IT security

Storage technology explained: Ransomware and storage and backup

We look at ransomware attacks, and the importance of good backup practice as well as immutable snapshots, air-gapping, network segmentation, AI anomaly detection and supplier warranties Continue Reading

By

• Antony Adshead, Storage Editor

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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• Chris Dimitriadis, ISACA

Overcoming the cyber paradox: Shrinking budgets – growing threats

The challenging macro environment has left security budgets stretched thin even while new tech like AI presents a threat multiplier. In the face of these challenges, it becomes vital for security leads to do more to maintain funding Continue Reading

By

• Richard Watson, EY

Adventures in AI at Tripadvisor

In this week’s Computer Weekly, we find out how travel site Tripadvisor is embracing AI to offer new products and services to its users. Gartner says the chance of a successful digital project is like ‘flipping a coin’ – we went to its annual IT leadership symposium to ask why. And we examine what companies must do to comply with the EU’s new NIS2 cyber security rules. Read the issue now. Continue Reading

An explanation of cybercrime

Cybercrime is a real and illegal threat, just like traditional crime. Learn about cybercriminals and effective prevention strategies to safeguard yourself online. Continue Reading

By

• Sabrina Polin, Managing Editor

AWS widening scope of MFA programme after early success

AWS reports strong take-up of multi-factor authentication among customers since making it compulsory for root users earlier this year, and plans to expand the scope of its IAM programme in spring 2025 Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Denmark’s AI-powered welfare system fuels mass surveillance

Research reveals the automated tools used to flag individuals for benefit fraud violate individuals’ privacy and risk discriminating against marginalised groups Continue Reading

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• Josh Osman, Computer Weekly

UK consumers losing more than ever to holiday scams

Last Christmas, UK consumers lost over £11m to cyber criminals. This year, to save them from tears, the NCSC and Action Fraud are teaming up to launch an anti-fraud campaign Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

What is a spam trap?

A spam trap is an email address that's used to identify and monitor spam email. It's also a type of honeypot because it uses a fake email address to bait spammers. Continue Reading

By

• Scott Robinson, New Era Technology
• Ben Lutkevich, Site Editor

What is a whaling attack (whaling phishing)?

A whaling attack, also known as 'whaling phishing' or a 'whaling phishing attack,' is a specific type of phishing attack that targets high-profile employees, such as the chief executive officer (CEO) or chief financial officer, to steal sensitive information from a company. Continue Reading

By

• Scott Robinson, New Era Technology
• Ben Lutkevich, Site Editor
• Casey Clark, TechTarget

What is acceptable use policy (AUP)?

An acceptable use policy (AUP) is a document stipulating constraints and practices that a user must agree to for access to or use of a corporate network, the internet or other computing resources. Continue Reading

By

• Paul Kirvan

Final report on Nats calls for improvements to contingency process

Suppliers need to be involved much sooner and a review of technical documentation is needed to speed up recovery Continue Reading

By

• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor

Schwarz Group partners with Google on EU sovereign cloud

Partnership with Europe’s biggest retailer will offer client-side encryption and ensure data doesn’t leave Germany Continue Reading

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• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor

CW APAC – Trend Watch: Modernising security operations

Organisations everywhere know the risks of cyber security complacency. In this handbook, focused on modernising security operations in the Asia-Pacific region, Computer Weekly looks at how Australia is bolstering its defences, Splunk and Cisco’s integration, and Palo Alto Networks’ ‘precision AI’. Continue Reading

How Kaspersky is driving growth in APAC

Kaspersky is leveraging its threat intelligence capabilities and local market knowledge to navigate geopolitical tensions and expand its footprint across the Asia-Pacific region Continue Reading

Reinventing security operations for the modern threat landscape

Organisations must modernise their security operations to fortify their defences and navigate the evolving threat landscape Continue Reading

Williams Racing F1 team supports kids cyber campaign

A multi-region campaign will teach pre-teen children cyber security basics – with a little help from Formula 1 star Alex Albon Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

MPs hold first ever debate on live facial recognition

MPs have held an open debate on police use of live facial recognition technology for the first time since it was initially deployed by the Met Police in August 2016 Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

Ping CEO on ForgeRock integration and future of identity

Ping Identity CEO Andre Durand discusses the company’s unified roadmap, commitment to customer stability and growth plans in the evolving identity landscape following the merger with ForgeRock Continue Reading

By

• Aaron Tan, TechTarget

China’s Volt Typhoon rebuilds botnet in wake of takedown

Nine months after its malicious botnet comprising legacy routers was disrupted by the Americans, Chinese APT Volt Typhoon is rebuilding and presents as persistent a threat as ever Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Ex-boxer fights US government over legality of Sky ECC cryptophone intercepts

Lawyers for former heavyweight boxer Goran Gogic argue that US prosecutors’ reliance on messages obtained by a European police hacking operation into the SKY ECC encrypted phone network breaches the US constitution Continue Reading

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• Bill Goodwin, Computer Weekly

An explanation of ethical hackers

Ethical hackers protect businesses by identifying vulnerabilities. They use the same techniques as malicious hackers, but for the greater good. Continue Reading

By

• Kaitlin Herbert, Content writer

Microsoft fixes 89 CVEs on penultimate Patch Tuesday of 2024

High-profile vulns in NTLM, Windows Task Scheduler, Active Directory Certificate Services and Microsoft Exchange Server should be prioritised from November’s Patch Tuesday update Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Zero-day exploits increasingly sought out by attackers

Threat actors increasingly favour zero-day exploits to attack their victims before patches become available, according to the NCSC and CISA, which have just published a list of the most widely used vulnerabilities of 2023 Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

More data stolen in 2023 MOVEit attacks comes to light

Over a year since the infamous MOVEit Transfer cyber attacks affected thousands of organisations, more new victims have come to light after an anonymous threat actor leaked their data on the dark web Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Strengthening cyber: Best IAM practices to combat threats

The Security Think Tank considers best practices in identity and access management and how can they be deployed to enable IT departments to combat cyber-attacks, phishing attacks and ransomware Continue Reading

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• Andrew Peel, Scott Swalling, PA Consulting

How To "Vawlt" Superclouds

For those of us in the Northern Hemisphere, it might appear to be the season of autumn approaching winter but, for me, it’s been very much the vaulting, or vawlting season. Note – this has nothing ... Continue Reading

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• Steve Broadhead, Broadband Testing

Police cloud project raises data protection concerns despite legal reforms

Ongoing data protection issues with the use of hyperscale public cloud infrastructure by UK police could complicate the ambitions of nine forces to move their common records management system into the cloud Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

How quantum computing could reshape financial services

Experts at the Singapore FinTech Festival predict quantum computing will improve risk management, investment strategies and fraud detection in the financial sector, while also posing new challenges for data security Continue Reading

By

• Aaron Tan, TechTarget

Innovating with weather data at the Met Office

In this week’s Computer Weekly, we find out how the Met Office is using its vast stores of weather data to create innovative new products. Our latest buyer’s guide looks into identity and access management systems. And we examine the geopolitical threats that could curb the openness of open source. Read the issue now. Continue Reading

IAM: Enterprises face a long, hard road to improve

Poor identity and access management puts enterprise data at risk, but the path to stronger IAM remains complex Continue Reading

Fresh concerns over NHS England registries procurement

Clinicians and technologists behind a number of medical devices registries being brought together by NHS England on a new common platform have accused the health service of flouting public sector procurement regulations Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

IAM: Enterprises face a long, hard road to improve

Poor identity and access management puts enterprise data at risk, but the path to stronger IAM remains complex Continue Reading

By

• Stephen Pritchard

An explanation of ransomware

Ransomware encrypts data and demands payment for release. Protect yourself by backing up data, updating software and avoiding suspicious links. Continue Reading

By

• TechTarget Contributor

ESET shines light on cyber criminal RedLine empire

ESET publishes fresh data on the inner workings of the RedLine Stealer malware empire, which was taken down at the end of October Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Beyond VPNs: The future of secure remote connectivity

As more companies adopt cloud services and remote work, the limitations of VPNs are becoming obvious. We explore what’s next for secure remote connectivity Continue Reading

By

• Isla Sibanda

What are the security risks of bring your own AI?

The rise of generative AI has led to a plethora of publicly accessible artificial intelligence tools, but what are the risks when external AI tools are used with corporate data? Continue Reading

By

• Peter Ray Allison

Google Cloud MFA enforcement meets with approval

Latest Google Cloud policy to enforce multifactor authentication across its user base is welcomed by security professionals Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

AI a force multiplier for the bad guys, say cyber pros

CIISec’s annual report on the security profession finds evidence of growing concern that artificial intelligence will ultimately prove more useful to threat actors than defenders Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Interview: Petra Molnar, author of ‘The walls have eyes’

Refugee lawyer and author Petra Molnar speaks to Computer Weekly about the extreme violence people on the move face at borders across the world, and how increasingly hostile anti-immigrant politics is being enabled and reinforced by a ‘lucrative panopticon’ of surveillance technologies Continue Reading

