IT security

UK government puts pressure on IT sector to clean up app security

Apps can be exploited to carry malicious payloads that steal personal information and cause financial loss – and not enough is being done to secure them Continue Reading

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• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor

Security Think Tank: Defenders must get out ahead of complexity

The modern-day abundance of platforms, apps and IT tools presents malicious actors with a web of interconnection that is easily exploited to move rapidly through the network to compromise critical assets. Security teams need to better understand these attack pathways to fight back Continue Reading

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• Jack Chapman

PeerGFS to add AI/ML anomaly detection to distributed file system product

Peer will add AI/ML-based anomaly detection as it ramps up security protection in its PeerGFS distributed file management software, with Linux server support also to come in 2022 Continue Reading

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• Antony Adshead, Storage Editor

LDAP injection

LDAP (Lightweight Directory Access Protocol) injection is a type of security exploit that is used to compromise the authentication process used by some websites. Continue Reading

By

• Ben Lutkevich, Site Editor

Five TLS comms vulnerabilities hit Aruba, Avaya switching kit

Five new vulnerabilities in the implementation of transport layer security communications leave several popular switches vulnerable to remote code execution Continue Reading

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• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

Security Think Tank: Solving for complexity in the network

The modern-day abundance of IT platforms, apps and tools gives the bad guys ample opportunity to move rapidly through the network to hit critical assets. Security teams must understand these attack pathways better in order to fight back Continue Reading

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• Mike Lloyd, RedSeal

Information security in 2022 – managing constant change

It’s been an unprecedented couple of years for everyone – but a particularly frantic one for cyber security leaders. The pandemic led to a huge rise in remote working, with all the extra risks involved in putting users outside the corporate perimeter. The home environment then became a new attack vector, and as a result there was a huge increase in ransomware, affecting individuals and enterprises. And then, just as lockdowns started to ease, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine brought new nation-state threats that may yet become even more serious. For chief information security officers (CISOs), managing constant change and emerging threats is becoming the norm. In this essential guide to information security in 2022, we examine the key strategies, latest innovations and leadership insights – and highlight the importance of collaboration across the cyber community to keep everyone secure. Continue Reading

Podcast: War, geo-political risk, data storage and compliance

We talk to Mathieu Gorge, CEO of Vigitrust, about impacts on compliance and data storage from instability in geo-political events, such as the Russian invasion of Ukraine Continue Reading

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• Antony Adshead, Storage Editor

Attackers enlist cloud providers in large HTTPS DDoS hit

A recent large-scale DDoS incident shows how cyber criminals are switching up their tactics to conduct more sophisticated attacks Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Orange Business Services delivers global SD-WAN to Siemens

Digital services company and global enterprise division of the global telco teams with leading German technology firm to complete what is said to be one of the largest software-defined wide area network deployments in the world, covering 1,168 worldwide locations across 94 countries Continue Reading

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• Joe O’Halloran, Computer Weekly

Totting up a decade of ones and zeros at the ODI

As the Open Data Institute turns 10, managing director Louise Burke reflects on its first decade and what comes next Continue Reading

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• Louise Burke

Sender Policy Framework (SPF)

Sender Policy Framework (SPF) is a protocol designed to restrict who can use an organization's domain as the source of an email message. Continue Reading

By

• Peter Loshin, Former Senior Technology Editor

man-in-the-middle attack (MitM)

A man-in-the-middle (MitM) attack is a type of cyber attack in which the attacker secretly intercepts and relays messages between two parties who believe they are communicating directly with each other. Continue Reading

By

• Kinza Yasar, Technical Writer
• Michael Cobb

Ransomware recovery costs dwarf actual ransoms

The cost of recovering from a ransomware attack far outweighs the ransoms now being demanded by cyber criminals, according to recent data Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

SoftBank invests in Aryaka for international SD-WAN service, SD-core

With the objective of shoring up its international networking service, enabling a flexible and highly secure network that meets overseas customer needs, Japanese multinational upgrades software-defined wide area network and core Continue Reading

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• Joe O’Halloran, Computer Weekly

Manufacturer sues JPMorgan after cyber criminals stole $272m

Manufacturer files lawsuit alleging that US bank failed to inform it of suspicious transaction activity Continue Reading

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• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Russia plumbs new depths in cyber war on Ukraine

Microsoft details cyber attacks on Ukrainian civilian communications, nuclear safety authorities, and the exploitation of the destruction of Mariupol in a phishing campaign Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

CIOs have the greatest impact on business

Chief information officers see their role as core in building out the IT and security infrastructure and talent pool that their organisations require to grow post-pandemic Continue Reading

By

• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor

Log4Shell, ProxyLogon, ProxyShell among most exploited bugs of 2021

These 15 CVEs were the most commonly exploited last year, and if you haven’t mitigated against them, now is the time Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Russia-supporting cyber crime gang claims Coca-Cola as victim

Stormous cyber crime collective claims to have stolen 161GB of data from Coca-Cola, and says it plans to sell it off Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Leeds Beckett’s ethical hacking platform wins Innovate UK backing

An ethical hacking and cyber education platform developed at Leeds Beckett University has received a major funding boost to help it launch commercially Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

BT, Toshiba team on first commercial trial of quantum secured network with EY

Revolutionary computer infrastructure to be used in trial of management consultancy’s aim to connect quantum secure data transmission between its major London offices Continue Reading

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• Joe O’Halloran, Computer Weekly

Ransomware victims paying out when they don’t need to

Sophos’s annual State of Ransomware report shows dramatic increases in the impact of ransomware attacks, but also finds many organisations are paying ransoms when they don’t need to Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Emotet tests new tricks to thwart enhanced security

The operators of the Emotet botnet seem to be trying to find a way to get around recent changes made by Microsoft to better protect its users Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Did HMRC really 'lock taxpayers out' from their online accounts?

Did HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) really “lock taxpayers out” from their online accounts, as The Guardian has claimed? It’s a situation that arose from a predictable and – according to HMRC – ... Continue Reading

By

• Bryan Glick, Editor in chief

Coralogix makes foray into cyber security with Snowbit

Observability platform supplier Coralogix has set up a cyber security venture and a global security resource centre in India to tap the growth opportunities in the subcontinent Continue Reading

By

• Pratima Harigunani

The latest salary trends for IT professionals

In this week’s Computer Weekly, the results of our annual salary survey show pay returning to pre-pandemic levels and work-life balance a growing consideration. As sustainability becomes a critical issue, we look at how datacentres can meet emissions targets. And we find out how IT leaders can help protect children online. Read the issue now. Continue Reading

It takes a village: Protecting kids online is everyone’s responsibility

The rapid uptake of smartphones among children has contributed to the increasing number of cases of cyber bullying and online grooming. Is this an educational issue or a cultural problem, and can modern enterprise help? Continue Reading

US mobile network emerges as latest Lapsus$ victim

Lapsus$ extortion gang hit T-Mobile and attempted to perform SIM-swapping attacks and code theft Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Sophos soaks up SOC.OS

Sophos says acquisition of BAE spinout SOC.OS will enhance its managed threat and extended detection and response services Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Mimecast makes deeper push into ASEAN

Mimecast opens regional office in Singapore and is looking at setting up a datacentre in Southeast Asia as it makes a deeper push into the region Continue Reading

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• Aaron Tan, TechTarget

Top 7 metaverse tech strategy do's and don'ts

Technology and business leaders must be strategic when entering the new world of metaverse projects. Here are critical tips that help provide guidance. Continue Reading

By

• Mary K. Pratt

What’s up with Conti and REvil, and should we be worrying?

New intelligence on some of the world’s most prolific ransomware gangs suggests recent disruption to their activities was like water off a duck’s back Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Singing the key management blues

We need cryptographic keys, but who is going to manage them? How do you make an obscure topic like cryptographic key management interesting? And can you then persuade people to move this security ... Continue Reading

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• Bryan Betts, Freeform Dynamics

How Adnovum is leveraging its Swiss roots

Software company Adnovum is leveraging its strengths in identity and access management and its Swiss heritage as it expands into new markets and areas such as zero-trust security Continue Reading

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• Aaron Tan, TechTarget

UAE bolsters cyber security

The United Arab Emirates has successfully improved its security posture amid mounting cyber threats Continue Reading

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• Pat Brans, Pat Brans Associates/Grenoble Ecole de Management

Finance regulator identifies challenger bank financial crime weaknesses

Financial Conduct Authority review finds challenger banks need to do more to prevent their platforms being used to commit financial crime, such as money laundering Continue Reading

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• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Zoom adds new round of cyber security enhancements

Videoconferencing platform Zoom adds multiple third-party security certifications and service enhancements Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Five Eyes in new Russia cyber warning

Latest cross-body alert warns of Russian threat to utilities and other core elements of national infrastructure Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Impact of Lapsus$ attack on Okta less than feared

Okta’s investigation into Lapsus$ breach of its systems via a Sitel workstation has concluded that the impact was significantly less than the maximum potential Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

security information management (SIM)

Security information management (SIM) is the practice of collecting, monitoring and analyzing security-related data from computer logs and various other data sources. Continue Reading

By

• Rahul Awati

Check Point seeks to plug cyber security gap

The cyber security software provider is shoring up its sales force and partner ecosystem to address the security needs of small and mid-sized businesses in a region that is highly targeted by threat actors Continue Reading

India’s cyber security industry doubles in size during the Covid-19 pandemic

India’s revenues from cyber security products and services reached $9.85bn in 2021 thanks to rapid digitisation and regulatory attention on data and privacy Continue Reading

How to mitigate edge security threat

The move to the edge expands an organisation’s attack surface. Aaron Tan highlights some measures that organisations can take to minimise their edge security risks Continue Reading

CW APAC: Trend Watch: Cyber security

Protection from malicious actors has become a critical consideration for organisations in recent years. In this handbook, focused on cyber security in the Asia-Pacific region, Computer Weekly looks at how to minimise edge security risks, India’s rise in cyber security revenues, Check Point’s sales force and partner ecosystem processes, and Trellix’s decision to democratise XDR access Continue Reading

One-third of scams that hit TSB are impersonation fraud

TSB reports an increase in fraudsters impersonating trusted organisations to trick consumers into making payments to them Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

WLAN Authentication and Privacy Infrastructure (WAPI)

WLAN Authentication and Privacy Infrastructure (WAPI) is a wireless local area network security standard officially supported by the Chinese government. Continue Reading

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• Rahul Awati

Home secretary Priti Patel to decide whether to extradite Assange

Home secretary will decide in four weeks whether to approve Julian Assange’s extradition to the US, where he faces espionage and hacking charges Continue Reading

By

• Bill Goodwin, Computer Weekly

AWS fixes vulnerabilities in Log4Shell hot patch

AWS issues fixes for a series of Log4Shell hot patches after they turned out to leave its services vulnerable to further exploitation Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

NSO Group faces court action after Pegasus spyware used against targets in UK

Three human rights activists whose phones were targeted by spyware traced to Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates have begun legal action against both countries and Israel’s NSO Group Technologies Continue Reading

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• Bill Goodwin, Computer Weekly

Median threat actor ‘dwell time’ dropped during 2021

Security teams appear to be getting better at detecting attackers within their networks, according to a report Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Hammers sign Acronis as backup and security in one

West Ham United set to replace separate backup from Veeam and a variety of security products with Acronis Cyber Protect to have backup, data protection and file share on a single platform Continue Reading

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• Antony Adshead, Storage Editor

Windows 7 and XP still more popular than Windows 11

Lansweeper audit of Windows devices finds more people are running unsupported Windows operating systems than the newest release Continue Reading

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• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor

mail bomb

A mail bomb is a form of a denial-of-service (DoS) attack designed to overwhelm an inbox or inhibit a server by sending a massive number of emails to a specific person or system. Continue Reading

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• Andrew Zola

Lack of expertise hurting UK government’s cyber preparedness

UK government bodies and critical infrastructure owners cite a lack of staff resources, and internal and external expertise, as hampering factors when it comes to cyber readiness, according to a report Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Kyndryl kindles cyber incident recovery pact with Dell

IBM spin-out Kyndryl hops into bed with Dell Technologies in a joint cyber resilience proposition Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Zhadnost DDoS botnet deployed against Finland

A coordinated DDoS attack hit two government ministries in Finland at the same time as Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky delivered a virtual address to the Finnish parliament Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Incontroller ICS malware has ‘rare, dangerous’ capabilities, says Mandiant

Mandiant joins a growing chorus of warnings over novel nation state threats to ICS systems Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Government agrees bulk surveillance powers fail to protect journalists and sources

Campaign group Liberty to launch legal appeal that will call for journalists to receive stronger legal protections from state surveillance Continue Reading

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• Bill Goodwin, Computer Weekly

WatchGuard firewall users urged to patch Cyclops Blink vulnerability

The US authorities have seen fit to add the WatchGuard vulnerability used by Sandworm to build the Cyclops Blink botnet to its list of must-patch vulnerabilities Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Microsoft patches two zero-days, 10 critical bugs

Patch Tuesday is here once again. This month, security teams must fix two privilege escalation zero-days in the Windows Common Log File System Driver and the Windows User Profile Service Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Criminals researched hacking TTPs post-breach in ‘messy’ cyber attack

Sophos shares details of a cyber attack that saw attackers hang out in their victim environment for five months while they prepared to sow further mischief Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

More ANZ organisations warm to DevSecOps

About four in 10 organisations in Australia and New Zealand are undertaking the transition to development, security and operations, while a further 36% plan to do so in 2022, study finds Continue Reading

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• Aaron Tan, TechTarget

Universal IAM policy failings put cloud environments at risk

Almost all organisations lack appropriate IAM policy controls to effectively secure their data in the cloud, according to a damning study Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Multiple arrests made in RaidForums takedown

A Portuguese national and a 21-year-old man from Croydon are among a number of individuals arrested ahead of the closure of RaidForums by police Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Sandworm rolls out Industroyer2 malware against Ukraine

A second generation of the Sandworm-linked Industroyer malware has been identified by ESET researchers and Ukraine’s national CERT Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

AI researcher says police tech suppliers are hostile to transparency

Expert witness in Lords police tech inquiry welcomes committee’s findings but questions whether its recommendations on how to end the ‘Wild West’ of police artificial intelligence and algorithmic technologies in the UK would be implemented Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

Singapore to start licensing cyber security service providers

Those providing penetration testing and SOC services will need to apply for a licence under a new licensing regime that is expected to safeguard consumer interests and improve service standards Continue Reading

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• Aaron Tan, TechTarget

Border IT system fixed after 10-day outage

Post-Brexit border IT system failure fixed after going down at the start of April, allowing traders to once again file customs documents electronically rather than by hand Continue Reading

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• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

Open source CMS platform Directus patches XSS bug

A stored cross-site scripting vulnerability in the Directus platform could have enabled malicious actors to gain access to valuable data Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

We must target a broad church to fill vacant cyber roles

The security industry focuses a lot on cyber-specific specialisms and technical skills, but it could really benefit from widening its search. Take it from a social anthropologist Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Raspberry Pi Foundation ditches default username policy

Raspberry Pi owners will no longer be able to use the default ‘pi’ username, as the Raspberry Pi Foundation clamps down on insecure practices Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Just How Secure Are You?

Back in the autumn of last year, I talked about a vendor – Bugcrowd – that doesn’t simply rely on AI and ML within a microchip, but actually uses real flesh and bone people (AKA ethical hackers) to ... Continue Reading

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• Steve Broadhead, Broadband Testing

Nordic countries discuss joint cyber defence capability

Nordic countries are in talks to increase their cyber defences in the face of the threat from Russia Continue Reading

By

• Gerard O'Dwyer

EncroChat: France says ‘defence secrecy’ in police surveillance operations is constitutional

Constitutional court finds that invoking ‘defence secrecy’ to withhold information about the state hacking of EncroChat cryptophones is constitutional. Defence lawyers now head for the supreme court Continue Reading

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• Bill Goodwin, Computer Weekly

Ukrainian cyber criminal gets five years in jail

A US court has sentenced Denys Iarmak, who worked as a penetration tester for the FIN7 cyber crime group, to a five-year prison sentence Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Was Spring4Shell a lot of hot air? No, but...

Find out why Spring4Shell was apparently not as impactful a security problem as many had at first feared, and why it’s on the cyber community as a whole to do better Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Online Safety Bill: Collaborating to make the internet safer for all

The UK government's plan to regulate the internet and social media includes some positive and progressive measures – but by working with industry, a lot more could be achieved Continue Reading

By

• Martin Wilson

US shuts down Russia’s Cyclops Blink botnet operation

Operation by US authorities has taken the Russia-attributed Cyclops Blink botnet ‘off the board’ Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

MPs and editors sound alarm over threat to Freedom of Information

Government secrecy and trend for departments to block Freedom of Information requests pose a long-term risk to accountability Continue Reading

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• Bill Goodwin, Computer Weekly

CW Middle East: UAE and UK researchers work on ‘trustworthy’ cloud OS for datacentres

Imperial College London is embarking on a three-year project with an Abu Dhabi-based group of researchers to find ways for datacentre operators and cloud providers to secure their infrastructure. Also read how Dubai is positioning itself to reap the benefits of a promising global market for drone technology. Continue Reading

The rise and rise of blockchain technology

The growing use of blockchain across Asia-Pacific is set to continue, with spending on the technology slated to hit $2.4bn this year, according to IDC Continue Reading

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• Aaron Tan, TechTarget

Apple criticised over unpatched CVEs in Catalina, Big Sur

Apple patched two zero-days in macOS Monterey last week, but did not address the same issue in Catalina or Big Sur, raising questions Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Denonia malware may be first to target AWS Lambda

The newly discovered Denonia malware appears to be custom designed to target AWS Lambda environments, and may be the first of its kind Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Hydra takedown merely shifts cyber criminal problem elsewhere

The seizure of the Hydra dark web marketplace is a positive development in the fight against cyber crime, but will only be a temporary setback for determined criminals Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Scoop: Zero Trust Network Access Becomes Your Flexible Friend!

In my last blog, I highlighted the ongoing debate within IT security that is zero trust or, to use the full acronym, ZTNA (Zero Trust Network Access) and that – in theory, at least – it is kind of ... Continue Reading

By

• Steve Broadhead, Broadband Testing

Does Anyone Trust Zero Trust?

Has there been a more over-used term within IT security over the past few years than “zero trust”? Answers in the virtual black box at the back of the virtual room (in the virtual universe). I ... Continue Reading

By

• Steve Broadhead, Broadband Testing

Secrecy over police EncroChat hacking is unconstitutional, defence lawyers tell top French court

France’s constitutional court, the Conseil Constitutionnel, has heard arguments that the use of ‘defence secrecy’ to withhold information about police surveillance operations breaches the French constitution Continue Reading

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• Bill Goodwin, Computer Weekly

Discount retailer The Works hit by cyber attack

A small number of The Works’ bricks-and-mortar stores were forced to close amid a cyber attack of an undisclosed nature Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

SOC 1 (System and Organization Controls 1)

System and Organization Controls 1, or SOC 1 (pronounced "sock one"), aims to control objectives within a SOC 1 process area and documents internal controls relevant to an audit of a user entity's financial statements. Continue Reading

By

• Andrew Zola
• Alex DelVecchio, Content Development Strategist

content filtering

Content filtering is a process involving the use of software or hardware to screen and/or restrict access to objectionable email, webpages, executables and other suspicious items. Continue Reading

By

• Peter Loshin, Former Senior Technology Editor
• Andrew Zola

Triple-threat Borat malware no joke for victims

Unlike its namesake, the newly discovered Borat malware won’t raise a smile for IT security pros Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

IBM z16 tackles financial fraud and quantum hacks

New addition to Z series mainframe family uses IBM Telum processor to accelerate AI for real-time credit card fraud detection Continue Reading

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• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor

US offers concessions on surveillance and privacy as EU and US agree successor to Privacy Shield

 Continue Reading

How remote browser isolation can mitigate cyber threats

Remote browser isolation can help to mitigate browser-based attacks by separating a user’s browsing activity from the device Continue Reading

By

• Aaron Tan, TechTarget

Two teenagers charged with Lapsus$ cyber attacks

City of London Police have charged two teenagers in connection with the Lapsus$ cyber crime spree Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Four moves to ‘checkmate’ critical assets thanks to lax cloud security

Malicious actors can compromise 94% of critical assets within four steps of the initial breach point, according to a report Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Apple drops emergency patches for two zero-days

Apple has fixed two zero-day vulnerabilities that appear to have been actively exploited in the wild Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

TechUK calls on government to seize post-Brexit data opportunities

Ahead of the government’s reply to its late 2021 consultation about proposed post-Brexit reforms to the data protection regime, TechUK has published a paper declaring six data governance principles Continue Reading

By

• Brian McKenna, Senior Analyst, Business Applications

Global upheaval shows cyber security isn’t good enough, says GCHQ director

Generational global upheaval has laid bare significant gaps in national cyber strategies, GCHQ chief Jeremy Fleming has said in a speech Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor