card details from fraud Continue Reading
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News
03 Apr 2013
US Army practises poor data security on mobile devices
Pentagon inspector general finds smartphones and tablets the US Army buys are not configured to protect sensitive data and allow remote wipe Continue Reading
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News
03 Apr 2013
Anonymous threatens to declare cyber war on North Korea
Anonymous hacktivist collective has threatened North Korea with cyber war if leader Kim Jong-un does not resign and install free democracy Continue Reading
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News
02 Apr 2013
Google closer to action from European privacy regulators
Google is another step closer to action by privacy regulators across Europe for failing to change the way it manages user data Continue Reading
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News
27 Mar 2013
UK government sets up cyber security fusion cell
A cyber security “fusion cell” for cross-sector threat data sharing aims to put government, industry and information security analysts side-by-side Continue Reading
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News
26 Mar 2013
Southern Water contracts TCS for transformation
Southern Water is transforming customer service and revenue management through IT services from Tata Consultancy Services Continue Reading
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News
26 Mar 2013
Employees ignore security rules, say infosec pros
Most information security professionals believe corporate employees wilfully ignore security rules, survey at RSA Conference 2013 reveals Continue Reading
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News
25 Mar 2013
Malware in counterfeit software to cost business $114bn in 2013
Dealing with malware in counterfeit software will cost global enterprises an estimated $114bn in 2013, says research firm IDC Continue Reading
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News
22 Mar 2013
Six security issues to tackle before encrypting cloud data
Concern about security and privacy is likely to drive adoption of cloud encryption, but there are six security issues businesses should tackle Continue Reading
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News
13 Mar 2013
US authorities investigate hack of Michelle Obama and other high-profile people
US authorities are investigating hackers who allegedly stole financial information belonging to US first lady Michelle Obama Continue Reading
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News
11 Mar 2013
Phishing emails sent in pairs to lend authenticity, says training company
Phishing emails are now being deployed in pairs to create the illusion of authenticity, says security awareness training company PhishMe Continue Reading
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News
11 Mar 2013
Microsoft releases four critical security updates
Microsoft is to release four “critical” patches in its monthly Patch Tuesday security update, according to the advance notice. Continue Reading
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News
06 Mar 2013
What is RSA's build, buy, partner strategy?
Computer Weekly takes a closer look at RSA's build, buy, partner strategy Continue Reading
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Feature
04 Mar 2013
How to tackle big data from a security point of view
Before leaping into big data, companies must be clear what they are trying to achieve, otherwise their investment will be wasted Continue Reading
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News
28 Feb 2013
RSA 2013: Suppliers need to prepare for new security vulnerability handling standards
Software makers and online service providers need to prepare for two ISO standards on vulnerability handling processes due by the end of 2013 Continue Reading
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News
26 Feb 2013
RSA 2013: Obama cyber order will have significant effect, says DoHS
President Barack Obama’s executive order on cybersecurity is a “very big deal” says Mark Weatherford, deputy under-secretary for cybersecurity at the US Department of Homeland Security (DoHS). Continue Reading
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News
22 Feb 2013
Music companies critical of Google’s anti-piracy efforts
Music companies have accused Google of failing to fulfil a pledge not to give prominent rankings in search results to websites offering illegal music downloads. Continue Reading
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News
15 Feb 2013
Bad outsourcing decisions cause 63% of data breaches
Bad outsourcing decisions nearly two-thirds of data breaches investigated by security firm Trustwave in the past year Continue Reading
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Feature
11 Feb 2013
How to find the most vulnerable systems on your internal network
Most corporate networks share common vulnerabilities, but many could be mitigated with education in “hacker thinking” for technical staff Continue Reading
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Feature
07 Feb 2013
Social media: A security challenge and opportunity
Generation Y workers are posing increasing security challenges to their employers as they share data unreservedly Continue Reading
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News
06 Feb 2013
EU cyber strategy aimed at boosting preparedness and cooperation
The European cyber security strategy addresses insufficient national preparedness and boosting co-operation in the region, says the EC Continue Reading
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News
06 Feb 2013
Business avoids cloud over fear of government snooping
Almost half of IT professionals are deterred from keeping sensitive data in the cloud because of fear of government intervention and possible legal action, a survey has revealed Continue Reading
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News
06 Feb 2013
Twitter strengthens login security after hacker attack
Days after a hacking attack, it has emerged that Twitter plans to strengthen its login security with two-factor authentication Continue Reading
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News
28 Jan 2013
Why has NAC, like DLP, failed to take off?
Why are organisations not investing in systems that are designed to keep malicious actors out of their networks? Continue Reading
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News
25 Jan 2013
Encryption is safe bet, says SafeNet
Encryption is the only thing that can give peace of mind to CIOs and CISOs, says Dave Hansen, president and CEO of security firm SafeNet Continue Reading
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News
24 Jan 2013
ICO hits Sony with £250,000 data breach penalty
The Information Commissioner’s office (ICO) has fined Sony Computer Entertainment Europe £250,000 for breaching the Data Protection Act Continue Reading
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News
22 Jan 2013
Why has DLP never taken off?
Why is data loss prevention (DLP) technology not being adopted if it provides the very protection most businesses need? Continue Reading
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Feature
18 Jan 2013
GE uses big data to power machine services business
GE, one of the UK's largest manufacturers, is using big data analytics with data generated from machine sensors to predict maintenance needs Continue Reading
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News
14 Jan 2013
Oracle rushes out patches for Java zero days
Oracle has released two out-of-band security updates for the latest zero day vulnerabilities in Java Continue Reading
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News
11 Jan 2013
Disable Java to protect from latest zero-day
Security researchers are warning of a zero-day vulnerability in all versions of Java, including the latest Java 7 update 10 Continue Reading
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News
10 Jan 2013
Software piracy international in scope, says Fast
The scale of software piracy is both international in scope and military in its execution, says the Federation Against Software Theft (Fast) Continue Reading
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E-Zine
07 Jan 2013
IT spending to rise in 2013
Find out what analysts are predicting for technology in Europe this year, including changes in budgets and how companies can reduce costs and improve sustainability. Continue Reading
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News
07 Jan 2013
Ernst & Young email keyword analysis identifies fraudsters
Fraud investigators have revealed the most common words used in email conversations by employees engaged in rogue trading and fraud Continue Reading
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Feature
07 Jan 2013
Business priorities: what to protect, monitor and test
How information security professionals can prioritise what to protect, monitor and test in the light of current budget and resource constraints Continue Reading
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News
28 Dec 2012
Top 10 cyber crime stories of 2012
Ten articles that illustrate some of the major trends in cyber crime in 2012 Continue Reading
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Feature
12 Dec 2012
How to preserve forensic evidence in the golden hour after a breach
There is a golden hour at the outset where a clear head and good planning can make or break any subsequent forensic investigation Continue Reading
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News
12 Dec 2012
Ghost Shell hacktivists publish over a million credentials
The Ghost Shell group, an offshoot of the Anonymous hacking collective has published the log-in details from 1.6 million accounts Continue Reading
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News
10 Dec 2012
UK CIOs see EU regulation as key
A third of UK CIOs are more concerned with EU regulation, such as the data protection directive, than their own local laws, a study has revealed. Continue Reading
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News
07 Dec 2012
UK government jobs website exploited by hackers
Hackers have been able to exploit security flaws in a new government jobs website to steal personal information about job applicants Continue Reading
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Feature
06 Dec 2012
How to secure Macs in the enterprise
Apple computers are becoming increasingly used in the enterprise - we look at how to securely introduce Macs in the corporate network Continue Reading
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News
27 Nov 2012
Zero-day exploit for Yahoo Mail goes on sale
Hacker sells $700 zero-day exploit for Yahoo Mail that allows attacker to use cross-site scripting vulnerability to steal cookies and hijack accounts Continue Reading
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News
26 Nov 2012
Security needs to be integral part of life, says McAfee
The world is becoming increasingly connected and security and privacy are integral to modern society, says Raj Samani, CTO of McAfee Europe Continue Reading
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Photo Story
22 Nov 2012
UKtech50 2012 - The most influential people in UK IT
We run down the top 20 names from this year's Computer Weekly UKtech50 list of the 50 most influential people in UK IT Continue Reading
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News
22 Nov 2012
UKtech50 2012 - The most influential people in UK IT
Computer Weekly has announced the third UKtech50, our annual definitive list of the real movers and shakers in UK IT Continue Reading
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News
19 Nov 2012
Cyber criminals target Skype, Facebook and Windows users
Cyber criminals targeted users of Skype, Facebook and Windows using multiple Blackhole exploits in October, according to security firm GFI Software Continue Reading
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News
16 Nov 2012
Nasa to encrypt data after latest breach
Nasa is to encrypt all its mobile computers after the loss of a laptop containing personal information about more than 10,000 staff Continue Reading
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News
13 Nov 2012
Many UK firms underestimate cost of data breaches, study finds
Many UK organisations are still failing to understand the implications and costs of data breaches, a study has revealed Continue Reading
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News
12 Nov 2012
Hacking attempts to top one billion in Q4, predicts NCC Group
One billion hacking attempts will be made globally in the final quarter of 2012, according to information assurance firm NCC Group Continue Reading
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News
09 Nov 2012
Twitter apologises for unnecessary hacking warnings
Twitter has apologised after telling members their accounts had been hacked and forcing them to reset their passwords Continue Reading
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News
09 Nov 2012
Stuxnet hit Chevron’s systems, the energy giant admits
US energy giant Chevron has revealed that it was hit by the Stuxnet virus in 2010 Continue Reading
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News
07 Nov 2012
Police arrest man for DDoS attacks on Theresa May sites
Police have arrested a 41-year-old man in connection with a cyber attack on websites connected to home secretary Theresa May Continue Reading
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News
06 Nov 2012
EDF blames system upgrade for customer complaint failures
EDF blames a system upgrade for failing to handle customer complaints to standard, but says it will resolve the issue by the end of the year Continue Reading
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News
01 Nov 2012
Parliamentary committee joins criticism of draft communications data bill
Home secretary Theresa May faced stern criticism before a Parliamentary committee hearing evidence on the Draft Communications Data Bill Continue Reading
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News
31 Oct 2012
Free mobile apps a threat to privacy, study finds
Free mobile apps pose a serious threat to privacy because of their ability to capture large amounts of user information Continue Reading
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News
30 Oct 2012
IT security budgets mismatched to hacker targets, study shows
IT security budgets are not being used to provide defence technologies in some areas most likely to be targeted by hackers, a study shows Continue Reading
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News
23 Oct 2012
CIO interview: Gavin Walker chief information officer at NATS
Gavin Walker, CIO of NATS, talks about how a vendor-neutral approach is key to successful IT, and why huge outsourcing contracts are the enemy Continue Reading
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Opinion
18 Oct 2012
Security Think Tank: You can’t protect what you don’t know you’ve got
IP theft: who should be tackling it and how? Continue Reading