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• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

UK government launches AI assurance platform for enterprises

The platform is designed to drive demand for the UK’s artificial intelligence assurance sector and help build greater trust in the technology by helping businesses identify and mitigate a range of AI-related risks Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

Lords shoplifting inquiry calls for facial recognition laws

A Lords committee has expressed concern about the use of facial recognition technology by retailers to combat shoplifting, and is calling on the government to introduce new laws to ensure there are minimum standards for their deployments Continue Reading

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• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

Starmer announces tech-enabled crackdown on people smuggling

The UK government has announced a further £75m of funding for its Border Security Command, meaning it will now have £150m over two years to spend on new technologies and staff Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

Post Office data breach caused by botched website upgrade

Data breach exposed personal details of the hundreds of former subpostmasters who had defeated the Post Office in the High Court Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

User-centric security should be core to cloud IAM practice

The Security Think Tank considers best practices in identity and access management and how can they be deployed to enable IT departments to combat cyber-attacks, phishing attacks and ransomware Continue Reading

By

• Mike Gillespie

Data bill will boost NHS and police access to data, says government

The Data Use and Access Bill will pave the way for sharing medical records across the NHS and give police the ability to access databases without having to manually log the reasons for their use Continue Reading

Data bill aims to boost police and NHS productivity

In this week’s Computer Weekly, the government’s new data bill promises to improve productivity and efficiency for the NHS and police, but will it ensure privacy as well? We talk to Dell’s global CTO about how the IT giant sees the AI boom playing out. And we examine which industries stand to benefit most from the collaboration opportunities of virtual reality. Read the issue now. Continue Reading

Virtual collaboration within and across industries – promises and challenges

New technologies enable intuitive and realistic visual and auditory landscapes that put users within applications. We look at which industries will likely illustrate the impact of virtual collaboration in commercial environments Continue Reading

By

• Martin Schwirn, Computer Weekly

CISA looks to global collaboration as fraught US election begins

The US' CISA cyber agency has unveiled a two-year International Strategic Plan to advance collaboration and improve resilience against shared risks and threats Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

What is unified threat management (UTM)?

Unified threat management (UTM) is an information security system that provides a single point of protection against cyberthreats, including viruses, worms, spyware and other malware, as well as network attacks. Continue Reading

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• Paul Kirvan
• Linda Rosencrance

Bank of England warns against AI ‘complacency’

UK financial services regulator wants to increase understanding of AI’s benefits and how firms are managing the risks it poses, as take-up grows and use cases increase Continue Reading

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• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

The network is dead - long live the network

It’s been a good week for "reinventing networking" conversations. And not before time – I mean, look at all the changes we’ve seen in IT in the past decade, from data types and scale thereof, ... Continue Reading

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• Steve Broadhead, Broadband Testing

Linux enters the cold war

The news that the Linux Foundation has removed Russian software developers from the Linux kernel maintainers mailing list is something that is sending shockwaves through the LInux community. While ... Continue Reading

By

• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor

What is face detection and how does it work?

Face detection, also called facial detection, is a computer technology that identifies human faces in digital images and video. Continue Reading

By

• Robert Sheldon
• Nick Barney, Technology Writer
• Corinne Bernstein

RedLine, Meta malwares meet their demise at hands of Dutch cops

A multinational action led by authorities in the Netherlands has resulted in the takedown of the notorious RedLine and Meta infostealer malwares Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

IAM best practices for cloud environments to combat cyber attacks

The Security Think Tank considers best practices in identity and access management and how can they be deployed to enable IT departments to combat cyber-attacks, phishing attacks and ransomware Continue Reading

By

• Varun Prasad, ISACA

Why geopolitics risks global open source collaborations

Linux Foundation’s decision to ban Russian maintainers has the potential to destroy open source’s global collaboration model Continue Reading

By

• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor

EMEA businesses siphoning budgets to hit NIS2 goals

With NIS2 now in effect, European business leaders are having to divert budget from elsewhere to achieve compliance Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Russian Linux kernel maintainers blocked

To ensure compliance, the Linux kernel will no longer allow Russian software developers to work on maintaining the codebase Continue Reading

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• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor

UK launches cyber guidance package for tech startups

The NCSC and NPSA, alongside agencies from the Five Eyes alliance, have issued guidance for startups on how to secure themselves against common cyber threats and targeted industrial espionage Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

What is two-factor authentication (2FA)?

Two-factor authentication (2FA), sometimes referred to as two-step verification or dual-factor authentication, is a security process in which users provide two different authentication factors to verify themselves. Continue Reading

By

• Paul Kirvan
• Peter Loshin, Former Senior Technology Editor
• Michael Cobb

Inside Google Cloud’s secure AI framework

Google Cloud’s secure AI framework that’s integrated into its Vertex AI platform offers practical tools and guidance to manage the lifecycle, data governance and operational risks of AI Continue Reading

By

• Aaron Tan, TechTarget

How Manulife is empowering sales and call centre agents with AI

Canadian insurance giant is leveraging generative AI to personalise customer experiences, transform contact centre workflows and automate underwriting processes Continue Reading

By

• Aaron Tan, TechTarget

Dutch critical infrastructure at risk despite high leadership confidence

Stark paradox in Dutch cyber security landscape has business leaders expressing high confidence in their IT infrastructure as cyber attacks rise Continue Reading

By

• Kim Loohuis

How Infoblox is tackling multicloud complexity and boosting security

Infoblox CEO Scott Harrell discusses the company’s new Universal DDI service designed to address the growing challenges of managing network security in hybrid IT environments Continue Reading

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• Aaron Tan, TechTarget

Data bill will boost NHS and police access to data, says government

The Data Use and Access Bill will pave the way for sharing medical records across the NHS and give police the ability to access databases without having to manually log the reasons for their use Continue Reading

By

• Bill Goodwin, Computer Weekly
• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

Aryaka's Sassy Additions - The SASE Bandwagon Continues To Gather Pace Five Years On...

I’ve talked a lot about SASE in this ‘ere blog, including the SASE Network Scorecard I developed earlier in the year. For those who didn’t see that, here’s an example of one vendor completing it: ... Continue Reading

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• Steve Broadhead, Broadband Testing

Prudential taps AI to improve health insurance experience

Insurance giant Prudential teams up with Google Cloud to streamline claims processing, personalise healthcare journeys and improve health outcomes Continue Reading

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• Aaron Tan, TechTarget

Government hails Cyber Essentials success

Scheme to help keep organisations’ IT safe and secure has given businesses more confidence they won’t fall victim to a cyber attack Continue Reading

By

• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor

Detect ransomware in storage to act before it spreads

Anomaly detection and immutable copies can be frontline tools against ransomware – we look at the role storage can play against the latest techniques employed by ransomware gangs Continue Reading

By

• Stephen Pritchard

ServiceNow touts Now platform as AI engine for transformation

At the ServiceNow World Forum in Melbourne, company executives touted the transformative power of AI in streamlining workflows, improving user experiences and driving business value Continue Reading

By

• Stephen Withers

Democracy campaigner to sue Saudi Arabia over Pegasus and QuaDream spyware in UK court

Pro-democracy campaigner Yahya Assiri given permission to file legal action in London court against Saudi Arabia over its use of Israeli spyware Continue Reading

By

• Bill Goodwin, Computer Weekly

Danish government reboots cyber security council amid AI expansion

Denmark’s government relaunches digital security initiative to protect business sectors and society at large Continue Reading

By

• Gerard O'Dwyer

Labour’s 10-year health service plan will open up data sharing

To save the health service, Labour is focusing on bolstering the NHS app and enabling greater sharing of patient records in England Continue Reading

By

• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor

Can AI be secure? Experts discuss emerging threats and AI safety

International cyber security experts call for global cooperation and proactive strategies to address the security challenges posed by artificial intelligence Continue Reading

By

• Aaron Tan, TechTarget

What is tailgating (piggybacking)?

Tailgating, sometimes referred to as piggybacking, is a type of physical security breach in which an unauthorized person follows an authorized individual to enter secured premises while avoiding detection by an electronic or human access control (or alarm) system. Continue Reading

By

• Rahul Awati

NCSC chief warns of gap in cyber threats and defence capabilities

The UK and its allies must take collective action to improve their cyber resilience and repel the increasing volume of severe cyber attacks, says NCSC chief Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

EU cyber security bill NIS2 hits compliance deadline

The EU’s NIS2 bill will harmonise how companies and member states approach cyber security, but its success will depend on how well it is implemented and enforced Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

Preparing for disruptions to enterprise application ecosystems

From undersea cable sabotage to AI deepfakes and restrictive regulations, modern applications face a barrage of threats. Organisations must prioritise resilience by diversifying infrastructure, investing in cyber security, and embracing sustainable practices to ensure business continuity Continue Reading

By

• Neha Ralhan

How to build an incident response plan, with examples, template

With cyberthreats and security incidents growing by the day, every organization needs a solid incident response plan. Learn how to create one for your company. Continue Reading

By

• Paul Kirvan

Cato further expands SASE platform for ‘complete’ UK delivery

Secure access service edge platform gains digital experience monitoring capability so enterprises can monitor user experiences and fix them online or in private datacentres Continue Reading

By

• Joe O’Halloran, Computer Weekly

NCSC expands school cyber service to academies and private schools

The National Cyber Security Centre is expanding its PDNS for Schools service to encompass a wider variety of institutions up and down the UK Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Reinventing security operations for the modern threat landscape

The growing pace of digital transformation has opened new avenues for attackers, making traditional security measures obsolete. Organisations must modernise their security operations to fortify their defences and navigate the evolving threat landscape Continue Reading

By

• Aaron Tan, TechTarget

Telefónica and Halotech integrate post-quantum encryption into IoT devices

Leading global telco implements state-of-the-art cyber security through internet of things managed connectivity platform allowing devices to be controlled and monitored in real time and remotely Continue Reading

By

• Joe O’Halloran, Computer Weekly

How Zoom is charting its course towards an AI-first platform

Zoom CEO Eric Yuan talks up his vision for the future of work, the company's transition to an AI-powered platform and what it is doing to stay ahead of rivals Continue Reading

By

• Aaron Tan, TechTarget

Robust cloud IAM should align to zero-trust principles

The Security Think Tank considers best practices in identity and access management and how can they be deployed to enable IT departments to combat cyber-attacks, phishing attacks and ransomware. Continue Reading

By

• Ricky Simpson, Quorum Cyber

NFL and Cisco gain yardage with network and security partnership

Cisco scores contract extension with US sports body NFL to connect and protect 2024 roster of International Games in the UK, Germany, Brazil and Spain in 2025 Continue Reading

By

• Joe O’Halloran, Computer Weekly

What is the Mitre ATT&CK framework?

The Mitre ATT&CK -- pronounced miter attack -- framework is a free, globally accessible knowledge base that describes the latest behaviors and tactics of cyberadversaries to help organizations strengthen their cybersecurity strategies. Continue Reading

By

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

NCSC issues fresh alert over wave of Cozy Bear activity

The NCSC, FBI and NSA publish updated warning about Cozy Bear’s activities, highlighting a range of vulnerabilities the threat actor is using to set up its cyber attacks Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

What is threat intelligence?

Threat intelligence, also known as cyberthreat intelligence, is information gathered from a range of sources about current or potential attacks against an organization. Continue Reading

By

• Paul Kirvan
• Michael Cobb
• Ivy Wigmore

Government launches cyber standard for local authorities

Local government bodies are being invited to take advantage of a new NCSC-derived Cyber Assessment Framework to help enhance their resilience and ward off cyber attacks Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Internet Archive web historians target of hacktivist cyber attack

The Internet Archive nonprofit digital library and Wayback Machine operator has been attacked by pro-Palestinian hacktivists Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

How Recorded Future finds ransomware victims before they get hit

Threat intel specialists at Recorded Future have shared details of newly developed techniques they are using to disrupt Rhysida ransomware attacks before the gang even has a chance to execute them Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

UK and US pledge closer working on children’s online safety

In their first agreement on the subject of children’s online safety, the UK and US governments have said they will create a new working group to boost cooperation Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

Australia bolsters cyber defences with security bill

Legislation tackles IoT security and establishes a Cyber Incident Review Board to bolster Australia’s cyber resilience Continue Reading

By

• Stephen Withers

The Complexities Of Reinventing The Mainframe “Easy Life”

Just got back from a Commvault event in London (where I saw more people in 10 seconds than I do in a month in Devon!) which also gave me the opp to catch-up with old PR mate Ben Ralph. In between ... Continue Reading

By

• Steve Broadhead, Broadband Testing

MoneyGram customer data breached in attack

MoneyGram confirms that customer data has been stolen in an incident that appears to have started with a social engineering attack on its IT helpdesk staff Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Five zero-days to be fixed on October Patch Tuesday

Stand-out vulnerabilities in Microsoft’s latest Patch Tuesday drop include problems in Microsoft Management Console and the Windows MSHTML Platform Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

What is OPSEC (operations security)?

OPSEC (operations security) is an analytical process that military, law enforcement, government and private organizations use to prevent sensitive or proprietary information from being accessed inappropriately. Continue Reading

By

• Robert Sheldon
• Linda Rosencrance
• Ben Cole, Executive Editor

UK Cyber Team seeks future security professionals

Young people from across the UK have a chance to represent the country in international competitions and advance their future careers in cyber security Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor