IT security

CyberUK 23: Irresponsible use of commercial hacking tools a rising threat

Commercial cyber tools and hackers-for-hire pose a growing threat to organisations and individuals worldwide, according to an NCSC report Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Orange joins forces with industry, academia to build French quantum comms

Leading telco joins industry leaders, start-ups and academic players announce the official launch of a programme in charge of deploying Quantum secure communications networks in France. Continue Reading

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• Joe O’Halloran, Computer Weekly

UK plc sees fewer cyber breaches and attacks, but lacks resilience

Latest government figures reveal UK businesses and charities reported lower volumes of cyber breaches and attacks over the past 12 months, but the statistics mask widespread underreporting and the true state of cyber readiness and resilience appears poor Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

firewall

A firewall is a network security device that prevents unauthorized access to a network. It inspects incoming and outgoing traffic using a set of security rules to identify and block threats. Continue Reading

By

• Kinza Yasar, Technical Writer
• Ben Lutkevich, Site Editor

Surrey and Sussex police spared fines after recording 200,000 phone calls without people’s knowledge

Police forces escape potential £1m fines following change of policy by ICO to protect the finances of public sector bodies Continue Reading

By

• Bill Goodwin, Computer Weekly

CyberUK 23: NCSC launches Cyber Advisor service for SMEs

The UK’s NCSC has launched an industry assurance scheme designed to address the needs of SMEs, and is calling for potential advisors to step up and help out Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

CyberUK 23: NCSC CEO calls for collaboration and warns against complacency

NCSC boss Lindy Cameron kicked off the annual CyberUK conference in Belfast with a plea for collaboration and a warning against complacency Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Global finance firms take part in NATO cyber attack simulation

Global financial services organisations take part in NATO annual event which simulates cyber attacks on critical infrastructure Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Cisco urges users to keep its network hardware up-to-date

In the wake of a campaign of threat activity targeting a six-year-old Cisco router vulnerability, the networking giant has warned users to be on high alert and update their hardware Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

CyberUK 23: Alert over mercenary Russian threat to CNI

Russian hacktivists supportive of their government’s war on Ukraine are turning their attention to disruptive or destructive attacks on critical infrastructure in the UK, the NCSC has warned Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

How organisations can succeed with zero trust

By starting small, taking a long-term view and prioritising the most critical assets in their zero-trust implementations, organisations will be able to reap returns from their investments in the security paradigm Continue Reading

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• Aaron Tan, TechTarget

Enterprise networking sees age of SASE and network as a service

Report reveals complexity of third workspace has transformed how modern IT organisations view network and security, with 98% of IT executives planning to increase investment in cloud services Continue Reading

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• Joe O’Halloran, Computer Weekly

IT Priorities 2023: Cloud and disaster recovery top storage and backup plans

Cloud storage still the biggest project planned in data storage in 2023, with disaster recovery the most important area in data protection cited by TechTarget/Computer Weekly survey respondents Continue Reading

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• Antony Adshead, Storage Editor

Cloud identity: Are you who you say you are?

As identity, rather than networking segmentation, becomes the primary determining factor in accessing cloud resources. ISACA’s Ser Yoong Goh highlights three trends driving cloud IAM Continue Reading

By

• Ser Yoong Goh

CyberUK 23: NCSC conference centres cyber collaboration

The NCSC’s annual CyberUK conference gets underway in Belfast this week, with collaboration and cooperation high on the agenda Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Tech companies and NGOs urge rewrite of Online Safety Bill to protect encrypted comms

The Online Safety Bill faces amendments in the House of Lords amid concerns that it could weaken the security of end-to-end encrypted communications for UK citizens Continue Reading

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• Bill Goodwin, Computer Weekly

Focus on these three risky behaviours to boost cloud security

Some 80% of cloud security alerts are triggered by just 5% of security rules. Security teams can substantially improve their resilience by zeroing in on a small set of risky behaviours, according to a report Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Why IAM systems are crucial for securing multicloud architecture

As business tools evolve into cloud-based services, organisations are finding themselves becoming ever more reliant on the cloud, but how can data be secured across so many different platforms? Continue Reading

By

• Peter Ray Allison

UK presses on with post-Brexit data protection reform

The revised version of the Data Protection and Digital Information Bill has had its second reading in Parliament as the government presses on with post-Brexit changes, but critics remain sceptical that the EU will be convinced to maintain the UK's data adequacy agreement Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Microsoft Azure Key Vault

