IT operations management and IT support

Poor home connectivity risks jeopardising switch to hybrid working

CityFibre, Chartered Management Institute survey warns once-in-a-generation opportunity to change working practices for the better could be put at risk because of network issues Continue Reading

By

• Joe O’Halloran, Computer Weekly

Latest Microsoft zero-day being actively exploited

New Microsoft zero-day CVE-2021-40444 affects multiple versions of Windows and is probably being exploited through convincing phishing attacks Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Blackpool illumination for full-fibre broadband

Neos Networks unveils significant network expansion across Lancashire to facilitate high capacity fibre connectivity for hyperscalers, large-scale content providers and businesses using UK fibre network and connections to Ireland Continue Reading

By

• Joe O’Halloran, Computer Weekly

Covid positive for security market, but still a source of stress

CIISec’s latest “State of the profession report” highlights both positives and challenges for cyber pros arising from the past two years Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Virgin Media O2 reaches 10 million homes in gigabit roll-out

Recently merged operator adds nearly two million customers from mid-size cities and large towns to footprint of gigabit broadband estate Continue Reading

By

• Joe O’Halloran, Computer Weekly

Security Think Tank: A response to planned data protection changes

The ISF’s Emma Bickerstaffe assesses how organisations might respond to proposed changes to the UK’s data protection regime Continue Reading

By

• Emma Bickerstaffe, Information Security Forum (ISF)

The rise of the chief risk officer

The impact of the Covid-19 pandemic has seen chief risk officers take their rightful place in the boardroom Continue Reading

By

• Chris Lorigan

Saudi tourism development fund goes cloud-first with Oracle

$4bn fund will be used to invest in developing Saudi Arabia’s tourism industry as the country reduces its economic reliance on oil and gas Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Mandiant, Sophos detail dangerous ProxyShell attacks

Threat researchers and incident responders continue to track threat activity around the dangerous ProxyShell Microsoft Exchange vulnerabilities, including impactful ransomware hits Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

National Highways sets out data-driven plan for Strategic Road Network

Digital twins, data sharing, predictive analytics and the use of drones all get a mention in Digital Roads five-year strategic plan Continue Reading

By

• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor

The Gulf is counting on its smart cities for a sustainable and profitable future

The countries in the Gulf region are leading the way in the development of smart cities as part of their economic diversification Continue Reading

By

• Alicia Buller

Security Think Tank: Managing data securely throughout its lifecycle

Managing data in a secure manner is key to ensuring its integrity and therefore its value to the organisation, as well as reducing risk from breaches and misinformation Continue Reading

By

• Andrew Morris, Turnkey Consulting

University of Sunderland applies technology through robot dog

Students will apply technologies such as artificial intelligence to robotic dog as part of their learning Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Experts warn on Office 365 phishing attacks

Newly observed campaign is particularly dangerous because it appears to neutralise one of the most widely known anti-phishing techniques Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Remote workers routinely bypassed security tools during pandemic

New data from Palo Alto Networks reveals that over 25% of UK security leaders saw their employees circumventing or switching off security measures at the height of the pandemic Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Subpostmasters demand more clarity on Horizon public inquiry before committing their support

Subpostmaster campaign group founder demands that financial redress for members be included in public inquiry before it ‘willingly’ participates Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Supply chain cyber security is only as strong as the weakest link

A spate of high-profile cyber attacks has highlighted the criticality of supply chain security and put new pressures on security leaders. How can we ensure that cyber security remains robust down the full length of supply chains? Continue Reading

By

• Martin Smith, SASIG

How the cyber security market is evolving

The cyber security market has gained even greater importance in the post-Covid era and continues to grow and evolve. But what factors are driving trends in that market and what should your organisation consider when making cyber security investments? Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

AppNeta achieves AWS Outposts Ready designation

Networking monitoring firm gains certification from cloud giant’s managed device and datacentre services division in a move that it says will demonstrate to customers that it has been fully tested to help deliver a truly consistent hybrid experience Continue Reading

By

• Joe O’Halloran, Computer Weekly

Tech giants commit to Biden's cyber security action plan

Some of the world’s most prominent tech giants have made a series of commitments to enhance the US’ national cyber security posture following a high-profile meeting with president Biden Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Security Think Tank: Steps to a solid data privacy practice

Petra Wenham of the BCS shares her expertise on building, or rebuilding, a solid business data privacy practice in a post-Covid-19 world Continue Reading

By

• Petra Wenham

Algorithmic accountability needs meaningful public participation

Global analysis by Ada Lovelace Institute and other research groups finds algorithmic accountability mechanisms in the public sector are hindered by a lack of engagement with the public Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

Calling the cops for ransomware attacks doesn’t help, say cyber pros

A new study for the #Ransomaware campaign reveals some insight into why so few victims report ransomware attacks Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

13 million malware attacks on Linux seen in wild

Cryptominers, web shells and ransomware are the most common varieties of malwares targeting Linux systems, thanks to its prevalence as the backbone of most public cloud services Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Half of MS Exchange servers at risk in ProxyShell debacle

Up to 50% of MS Exchange users in the UK are exposed to three vulnerabilities that are now being actively exploited Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

The ransomware debate – to pay or not to pay?

The debate around banning ransomware payments is highly nuanced, and we must take care to avoid overt victim-blaming, in favour of an open and honest approach, says SASIG’s Martin Smith Continue Reading

By

• Martin Smith, SASIG

How datacentre power growth is leaving Dublin in distress

In this week’s Computer Weekly, we look at the challenges faced by Dublin’s datacentre sector, as growth leaves the city’s electricity infrastructure creaking. We ask whether recent initiatives to close the UK’s digital skills gaps are working. And we examine the latest injustice to hit the Post Office Horizon scandal. Read the issue now. Continue Reading

Considerations when deciding on a new SIEM or SOAR tool

A successful deployment of any security tool very much depends on the maturity of security processes in the organisation Continue Reading

By

• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor

Swedish IT industry braced for China’s response to Huawei 5G ban

Swedish IT and communications equipment suppliers fear economic backlash from China following Huawei ban Continue Reading

By

• Gerard O'Dwyer

Security Think Tank: Data privacy not in isolation, but on a spectrum

The gap between data privacy and data governance is narrowing, and security leaders need to be aware of the implications, says KuppingerCole’s Anne Bailey Continue Reading

By

• Anne Bailey

IT leaders fear ‘trickle-down’ of nation-state cyber attacks

Three-quarters of IT decision-makers are concerned that the tactics, techniques and procedures used by nation-state attackers could be used against them Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

UK government criticised for proposed facial-recognition guidance

Privacy campaigners say the government's updated 'surveillance camera code of practice' does not do enough to mitigate abuses of facial-recognition technology Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

Overturned convictions of subpostmasters mount up, but 555 victims no closer to justice

The government has failed to provide fair compensation to the subpostmasters who exposed the full extent of the Horizon scandal to the world Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

What will be the bank branch balance in the digital age?

Will the traditional banks be permanently disadvantaged by the need to retain bank branches or could they turn it to their advantage? Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

ICO consults public on personal data in employment practices

The ICO has launched a public consultation on employers’ use of personal data to help it provide practical guidance for both businesses and workers Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

When is SIEM the right choice over SOAR?

Better instrumentation leads to better IT security but monitoring can quickly overload IT teams. Automation can help, but it may not always be needed Continue Reading

By

• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor

Multicloud adoption on the rise

But IT decision-makers are wary of costs and worried that they have insufficient skills to maintain secure environments Continue Reading

By

• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor

Banks could be blocked from closing branches through FCA legislation

UK financial services regulator the Financial Conduct Authority considers legislation that could block some bank branch closures to ensure citizens have easy access to cash Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Cloud misconfiguration a growing cause of security incidents

Rapid cloud adoption during the pandemic has increased the attack surface and heightened the risk of misconfiguring services, leaving organisations more vulnerable to cyber attacks Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

Six Isle of Wight schools hit by ransomware attack

Authorities are still working to manage the fallout from the attack, which has already forced at least one school to delay the start of the new term in September Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

Top vulnerabilities target perimeter devices

The most frequently exploited CVEs of the year so far are to be found in perimeter and network access devices, according to a joint advisory from the NCSC and partners Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Thousands wrongly given criminal convictions after computer error

HM Courts and Tribunals Service report reveals that computer error wrongly assigned guilty pleas to more than 5,000 defendants Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

COP26 cyber resource hub launched for Glasgow businesses

New digital information hub for Glasgow business to help organisations keep secure both physically and online ahead of major climate change summit Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Security Think Tank: Consider cyber policies and procedures as you welcome employees back

With Covid-19 restrictions easing, offices are welcoming back remote workers this summer, bringing with them their notebooks and mobiles, and creating an endpoint management headache for CISOs. What do security teams need to account for to protect their returning office workers? Continue Reading

By

• Simon Backwell

Malicious actors turn to obscure programming languages

Using new, lesser-known or otherwise uncommon programming languages to code new malwares can help skirt cyber defences Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

TfL under fire for relying on Uber facial-verification data in licensing decisions

TfL is facing numerous legal appeals from Uber drivers as a result of its decisions to revoke their private licences on the basis of mistaken information from Uber’s systems Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

Kaseya obtains universal ransomware decryptor

Kaseya says it obtained a ransomware decryptor key from a trusted third party, but there is no word on whether a ransom was paid Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Plans to address legal but harmful content ‘threaten free speech’

House of Lords report criticises the government’s forthcoming Online Safety Bill for imposing duty of care on tech platforms to deal with ‘legal but harmful’ content, which it says threatens freedom of expression online Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

UK government publishes full Innovation Strategy

Strategy aims to put the UK at the global forefront of science, research and innovation Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

Infosys to open German operation focused on automotive sector

Infosys is establishing a centre in Germany that will focus on supporting customers in the German automotive sector Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Five ways to ensure remote working security and compliance

A mix of on-site and remote working has become a fact of life for many organisations. We look at five key things you should consider to ensure compliance and security Continue Reading

By

• Valéry Rieß-Marchive, Rédacteur en chef
• Antony Adshead, Storage Editor

Uber drivers face real-terms pay cut after service fee hike

Unionised Uber drivers have condemned the ride-hailing firm for ‘cynically’ framing its UK service fee rise as a way of improving equality among drivers, rather than a pay cut Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

The Secret IR Insider’s Diary: It’s all gone quie...

The ‘Q’ word isn’t one that’s really used in incident response, says the Secret IR Insider, largely because as soon as you use it, something happens Continue Reading

By

• The Secret IR Insider, Check Point

Security Think Tank: A return to the office is not a return to normal

With Covid-19 restrictions easing, offices are welcoming back remote workers this summer, bringing with them their notebooks and mobiles, and creating an endpoint management headache for CISOs. What do security teams need to account for to protect their returning office workers? Continue Reading

By

• Mark Ward

Zoom expands into contact centre market

Zoom is steadily expanding its enterprise offering and has now spent $14.5bn on an acquisition to fill a gap in its product portfolio Continue Reading

By

• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor

A dozen more subpostmaster prosecutions quashed in Horizon scandal

Twelve more former subpostmasters have had wrongful convictions for financial crimes overturned in the Court of Appeal Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Throwback Thursday: from virtual desktops to Chromebooks and the work-anywhere web

How has desktop virtualisation evolved since 2009, when we reported that “virtualisation is here,” but that it was still “early days for mainstream adoption” on the desktop? As our contribution to ... Continue Reading

By

• Bryan Betts, Freeform Dynamics

UK workforce needs reskilling for net-zero transition

Green Jobs Taskforce report looks at how the UK’s workforce can be skilled up to support the transition to net zero Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

Fintech sector continues to attract investment as Revolut hits $33bn valuation

Revolut has become the most valuable financial technology firm in the UK after its latest round of investment, with plans for a ‘superapp’ Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

EC approves pan-Nordic payments platform

Pan-Nordic payments platform will move to its next phase after receiving merger approval from the European Commission Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

More than half of European IT outsourcing spending will soon be on cloud services

Cloud services will soon be the largest part of the IT services market in Europe, as enterprises invest in them as part of their Covid-19 recovery strategies Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Multiple Microsoft bugs being actively exploited

Microsoft’s July Patch Tuesday update fixes 117 vulnerabilities, 13 rated as critical and four already being actively exploited Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Modipwn vulnerability puts millions of building systems at risk

Authentication bypass vulnerability in a Schneider Electric product could lead to device takeover Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Secureworks sets up in EU datacentre for XDR services

New datacentre location helps Secureworks’ customers meet EU data residency requirements Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

UK Cyber Security Council calls for new push on training

Too many companies have cut back on security training and development during the pandemic, says UK Cyber Security Council Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Automation is key to digital transformation

Automation will enable IT teams to focus on driving transformative projects instead of supporting tasks that can be automated, says UiPath CEO Daniel Dines Continue Reading

By

• Aaron Tan, TechTarget

Kaseya VSA services coming online after week-long outage

Kaseya has successfully deployed a patch to its ransomware-hit VSA product as per a revised schedule, and customers are beginning to come back online Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Taxpayers will have to pay at least £300m to bail out Post Office after scandal

The cost of a scheme set up to compensate subpostmasters who were victims of the Horizon IT scandal will exceed £300m even before damages are paid to all those who suffered Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Government commitment to Post Office Horizon victims was a ‘false promise’

The government has made no contact with subpostmasters two months after it said it would work with them to ensure they get speedy and fair compensation for their losses as a result of Post Office IT scandal Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Choose the right ITSM tool for digital era success

IT service management (ITSM) tools are essential for many organisations to help optimise the design, delivery, support, use and governance of IT, but not all ITSM solutions are created equal, therefore selecting the right one is crucial Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Developers have a moral duty to create ethical AI

Corsight AI publishes report on how organisations can develop more human-centric AI and biometric technologies Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

PrintNightmare haunts Microsoft as patch may miss mark

Microsoft dropped an out-of-band patch to fix PrintNightmare, but there are concerns it may not be totally effective. This does not mean it shouldn’t be applied Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

IT and business services spending bounces to new heights

Second-quarter results reveal IT and business services spending at a new high, in stark contrast to the Covid-19-hit quarter a year ago Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Security Think Tank: Reopening is an opportunity to reassess wider security posture

With Covid-19 restrictions easing, offices are welcoming back remote workers this summer, bringing with them their notebooks and mobiles, and creating an endpoint management headache for CISOs. What do security teams need to account for to protect their returning office workers? Continue Reading

By

• Louise Barber, Turnkey Consulting

Former Bank of England CIO joins Co-op Group as CTO

Rob Elsey joins the Co-op Group at a time when the organisation is undergoing major digital transformation Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

How the UK Cyber Security Council plans to professionalise security

As chair of the new UK Cyber Security Council, Claudia Natanson is in a superb position to develop professional standards in IT security and she intends to fundamentally reimagine what a security job actually is Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

US Department of Defense cancels controversial $10bn JEDI contract

The US Department of Defense has cancelled the controversial JEDI cloud project awarded to Microsoft and will replace it with multi-supplier contracts. Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Opportunists seen targeting Kaseya REvil victims

Malwarebytes researchers highlight new spam campaign targeting businesses impacted by the ongoing Kaseya REvil ransomware incident Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Security Think Tank: As offices reopen, address patching and ‘build drift’

With Covid-19 restrictions easing, offices are welcoming back remote workers this summer, bringing with them their notebooks and mobiles, and creating an endpoint management headache for CISOs. What do security teams need to account for to protect their returning office workers? Continue Reading

By

• Paddy Francis

About 60 Kaseya customers hit by REvil

Kaseya has revised upward the number of managed service providers compromised by the REvil ransomware gang in a supply chain attack at the weekend Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Bank of England searches for new CIO amid once-in-a-generation project

The Bank of England is recruiting a head of IT during a period of major change in its core IT system Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Security Think Tank: Returning workers to the office: Is your security posture up to date?

With Covid-19 restrictions easing, offices are welcoming back remote workers this summer, bringing with them their notebooks and mobiles, and creating an endpoint management headache for CISOs. What do security teams need to account for to protect their returning office workers? Continue Reading

By

• Rasika Somasiri

Quarter of UK financial services staff want to continue working from home

Working from home looks set to stay in the finance sector after Covid-19 restrictions are lifted, as staff express their preferences for remote working Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Going back to office networks, only to dismantle them once and for all

With Covid-19 restrictions easing, offices are welcoming back remote workers this summer, bringing with them their notebooks and mobiles, and creating an endpoint management headache for CISOs. What do security teams need to account for to protect their returning office workers? Continue Reading

By

• Alexei Balaganski

How Transport for West Midlands works with geospatial data

Covid-19 showed why greater data granularity is key, with Transport for West Midlands turning to geospatial data to understand demand for services Continue Reading

By

• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor

Cricket Australia’s replatforming of online services paid off during pandemic

Cricket Australia was able to keep digital services up and running during a period of unprecedented customer demand Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Security Think Tank: Hydration, hiring, hacking – lessons in post-Covid risk

With Covid-19 restrictions easing, offices are welcoming back remote workers this summer, bringing with them their notebooks and mobiles, and creating an endpoint management headache for CISOs. What do security teams need to account for to protect their returning office workers? Continue Reading

By

• Mike Lloyd, RedSeal

Should I be worried about PrintNightmare?

The accidental publication of proof of concept code for a Windows vulnerability, and the reclassification of said bug from low to critical severity, has the cyber community concerned. Is it right to be? Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

UK government issues “safety by design” guidance for tech firms

The guidance is designed to help technology companies embed safer design for users into their services in anticipation of the Online Safety Bill becoming law Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

REvil affiliates offer hefty ransom discounts, data reveals

REvil or Sodinokibi ransomware activity is higher than ever, but its success appears to be relative, with some affiliates prepared to dramatically cut their prices Continue Reading

By

• Valéry Rieß-Marchive, Rédacteur en chef
• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Ethical hacking: What, why, and overcoming concerns

We find out why and how hitting your own business with a cyber attack can help improve security Continue Reading

By

• Declan Doyle

New Nobelium attacks a reminder to attend to cyber basics

A new campaign from the same threat group that broke into SolarWinds serves as a reminder that cyber crime gangs will try to exploit any avenue they can, even if technically unsophisticated Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

UK Cyber Security Council launches inaugural initiatives

Security association seeks to determine terms of reference for committees to oversee standards and ethics, and qualifications and careers in the cyber sector Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Why data and the pandemic are ripping up paper processes

We explore how the Covid-19 pandemic has forced businesses to rip out traditional paper processes and replace them with end-to-end digitisation Continue Reading

By

• Marc Ambasna-Jones

(ISC)² makes ransomware education course free through 31 July

Cyber security association is making its Professional Development Institute course on ransomware free to the general public until the end of July Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Vodafone confirms European datacentres will be powered by 100% green energy by July 2021

Telco giant claims it is on course to hit an important milestone in its latest sustainability push, with its entire European operations set to be 100% renewably powered by 1 July Continue Reading

By

• Caroline Donnelly, Senior Editor, UK

Bahrain university uses Alexa on campus

University in Bahrain is using Amazon’s Alexa digital assistant to support users of its campus Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Time to patch increases significantly during pandemic

New data from US-based endpoint management specialist Automox reveals some of the challenges security teams face in keeping up with endpoint security Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

UK councils reported over 700 data breaches to ICO in 2020

Data disclosed under the Freedom of Information Act reveals an estimated 700 data breaches were reported to the Information Commissioner’s Office by local councils last year Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Openness can protect Dutch companies against ransomware

Dutch businesses that suffer ransomware attacks need to be more open about it, if this growing problem is to be brought under control Continue Reading

By

• Kim Loohuis