IT security

Professionals need protection from the Computer Misuse Act

The UK needs cyber legislation fit for the 21st century, so it is important for the industry to get behind the government’s proposed reform of the Computer Misuse Act Continue Reading

By

• Martin Smith, SASIG

Ransomware gangs seek people skills for negotiations

The process of negotiating a ransomware payment is delicate, hence cyber criminal organisations are prepared to offer good terms to those with the right skillsets Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Met Police should release information on British WikiLeaks journalists passed to US, tribunal told

The Metropolitan Police should release correspondence with the US Department of Justice about three UK based WikiLeaks journalists, despite national security claims, a tribunal heard Continue Reading

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• Bill Goodwin, Computer Weekly

Are you betting your future on the worst gambling odds in the world?

Gambling is a high-risk strategy. Doing nothing in the face of the threat from ransomware and hoping for the best provides some of the worst odds you will ever come across Continue Reading

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• Elliot Rose, PA Consulting

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

How do we win back digital adolescents recruited to the Dark Side during lockdown?

The Hacker Forum is one of the most welcoming, friendly and attractive "support" group for those stuck in their bedrooms, isolated from friends and school during lockdown and bored with home-learning. Continue Reading

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• Philip Virgo, Winsafe Ltd

How zero-trust security can bolster Managed Print Services (MPS) offerings

MPS providers must build expertise to address the zero-trust requirements of their customers. This means offering and implementing a multi-layered security proposition to protect printing across ... Continue Reading

By

• Louella Fernandes, Quocirca

Our Survey Says...

The whole WFH/ WFA (Work From Home/Anywhere) initiative that was somewhat enforced on the world’s working population as a result of the “P” word, has largely been well received, but a new survey ... Continue Reading

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• Steve Broadhead, Broadband Testing

Snort

Snort is an open source network intrusion detection system (NIDS) created by Sourcefire founder and former CTO Martin Roesch. Continue Reading

By

• Katie Terrell Hanna

Kaseya apologises for extended downtime after ransom attack

CEO of Kaseya apologises after pushing back the restoration of the firm’s VSA service following a REvil ransomware attack Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Why identity is the central problem for the future of the internet

As debate rages over who has the right to control user identities online, is the concept of decentralised identity about to have its day? Continue Reading

By

• Nick Lambert

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

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

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

US government given permission to appeal UK’s decision to not extradite Julian Assange

US offers assurances that Assange could serve time in his home country of Australia if convicted Continue Reading

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• Bill Goodwin, Computer Weekly

ICO to probe Hancock over private email use

Former health secretary faces an investigation by the UK’s data protection watchdog over his use of private email to conduct government business Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

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

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Opportunists seen targeting Kaseya REvil victims

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

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• 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

Klarna under investigation by Swedish finance watchdog

Swedish fintech is being investigated by financial services regulator after customer information was visible to others Continue Reading

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• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Cyber insurance costs up by a third

The frequency and severity of ransomware attacks is a leading factor behind a substantial increase in the cost of obtaining cyber security insurance Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

BA reaches settlement in data breach group action

A group action against BA following its 2018 data breach has been successfully settled Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

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

Buying a VPN? Here’s what you need to know

VPNs are an effective cyber security tool for businesses and remote workers, but there are many things to consider before purchasing and implementing one. We explore some of these Continue Reading

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

Cloud - Infrastructure - Security - SASE - Discuss!

Over the past 12 months, I’ve regularly talked about sassy SASE in this blog. But I’m not the only one. A recent Netevents interactive debate had several vendors debating SASE as part of a general ... Continue Reading

By

• Steve Broadhead, Broadband Testing

REvil crew wants $70m in Kaseya ransomware heist

Two days after one of the largest ransomware attacks in history by the REvil/Sodinokibi gang, the security community is assessing its next moves, while over 1,000 victims remain in limbo Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Toughening up web and mobile apps

We look at how organisations can secure internal and web-facing applications against ransomware and injection-style attacks Continue Reading

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• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor

Berlin court finds EncroChat intercept evidence cannot be used in criminal trials

In a major setback for police hacking operations, Berlin’s regional court has decided that intercepted data from the EncroChat phone network should not be used in criminal prosecutions Continue Reading

By

• Bill Goodwin, Computer Weekly

The secret to building a future-proof cyber security team

In a post-pandemic digital world, where cyber criminals see a feast of opportunities, what are the secrets to building a world-class cyber security function? Continue Reading

By

• Russ Kirby

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

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Cyber attackers up the ante on embattled IT teams

Opportunistic threat actors are pouncing on embattled IT teams that are under pressure to expand remote work arrangements Continue Reading

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• Aaron Tan, TechTarget

How do I get my users to pay attention to security training?

 Continue Reading

Do video games breed hackers?

The aim on Monday is to explore how the online wild west of gaming seemingly escalates young gamers from downloading simple cheat codes to launching full-scale DDoS attacks and even being involved ... Continue Reading

By

• Philip Virgo, Winsafe Ltd

NCSC joins US authorities to expose Russian brute force campaign

A joint attribution by the British and American authorities accuses Russia’s GRU intelligence services of conducting a campaign of brute force attacks on enterprise and cloud environments Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

US Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency launches ransomware assessment tool

Newly launched service will help US organisations understand how prepared they are to deal with a ransomware attack Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Cyber espionage campaign targeted central Asian states

The Afghan, Kyrgyz and Uzbek governments are all thought to have been targeted by the same APT Continue Reading

NHS IT fraudster Barry Stannard sentenced to five years in prison

Stannard used his position as head of unified communications at an Essex NHS Trust to cheat the taxpayer of more than £800,000 Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Nominations open for 2021 Security Serious Unsung Heroes Awards

Nominations are now open for this year’s edition of the Unsung Heroes Awards for cyber professionals and educators Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Half of mobile phones sold in the UK at risk of security issues

Lengthy mobile phone contracts leave buyers at risk of their devices losing support for security updates Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security 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

LinkedIn denies exposure of 700 million user records is a data breach

Data relating to 700 million users of the LinkedIn networking platform has appeared for sale, but the firm says it is the victim of data scraping, not a security breach Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

UK data exchanges with EU can continue after adequacy decision - but for how long?

For now European businesses can continue to send data to the UK without additional safeguards and paperwork. How long will it last? Continue Reading

By

• Ben Rapp

active attack

An active attack is a network exploit in which a hacker attempts to make changes to data on the target or data en route to the target. Continue Reading

By

• TechTarget Contributor

Cops seize criminal VPN used by ransomware gangs

A coordinated sting has ended the operations of the DoubleVPN service, the owners of which are accused of harbouring cyber criminal activity Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

12 official practice questions for the CCNA 200-301 exam

These practice questions for CCNA 200-301 lay out what readers need to know about network security and IP routing in the LAN, from 'CCNA 200-301 Official Cert Guide, Volumes 1 and 2.' Continue Reading

By

• Michaela Goss, Senior Site Editor
• Jennifer English, Executive Editor
• Pearson Education

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

Elmer Fudd Goes Cyber Hunting As A Service

Time – they say – is of the essence (if not vanilla) but never more than in network detection and response (NDR) scenarios. The problem with many products aimed at detecting network anomalies and ... Continue Reading

By

• Steve Broadhead, Broadband Testing

Putting cloud repatriation into perspective

Moving public cloud workloads back on-premise is among the decisions that organisations have to make as they straddle between public and private cloud environments Continue Reading

By

• Aaron Tan, TechTarget

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

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• 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

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

EU recognises UK data protection adequacy but warns against divergence

The European Commission has granted the UK data adequacy, allowing data sharing between the EU and the UK, but warns it may yet be revoked Continue Reading

By

• Bill Goodwin, Computer Weekly

Banking tech fraud: How to trace and recover your money

Even when stolen assets are sent offshore, the special powers of the English civil court system mean all may not be lost Continue Reading

By

• Nathan Capone and Stephen Cartwright

Is the UK government planning to rewrite GDPR?

In this week’s Computer Weekly, a government taskforce on post-Brexit regulations has recommended changes to GDPR in the UK – we examine the implications. The NHS has launched a new data strategy - we look at what it means for your medical records. And we ask how to avoid the performance problems that affect private cloud. Read the issue now. Continue Reading

Video game industry under relentless cyber attacks

Web application attacks against the global video game industry grew by 340% in 2020 as more people turn to gaming during pandemic lockdowns Continue Reading

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• Aaron Tan, TechTarget

Insurers unprepared for challenges of underwriting ransomware

RUSI think tank calls for an industry-wide reset amid intense challenges for providers of cyber security insurance Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

UK’s FCA bans crypto exchange Binance as crackdown spreads

Ban on Binance Markets comes amid a wider global crackdown on the largely unregulated global market for cryptocurrencies and related assets. Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

public key

In cryptography, a public key is a large numerical value that is used to encrypt data. Continue Reading

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• TechTarget Contributor

HMRC-branded phishing scams surge despite protections

The number of HMRC-branded phishing scams surged 87% in the past 12 months, according to latest revealed figures Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

How CIOs can help their organisations accelerate digital transformation

Companies need to win the trust of their customers to gather the data they need to transform their businesses Continue Reading

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• Dan Higgins, EY

Lazada rolls out public bug bounty programme

Regional e-commerce giant Lazada is looking to uncover more vulnerabilities that could compromise data security in a public bug bounty programme that offers up to $10,000 per bounty Continue Reading

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• Aaron Tan, TechTarget

end-to-end encryption (E2EE)

End-to-end encryption (E2EE) is a method of secure communication that prevents third parties from accessing data while it's transferred from one end system or device to another. Continue Reading

By

• Ben Lutkevich, Site Editor
• Madelyn Bacon, TechTarget

NCSC CEO: UK-Ireland collaboration crucial to stop cyber threats

Speaking at a conference in Dublin, NCSC Lindy Cameron is highlighting the importance of continued collaboration between the UK and Ireland to protect shared interests and counter security threats Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Anglesey schools offline after cyber attack

Isle of Anglesey County Council is investigating a cyber attack that has forced it to shut down systems at all five secondary schools on the island Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

CMA to probe Amazon and Google over fake reviews

The CMA has opened an investigation into Amazon and Google over possible breaches of consumer protection law Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

AWS launches bug-busting programme for developers

Amazon Web Services is inviting customers to probe their code for software bugs and vulnerabilities using its CodeGuru console Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Google hands third-party cookies a stay of execution

Google’s proposed Privacy Sandbox initiative – which will see third-party cookies phased out in the Chrome web browser – has been pushed back to 2023 Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

NCSC recognises cyber degree apprenticeships for the first time

Addition of new cyber courses to National Cyber Security Centre’s accredited list will supposedly help students make better choices and help universities get more funding Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Revealed: Crypto platform’s role in Cl0p ransomware raid

Crypto infrastructure provider Binance provided assistance to law enforcement after finding its exchange was being used by cyber criminals to launder their ransomware profits Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Stalkerware apps becoming normalised among young people

Data in a new report appears to show that dangerous stalkerware apps are becoming normalised in younger age groups Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

(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

Controversial cyber tycoon John McAfee dead at 75

Founder of the eponymous cyber security firm has committed suicide in a Spanish prison Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Make ransomware payments illegal, say 79% of cyber pros

Report produced for MSSP Talion claims overwhelming support for the criminalisation of ransomware payments Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

City of York picks Barracuda Networks for data protection

York Council needed to refresh its backup service to bring new security protections after it went ‘all-in’ on Microsoft Office 365 Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

How containerisation helps VW develop car software

Volkswagen’s R&D centre is working with Red Hat to use containerisation to improve how it develops and tests software for the control systems in cars Continue Reading

By

• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor

proxy firewall

A proxy firewall is a network security system that protects network resources by filtering messages at the application layer. Continue Reading

By

• TechTarget Contributor

European Union to set up new cyber response unit

Proposed Joint Cyber Unit will tackle a rising number of serious incidents impacting public services, businesses and citizens of the EU Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

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

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• 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

security

Security for information technology (IT) refers to the methods, tools and personnel used to defend an organization's digital assets. Continue Reading

By

• Madelyn Bacon, TechTarget
• TechTarget Contributor

SonicWall sees 226.3 million ransomware attack attempts this year

SonicWall detected 226.3 million attempted ransomware attacks between January and May 2021, more than double the number seen in the same period last year Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Cloudflare announces new integrations with Microsoft, others

New security integrations with Microsoft Azure Sentinel, Splunk, Datadog and Sumo Logic will supposedly make it easier for users to analyse network security data Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Innova and RISE drive node development in Sweden

Swedish cyber security project, National Node, opens its doors to the country’s security firms Continue Reading

By

• Gerard O'Dwyer

European ‘chat control’ plans in the name of ‘child safety’ threaten end-to-end encryption

Proposals by European Commission to search for illegal material could mean the end of private messaging and emails Continue Reading

By

• Patrick Breyer

NSPCC, IWF help under-18s scrub their nude photos from the web

Report Remove tool is designed to be used by under-18s to report nude images or videos of themselves that have appeared online Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

UK SMEs lack capacity to fend off cyber attacks

Three-quarters of UK SME leaders would not have sufficient capacity or expertise to deal with a cyber attack, according to a report Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

A new three-year plan for digital government

In this week’s Computer Weekly, the new CEO of the Gov-ernment Digital Service, Tom Read, explains his three-year strategy for improving online public services. EU attempts to regulate AI are under fire – we examine the issues. And we find out how Bupa is turning to the cloud to deliver per-sonalised healthcare. Read the issue now. Continue Reading

Parliamentary devices left in taxis, buses, trains and pubs

Nearly 100 devices belonging to parliamentary staffers, including MPs and peers, were lost or stolen over the course of 2019 and 2020 Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Best practices for secure printing

The reality of a paperless office remains some way off, so printers are here to stay for a while. But their increasingly connected status means securing them should be a priority Continue Reading

By

• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor

NHS App reaches six million users, thanks to Covid vaccine feature

More than two million new users have downloaded the NHS App since it was updated in May to include Covid-19 vaccination status Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

ping sweep (ICMP sweep)

A ping sweep (also known as an ICMP sweep) is a basic network scanning technique used to determine which of a range of IP addresses map to live hosts (computers). Continue Reading

By

• Katie Terrell Hanna

ICO issues guidance on facial recognition in public spaces

Information commissioner’s concern over the problematic use of facial recognition in public spaces has prompted her to publish official guidance on its deployment, while civil society calls for an outright ban Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

Lorca Ignite programme targets breakout cyber talent

Six of the most successful companies to have come through Lorca’s existing accelerators are being inducted into an intensive programme Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Carnival Cruises hit by fourth cyber incident in a year

Latest data breach at Covid-hit cruise line comes hot on the heels of two recent ransomware attacks and a spring 2020 breach Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act (GLBA)

The Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act (GLB Act or GLBA), also known as the Financial Modernization Act of 1999, is a federal law enacted in the United States to control the ways financial institutions deal with the private information of individuals. Continue Reading

By

• Garry Kranz

Cyber crooks target Amazon Prime users ahead of retail bonanza

A surge in malicious domain registrations ahead of Amazon Prime Day indicates cyber criminals have set their sights on exploiting vulnerable shoppers Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

UnitingCare Queensland restores IT systems after cyber attack

Australian healthcare service provider has restored key corporate systems and integrations between applications following a cyber attack earlier this year Continue Reading

By

• Aaron Tan, TechTarget

Biden tackles Putin on ransomware at Geneva summit

Discussions between Joe Biden and Vladimir Putin on cyber crime appear to have been somewhat positive, but the path ahead remains unclear Continue Reading