Microsoft Azure Key Vault is a cloud-based security service offered by Microsoft as part of its Azure platform. Continue Reading

By

• Katie Terrell Hanna
• Tayla Holman, Site Editor

Restaurants hit by IT problems after BlackCat attack on supplier NCR

Ransomware attack on systems of payments giant causing service outages for restaurants around the world Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Charity data stolen in ransomware attack on supplier

A number of charities in Ireland and the UK have had their data compromised following a ransomware attack on an IT supplier Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Public cloud adoption set to surge in Australia

New and existing workloads are increasingly being migrated to public cloud, with two-thirds of Australian organisations already running cloud workloads in production in 2022 Continue Reading

By

• Aaron Tan, TechTarget

Securing your software supply chain

Organisations need to have a thorough understanding of software components and build security controls into development lifecycles to shore up the security of their software supply chains Continue Reading

By

• Aaron Tan, TechTarget

Thousands at risk from critical RCE bug in legacy MS service

Thousands of organisations worldwide are at risk from three vulnerabilities – one critical – in a legacy Microsoft service that they may not be aware they are running Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

UK joins key allies to launch secure-by-design guidelines

The UK has joined international partners in sharing new advice to help technology companies embed security into the product design and development process Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Three charged over banking fraud for hire website

UK authorities have charged three men in connection with the operation of a website that sold social engineering tools to cyber fraudsters Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Italy to lift ChatGPT ban subject to new data protection controls

Italian regulator will lift its ban on OpenAI’s ChatGPT subject to a strict new data protection regime Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Dutch cyber security professionals experience stress akin to soldiers in war zone, claims expert

Cyber attacks are taking a heavy toll on Dutch IT professionals, with over a third reporting that their mental health suffers as a result Continue Reading

CW EMEA: Under attack and stressed out

In this month's CW EMEA, we look at how cyber attacks are taking a toll on security professionals, damaging their mental health and forcing some to quit. We also look at Finland's allure for tech entrepreneurs, how software is enabling a new business model for a Swedish car manufacturer, and the importance of backup testing. Read the issue now. Continue Reading

With cyber attacks on the rise, businesses should prepare for quantum hacks now

Advances in quantum computing have brought the world is on the cusp of a technological revolution, but it is not without risk. Find out why you should start to prepare for post-quantum cryotography today. Continue Reading

By

• Ali El Kaafarani

Netskope claims hybrid work ‘revolution’ with SASE client and endpoint SD-WAN

Netskope looks to deliver consistent security and superior user experience for hybrid workers through reduced costs and complexity from extended borderless SD-WAN and SASE Continue Reading

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• Joe O’Halloran, Computer Weekly

UK police double down on ‘improved’ facial recognition

The Met and South Wales Police have doubled down on their use of facial recognition technology after research found improved accuracy in their algorithms when using certain settings, but civil society groups maintain that the tech will still be used in a discriminatory fashion Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

April Patch Tuesday fixes zero-day used to deliver ransomware

A zero-day in the Microsoft Common Log File System that has been abused by the operator of the Nokoyawa ransomware is among 97 vulnerabilities fixed in April’s Patch Tuesday update Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Gartner: Rebalance cyber investment towards human-centric elements

Security decision-makers need to reprioritise their investment outlooks towards people, rather than technology, according to the latest market forecast from Gartner Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Okta integrates with Singapore’s national digital ID system

The integration with Singpass will let Okta customers authenticate consumers using Singapore’s national digital ID system and is expected to expand the company’s reach in regulated industries Continue Reading

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• Aaron Tan, TechTarget

Anne Keast-Butler named as new director of GCHQ

The government has appointed current MI5 deputy director general Anne Keast-Butler to head signals and cyber agency GCHQ Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

KFC, Pizza Hut data stolen in January ransomware attack

Yum!, the parent organisation behind KFC and Pizza Hut in the UK, has disclosed that employee data was accessed and exfiltrated in a January 2023 ransomware attack Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

UKtech50 2023: Help us find the most influential people in UK IT

Computer Weekly’s annual search for the 50 most influential people in UK IT is back – let us know who you would like to nominate for this year’s list Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

Security Think Tank: Adopt a coherent framework for ID first security

With IAM central to enabling appropriate access to cloud-based services, identity first security is becoming a key trend for IAM in the cloud. Continue Reading

By

• Andrew Peel

IBM's Nataraj Nagaratnam on the cyber challenges facing cloud services

Governments are introducing increasingly prescriptive data protection policies, but with organisations becoming ever more reliant on multiple cloud service platforms for essential business needs, how can they ensure they meet regulatory requirements? Continue Reading

By

• Peter Ray Allison

Prioritise automated hardening over traditional cyber controls, says report

A report from strategic risk specialist Marsh McLennan advises security buyers to funnel their budgets towards automated cyber security hardening techniques, saying they have a much better chance of reducing risk in a meaningful way Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Clop ransomware booms in March as Fortra zero-day pays off for gang

Backed by the threat actor tracked variously as Gold Tahoe and TA505, the Clop ransomware operation hit new ‘heights’ of activity last month, according to researchers Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Quick-acting Rorschach ransomware appears out of nowhere

Emergent Rorschach ransomware strain is highly advanced and quite unusual in its capabilities, warn researchers, who say they have been unable to link it to any other known strains Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Cops bust Genesis cyber crime marketplace

Multinational Operation Cookie Monster takes down Genesis Market, a crucial source of compromised data used by criminals for fraud and other cyber attacks Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Italy’s ChatGPT ban: Sober precaution or chilling overreaction?

Italy’s data protection authority issued a temporary ban on ChatGPT citing data protection concerns and alleged breaches of the GDPR. Is this a reasonable precaution, or a chilling restriction on personal freedoms? Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Scottish police tech piloted despite major data protection issues

Scottish policing bodies are pressing ahead with a data sharing pilot despite data protection issues around the use of US cloud providers, placing sensitive personal data of tens of thousands of people at risk Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

TikTok fined in UK over unlawful use of children’s data

The ICO has fined TikTok £12.7m for breaches of data protection law, including unlawfully collecting data on children under 13 Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

National Cyber Force carrying out daily hacking operations to disrupt hostile threats

Government discloses details about the National Cyber Force’s disruption activities against terrorists, organised criminals and nation states – and names first NCF chief as James Babbage Continue Reading

By

• Bill Goodwin, Computer Weekly

Threat researchers dissect anatomy of a Royal ransomware attack

Trellix researchers share the inside track on a Royal ransomware attack that hit one of its customers in late 2022 Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Over 90% of organisations find threat hunting a challenge

Understaffed security teams and high levels of background noise are making basic security operations tasks a chore for defenders, according to a report Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Revitalising UK digital government

In this week’s Computer Weekly, as the UK plummets down the international rankings for digital government, can its £400m identity system revitalise the UK’s digital strategy? We examine the container management platforms from the big six storage suppliers. And we look at the challenges of achieving IT sustainability while continuing to drive digital innovation. Read the issue now. Continue Reading

Australia’s media and telecoms sector saw most data breaches in 2022

The media and telecoms industry accounted for the bulk of stolen credentials in Australia in 2022, underscoring the need to shore up the country’s cyber security posture Continue Reading

By

• Aaron Tan, TechTarget

Three-day Capita outage was result of cyber attack

Public sector outsourcer Capita has confirmed a major outage which began on 31 March was the result of a cyber attack affecting its Office 365 apps Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

CIO interview: Carter Busse, CIO, Workato

Workato CIO Carter Busse talks up the company’s approach towards automation and its efforts to drive the technology across its business Continue Reading

By

• Aaron Tan, TechTarget

Mounting Russian disinformation campaign targeting Arab world

Researchers have found evidence of a broad Russian disinformation campaign targeting Arabic-speakers in the Middle East and North Africa Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Ukrainians bust cyber criminals who stole over £3m across Europe

Ukrainian police have arrested members of a cyber crime gang who stole and embezzled millions of pounds from victims across Europe Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Use backup encryption to protect data from would-be thieves

Encryption is a powerful tool to keep sensitive data out of the wrong hands. To ensure recoverability after a disruption, data backup encryption is vital. Continue Reading

By

• David Weldon

OSC&R supply chain security framework goes live on Github

The OSC&R framework for understanding and evaluating threats to supply chain security has made its debut on Github to allow anybody to contribute to the framework Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

NCSC issues revised security Board Toolkit for business leaders

National Cyber Security Centre calls on CEOs and senior business leaders to take a more hands-on approach to cyber resilience with the launch of revised board-level tools Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

NHS Highland rapped over data breach affecting HIV patients

NHS Highland inadvertently exposed the personal data of individuals likely to be accessing HIV services in a lapse of email hygiene Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Reactive approach to cyber procurement risks damaging businesses

Too many organisations are following a reactive approach to cyber security, which WithSecure believes is stifling security teams ability to demonstrate value and align with business outcomes Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Preventing artificial deception in the age of AI

The proposals contained in Westminster’s AI whitepaper are a good start, but more creative thinking and investment will be required to achieve a truly pro-innovation regulatory environment Continue Reading

By

• Alwin Magimay

3CX unified comms users hit by supply chain attacks

Ongoing supply chain attacks against customers of UC firm 3CX appear to be linked to North Korean threat actors Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Podcast: Cloud storage, data protection and compliance

The lure of cloud storage hides its drawback, namely that you can lose control of it from a compliance perspective. We talk to Mathieu Gorge, CEO of Vigitrust, about how to tame it Continue Reading

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• Antony Adshead, Storage Editor

UK government publishes AI whitepaper

Artificial intelligence whitepaper outlines UK government’s proposals to regulate the technology, which are based around creating an agile, “pro-innovation” framework Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

New North Korean APT launders crypto to fund spying programmes

Mandiant has attributed an ongoing campaign of malicious activity to a newly designated APT that is engaged in the acquisition and laundering of cryptocurrency to fund the regime’s espionage activities Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

How organisations can weaponise data privacy

Organisations should turn data privacy into a competitive advantage and look beyond regulatory compliance to build a privacy programme that aligns with business targets, says Gartner Continue Reading

By

• Aaron Tan, TechTarget

Generative AI presents opportunities and challenges to UK schools

Generative AI and LLMs hold great potential for use in the classroom, but the privacy and security implications of its use must be carefully considered, says the Department for Education Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Microsoft expands AI Copilot project into security realm

New Microsoft service, Security Copilot, will supposedly expand the reach, speed and effectiveness of cyber teams Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Apple security updates fix 33 iPhone vulnerabilities

A larger-than-usual update to Apple’s mobile operating system fixes more than 30 distinct vulnerabilities, including two serious issues that may potentially affect device kernels Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Inside Group-IB’s cyber security playbook

A focus on threat intelligence, fraud protection and its work with Interpol has enabled Group-IB to compete against bigger rivals in the market Continue Reading

By

• Aaron Tan, TechTarget

Europol warns cops to prep for malicious AI abuse

In a report looking at how large language models can be used by criminals, Europol’s Innovation Lab calls on law enforcement agencies to prepare themselves for wide-ranging impacts on their work Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Ethical hackers urged to respond to Computer Misuse Act reform proposals

The deadline for submissions to the government’s consultation on reform of the Computer Misuse Act is fast approaching, and ethical hackers and security experts need to make their voices heard, says Bugcrowd Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Taking back control of AI training data

AI tools such as ChatGPT are trained on datasets scraped from the web, but you don’t have much say if your data is used. Technologist Bruce Schneier explains why it’s time to give control of AI training data back to the people. Continue Reading

UK TikTok ban gives us all cause to consider social media security

The UK government’s ban on TikTok should give organisations cause to look into what information social media platforms are collecting on us, and what they are using it for. Continue Reading

Is TikTok really a security threat to your business?

In this week’s Computer Weekly, with the UK government becoming the latest administration to ban TikTok, we ask whether the controversial social media app is really a security threat to enterprises. Technology guru Bruce Schneier tells us about the need to take back control of AI and the personal data it relies on. And we look at how firms are trying – and failing – to make AI work for online content moderation. Read the issue now. Continue Reading

Ransomware attacks up 45% in February, LockBit responsible

NCC Group says it observed a surge in ransomware attacks in February, with LockBit, BlackCat and BianLian all highly active Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Sarbanes-Oxley Act

The Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 is a federal law that established sweeping auditing and financial regulations for public companies. Continue Reading

By

• Ben Lutkevich, Site Editor

triage in IT

Triage is a term referring to the assignment of priority levels to tasks or individuals to determine the most effective order in which to deal with them. Continue Reading

By

• Paul Kirvan
• Ivy Wigmore

France latest to ban TikTok on government devices

Following bans in the UK and US, France has moved to enact restrictions on TikTok, and other social media apps, on government devices Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

JP Morgan pilots palm and face-recognition technology in US

JP Morgan is testing out its biometric payment technology in selected retailer stores and at the upcoming Formula 1 Grand Prix in Miami Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Use zero-trust data management to better protect backups

Backup admins looking to protect data from bad actors can implement a zero-trust strategy for added protection. However, the method is not without its downsides. Continue Reading

By

• David Weldon

Acquiring the skills necessary to implement the UK Cybersecurity Strategy

The skills plan for meeting the needs of the world greatest Financial Services and Fin Tech Hub outside North America is therefore at heart of the work of the advisory group.  Continue Reading

By

• Philip Virgo, Winsafe Ltd

vishing (voice or VoIP phishing)

Vishing (voice or VoIP phishing) is a type of cyber attack that uses voice and telephony technologies to trick targeted individuals into revealing sensitive data to unauthorized entities. Continue Reading

By

• Robert Sheldon

National Crime Agency sting operation infiltrates cyber crime market

The UK National Crime Agency has tricked thousands of potential cyber criminals into registering with a fake website pretending to offer tools for creating DDoS attacks Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Aryaka expands SD-WAN, SASE offer to SMEs

Having deployed its services to large enterprises and Fortune 100 companies for over a decade, software-defined networking technology focuses on small to medium-sized enterprises for secure access and wide area networks Continue Reading

By

• Joe O’Halloran, Computer Weekly

forensic image

A forensic image (forensic copy) is a bit-by-bit, sector-by-sector direct copy of a physical storage device, including all files, folders and unallocated, free and slack space. Continue Reading

By

• Paul Kirvan

Trust: easy to lose, hard to recover

Here are just a few of the topics that my fellow Freeformers and I have enjoyed researching and writing about in recent years: network security, SD-WAN, digital identity, smart wallets, digital ... Continue Reading

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• Bryan Betts, Freeform Dynamics

Why Veeam thinks ransomware warranty payouts are unlikely

Veeam Data Platform v12 offers a financial guarantee to customers that can’t restore after ransomware attacks, but the backup supplier is convinced it won’t be making many payouts Continue Reading

By

• Antony Adshead, Storage Editor

Government launches seven-year NHS cyber strategy

The new Cyber Security Strategy for Health and Adult Social Care lays out a plan for promoting cyber resilience in the sector by 2030 to protect services and patients alike Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Nordics move towards common cyber defence strategy

Nordic countries agree to work together to improve their cyber defences amid increasing threat Continue Reading

By

• Gerard O'Dwyer

How Mimecast thinks differently about email security

Mimecast CEO Peter Bauer believes the company’s comprehensive approach towards email security has enabled it to remain relevant to customers for two decades Continue Reading

By

• Aaron Tan, TechTarget

Hitachi Energy emerges as victim of Clop gang’s Fortra attack

The power and energy division of Japanese conglomerate Hitachi has disclosed that it has fallen victim to a Clop cyber attack, but insists customer data is safe Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

GDS signs £24m worth of contracts for One Login

As the Government Digital Service (GDS) prepares for the official end of Gov.uk Verify, it signs three new contracts for its successor programme, One Login Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

Ferrari rejects ransom demand after cyber attack

Italian carmaker Ferrari says it will refuse to pay a ransom after an unspecified threat actor broke into its IT systems and stole customer data Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Ransomware gangs harass victims to ‘bypass’ backups

Analysis reveals how cyber criminal gangs are turning to extensive, targeted harassment campaigns to force victims to pay up, even if their backups are in good order Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

NCSC launches cyber check-up tools for SMEs

The NCSC has launched two new security services aimed at SMEs that lack the resources to address cyber issues, and may underestimate their vulnerability to attack Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Preventing Crime not meeting Political Targets -  A review of the MPS Turnaround Plan 

Respond by the end of March if you live or work in London and believe that the primary objective of policing is the prevention of time not the meeting of targets as proxies for delivering political ... Continue Reading

By

• Philip Virgo, Winsafe Ltd

NatWest announces ID service for its customers

The identities of NatWest customers engaging with businesses online can be confirmed by the bank's ID service in seconds Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA