IT security

Changes needed for SOCs and CSIRTs, claims Dutch research institute

Cyber security specialists need a game-changer to keep up with their adversaries, who increasingly use automation and AI for their attacks Continue Reading

By

• Kim Loohuis

Obituary: Professor Ross Anderson, pioneer in security engineering and campaigner

Ross Anderson, a titan in the field of security engineering and campaigner for privacy and security, has passed away Continue Reading

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• Bill Goodwin, Computer Weekly

Security Think Tank: Banning ransomware payments is not so straightforward

In the wake of renewed calls for lawmakers to consider enacting legal bans on ransomware payments, the Computer Weekly Security Think Tank weighs in to share their thoughts on how to tackle the scourge for good. Continue Reading

By

• John Scott

RDP abused in over 90% of cyber attacks, Sophos finds

Threat actors continue to see great success using simple, tried and tested methods, and many defenders are failing to do the basics Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Ransomware kill switch may save 99% of files from encryption

MDR specialist Adlumin says its new features will help customers stop in-progress ransomware attacks before they can cause significant damage Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Cato claims SASE speed record

Fast cars meet even faster networks as leading SASE provider doubles throughput to double-digit gigabits per second without any hardware upgrades, attributing the landmark as underscoring value of fully cloud-native platform Continue Reading

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• Joe O’Halloran, Computer Weekly

Security Think Tank: How to tackle the scourge of ransomware?

In the wake of renewed calls for lawmakers to consider enacting legal bans on ransomware payments, the Computer Weekly Security Think Tank weighs in to share their thoughts on how to tackle the scourge for good. Continue Reading

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• Toby Sibley and Louise Barber

Open source alert over intentionally placed backdoor

A backdoor in the open source XZ Utils data compression library could have led to widespread compromise across the Linux ecosystem - and the community is on the trail of a developer who seems to be behind it Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Security Think Tank: Ransomware lessons from the armed forces

In the wake of renewed calls for lawmakers to consider enacting legal bans on ransomware payments, the Computer Weekly Security Think Tank weighs in to share their thoughts on how to tackle the scourge for good. Continue Reading

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• Rob Dartnall, SecAlliance

Organisations getting better at spotting identity fraud

As the barriers to committing identity fraud continue to drop, organisations should consider more sophisticated technical measures to successfully up their game, according to a report Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

retina scan

Retina scanning is a biometric authentication technology that uses an image of an individual's retinal blood vessel pattern as a unique identifying trait for access to secure installations. Continue Reading

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• Andrew Zola

sensitive information

Sensitive information is data that must be protected from unauthorized access to safeguard the privacy or security of an individual or organization. Continue Reading

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• Nick Barney, Technology Writer

Hybrid work drives demand for SASE, zero-trust networking

Aryaka report finds five key trends with 70% of CISOs seeking secure access service edge and software-defined WAN convergence for simplified infrastructure management Continue Reading

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• Joe O’Halloran, Computer Weekly

UK plc going backwards on cyber maturity, Cisco report claims

Fewer UK organisations believe their cyber security postures have reached a mature level than did so 12 months ago, as they struggle to keep up with new challenges and a fast-evolving threat landscape Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Sellafield to be prosecuted over alleged cyber compliance failure

Sellafield Ltd, the organisation responsible for cleaning up and decommissioning the UK's largest nuclear waste site, is to be prosecuted over alleged cyber security failings dating back to 2019 Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Counter-eavesdropping agency unlawfully used surveillance powers to identify journalist’s source

More than 750 journalists had their communications data accessed by law enforcement and government agencies between 2018 and 2022 Continue Reading

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• Bill Goodwin, Computer Weekly

Facial recognition endangers us all without a clear legal basis

Technology researcher Stephanie Hare outlines the growing danger of the UK’s failure to legalise and regulate facial recognition technology Continue Reading

By

• Stephanie Hare

Private vs. public cloud security: Benefits and drawbacks

Uncover the differences between private vs. public cloud security -- as well as hybrid cloud security and multi-cloud security -- before deciding on an enterprise deployment model Continue Reading

By

• Andrew Froehlich, West Gate Networks
• Sharon Shea, Executive Editor

18 real-world use cases of the metaverse, plus examples

Use cases for the still-developing metaverse are growing as the technologies that enable this next iteration of the internet mature. Here are 18 enterprise and consumer examples. Continue Reading

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• Mary K. Pratt

Ransomware gang leaks data stolen from Scottish NHS board

Data stolen from an earlier attack on NHS Dumfries and Galloway has been leaked by a ransomware gang that claims to be in possession of much more content Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Cyber spies, not cyber criminals, behind most zero-day exploitation

Analysis from Google has found that zero-day vulnerabilities are much more heavily exploited for espionage purposes than for financially motivated cyber crime Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Qilin ransomware gang claims cyber attack on the Big Issue

A ransomware attack on the systems of publisher and social enterprise Big Issue Group has been claimed by the Qilin gang Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange given temporary reprieve over extradition

Court seeks assurances from the US that Assange will be given First Amendment Rights, will not prejudiced at trial because of his nationality, and will not be subject to the death penalty Continue Reading

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• Bill Goodwin, Computer Weekly
• Sander Priston

Shareholders win when businesses do better at cyber

The more advanced a company’s cyber security performance, and the more engaged its board is with security issues, the greater the return for shareholders, a report has found Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Apple, Meta and Alphabet under EU scrutiny

Under the new Digital Markets Act, European commissioners are looking at potential issues with the way Apple, Alphabet and Meta operate their platforms Continue Reading

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• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor

NCSC reaffirms guidance for those at risk of Chinese state hacking

As the UK and US governments announce sanctions and indictments of a Chinese state threat actor, the NCSC has reiterated its security advice for individuals at risk of being targeted for espionage purposes Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

US authorities charge seven over Chinese hacking

The US Department of Justice has charged seven Chinese nationals linked to the APT31 threat actor that targeted politicians in the UK and US Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Which? calls for government action on fake banking sites

Amid high volumes of spoofed, fraudulent banking websites, Which? is calling for the government to implement new legal obligations for domain registrars Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Chinese hackers responsible for two ‘malicious’ cyber campaigns against UK

Government sanctions two Chinese nationals and a Chinese company identified as responsible for cyber campaigns against government officials and members of parliament Continue Reading

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• Bill Goodwin, Computer Weekly

Britain’s democracy under threat from Chinese cyber attackers, government warns

The deputy prime minister, Oliver Dowden, is due to tell Parliament that Beijing is behind a hacking attack that obtained details of 40 million UK voters and has targeted parliamentarians who have criticised the regime Continue Reading

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• Bill Goodwin, Computer Weekly

Data protection impact assessment template and tips

Conducting a data protection impact assessment is key to evaluating potential risk factors that could pose a serious threat to individuals and their personal information. Continue Reading

By

• Paul Kirvan

Court finds EncroChat hacked messages admissible as former footballer is jailed

A judge in ‘lead’ EncroChat case found that messages obtained by police from the encrypted phone network can be lawfully used in evidence Continue Reading

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• Bill Goodwin, Computer Weekly

Open Data Institute launches digital policy manifesto

The Open Data Institute has launched a policy manifesto ahead of the UK general election that outlines policies and issues it believes must be part of the political discussion around digital and data Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

US sues Apple, alleging smartphone monopoly

A major legal action against Apple over its dominance of the smartphone market has kicked off in the US, alleging anticompetitive practices on Apple’s part that have damaged the sector and restricted consumer choice Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Challenging the traditional boundaries between IAM and UEM

It's always refreshing to engage with vendors who aren't bound by the rigid category definitions that large analyst firms often impose on the market. At Freeform Dynamics, our view is that it's ... Continue Reading

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• Dale Vile, Freeform Dynamics

NCSC guidance to help CEOs work through cyber incidents

The NCSC has published in-depth guidance on how business leaders should respond to a cyber attack or data breach. Learn about some of the key steps you will need to follow Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Ukrainians crack network that stole 100m email, social accounts

Three members of an organised cyber criminal group who hacked and appropriated personal email and social media accounts face up to 15 years in prison Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

UK’s cyber resilience stagnates as more fall victim to attacks

The government is calling on businesses to ramp up their cyber protections as study shows improvements to resilience are stagnating amid an ever-growing volume of attacks Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

EMEA security spend will have another boom year in 2024

Cyber security services and technology will once again be the focus of major investment across EMEA during 2024, according to the latest Technology Spending Intentions study from TechTarget and ESG Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Cato claims first for AI-driven networking, security incident detection and response

Artificial intelligence option from Cato enhanced to detect and identify the root cause of networking incidents and to reduce outages from hours to minutes Continue Reading

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• Joe O’Halloran, Computer Weekly

IT Governance for Today and Tomorrow: Minimum Viable Principles

Introduction The traditional one-size-fits-all approach to IT governance, particularly in relation to data, is becoming increasingly unsustainable in the flexible, Agile/DevOps/AI-driven IT ... Continue Reading

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• Tony Lock, Freeform Dynamics

Board-level buy-in: preparing cyber defences the right way

The cyber security function isn’t a back office team that is never seen and never heard. To truly protect the company, cyber security touches every corner of the business, and it starts from the top Continue Reading

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• Bruno Soares

Australia’s cyber security spending to grow 11.5% this year

Highly publicised cyber attacks and growing regulatory obligations are keeping security and risk top of mind for Australian organisations this year, says Gartner Continue Reading

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• Aaron Tan, TechTarget

Spring Budget risks funding legally questionable police tech

Open legal questions around how UK police are using facial recognition and cloud technology could undermine the £230m investment committed in the Spring Budget to “time and money-saving technology” for police Continue Reading

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• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

The Security Interviews: Alex Yampolskiy, SecurityScorecard

Alex Yampolskiy conceived the idea for risk management specialist SecurityScorecard after getting stung by a SaaS supplier that was being cavalier with its customer data. He tells his story to Computer Weekly Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Cohesity: We won’t abandon NetBackup customers or force migration

CEO promises no forced migration to Cohesity and not to abandon any NetBackup product while building new leadership in artificial intelligence and security around Cohesity Gaia Continue Reading

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• Yann Serra, LeMagIT
• Antony Adshead, Storage Editor

Budgets rise as IT decision-makers ramp up cyber security spending

Few IT leaders surveyed in the TechTarget/Enterprise Strategy Group 2024 Technology Spending Intentions study say they are spending less this year Continue Reading

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• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor

UK’s AI ambitions pointless while cyber security is still neglected

The UK’s AI ambitions may be at considerable risk without stronger cyber defences across the private and public sectors Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

London Mayor’s Office reprimanded over data breach

The London Mayor’s Office has been reprimanded by the ICO after an internal error exposed the data of people who had made complaints against the Metropolitan Police Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

virus (computer virus)

A computer virus is a type of malware that attaches itself to a program or file. A virus can replicate and spread across an infected system and it often propagates to other systems, much like a biological virus spreads from host to host. Continue Reading

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• Robert Sheldon
• Mike Chapple, University of Notre Dame
• Crystal Bedell

virus signature (virus definition)

A virus signature, also known as a 'virus definition,' is a piece of code with a unique binary pattern that identifies a computer virus or family of viruses. Continue Reading

By

• Robert Sheldon

Questions raised over NHS deletion of thousands of emails during whistleblower tribunal

NHS doctor Chris Day has won the right to challenge a tribunal ruling that found no procedural unfairness when an NHS trust deleted thousands of emails. The case that raises wider questions about the use of electronic evidence Continue Reading

By

• Tommy Greene

US authorities move a step closer to banning TikTok

Lawmakers in Washington DC have moved a step closer to enacting a broad national ban on controversial video app TikTok in the US, with global ramifications Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Microsoft AI-powered cyber service to go live in April

After a year being previewed by beta customers, Microsoft’s much vaunted Copilot for Security service is about to go on general release, promising time savings and improved accuracy for hard-pressed security pros Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

British Library opens up over ransomware attack to help others

The British Library has opted for full transparency after experiencing a devastating ransomware attack, publishing details of the intrusion, its response and the lessons it has learned Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

17 potential costs of shadow IT

Companies should be vigilant and consider the significant costs associated with shadow IT. Learn about these overlooked issues and how they affect the organization. Continue Reading

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• Paul Kirvan

March Patch Tuesday throws up two critical Hyper-V flaws

Two critical vulnerabilities in Windows Hyper-V stand out on an otherwise unremarkable Patch Tuesday Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

A new security partnership to build a silicon valley in South Wales

The £140m acquisition of Newport Wafer Fab by American firm Vishay is to be welcomed but the UK needs needs security, stability and strategic investment to grow our domestic semiconductor capability, writes Alun Cairns MP Continue Reading

By

• Alun Cairns

More DDoS attacks launched against APAC financial firms

The financial sector in Asia-Pacific saw more DDoS attacks in 2023, but no notable impact was reported, according to a report by Akamai and FS-ISAC Continue Reading

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• Aaron Tan, TechTarget

Aryaka advances network, security convergence with SASE as a service

Cloud-based software-defined networking and security services provider claims to transform global secure networking with unified secure access service edge solution Continue Reading

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• Joe O’Halloran, Computer Weekly

Government not facing up to CNI cyber risks, committee warns

The Joint Committee on the National Security Strategy has accused the government of burying its head in the sand over the cyber threat to UK critical infrastructure Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Podcast: Immutable storage essential against ransomware, but...

...not all immutable storage is created equal. That’s the message from Paul Speciale of Scality, who looks at immutable storage, its variants and what’s needed to secure data Continue Reading

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• Antony Adshead, Storage Editor

Dutch organisations vulnerable to deepfake fraud

With the information many employees share on social media, Dutch companies are especially vulnerable to a new form of fraud Continue Reading

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• Kim Loohuis

How Microsoft is easing GenAI adoption into financial services

Microsoft is supporting enterprise deployment models, addressing the risks of the technology and leveraging its industry cloud capabilities to ease generative AI adoption in the financial sector Continue Reading

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• Aaron Tan, TechTarget

TechUK calls for next government to introduce ‘industrial strategy’ for AI

Trade group TechUK publishes blueprint calling for winner of next election to boost tech startups, digitise government services and accelerate technology R&D Continue Reading

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• Bill Goodwin, Computer Weekly

Cloud security vs. network security: What's the difference?

While network security focuses on solely protecting networks, cloud security provides protection for networks, servers, containers, apps and more. Continue Reading

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• Andrew Froehlich, West Gate Networks

OSS leaders detail commitments to bolster software security

CISA has announced a number of actions to help secure the global open source ecosystem, as leading package repositories including the Python and Rust foundations advance their own initiatives Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

electronic protected health information (ePHI)

Electronic protected health information (ePHI) is protected health information that is produced, saved, transferred or received in an electronic form. Continue Reading

By

• Rahul Awati

How to address third-party risk to ensure business resiliency

Identifying third-party risks, determining risk controls and treating third-parties as allies are some of the ways to address the risks associated with third-party transactions and business engagements Continue Reading

By

• Luke Ellery

PSNI chief denies ‘industrial’ use of surveillance powers against journalists

PSNI chief constable Jon Boutcher has agreed to provide a report on police surveillance of journalists and lawyers to Northern Ireland’s policing watchdog Continue Reading

By

• Bill Goodwin, Computer Weekly

5-step IaaS security checklist for cloud customers

Get expert advice on patching, data encryption, and identity and access management responsibilities in this enterprise IaaS security checklist. Continue Reading

By

• Ed Moyle, Drake Software

Government insists it is acting ‘responsibly’ on military AI

The government has responded to calls from a Lords committee that it must “proceed with caution” when it comes to autonomous weapons and military artificial intelligence, arguing that caution is already embedded throughout its approach Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

NI Policing Board pressed to open inquiry into PSNI spying on journalists’ phones

Amnesty International and the Committee on the Administration of Justice have asked Northern Ireland’s policing watchdog to open an inquiry into the Police Service of Northern Ireland’s use of surveillance powers against journalists Continue Reading

By

• Bill Goodwin, Computer Weekly

Western Sydney Metro deploys mission-critical communications for driverless transport

Nokiar teams with industrial partner to provide IP/MPLS backbone communications network and security solution for new Metro line connecting Australia’s largest city to airport Continue Reading

By

• Joe O’Halloran, Computer Weekly

Apple patches zero-days amid ‘foundational’ post-quantum update

Apple’s iOS 17.4 update not only fixes zero-day flaws that are being actively exploited, but includes important new security protocols to safeguard users against future attacks Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Cash-strapped cyber pros go rogue on the dark web

Research conducted by CIISec has turned up worrying evidence of hard-up legitimate cyber professionals offering their services to the cyber criminal underground Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Nation states buying hacking tools from underground Russian cyber forums

State-sponsored hacking groups, posing as hacktivists, are using Russian cyber crime forums to stock up on cyber weapons, says Check Point Software’s threat analyst, Sergey Shykevich Continue Reading

By

• Bill Goodwin, Computer Weekly

Rapid7 hits out over botched vulnerability disclosure

Software development firm JetBrains and security specialist Rapid7 fall out over the handling of a critical vulnerability disclosure, while customers are left rushing to patch Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

ALPHV/BlackCat gang vanishes amid ransomware ‘turmoil’

Mystery surrounds the apparent disappearance of the ALPHV/BlackCat cyber crime gang amid reports that a prominent US victim paid a $22m ransom Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Meta outage disrupts social media globally

Meta services, including Facebook, Instagram and Threads, have been downed in a brief service outage Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

IT chiefs fear Kubernetes data log overload

IT architectures are set to grow in complexity, and more mission-critical systems are being deployed on Kubernetes, meaning log files are becoming unmanageable Continue Reading

By

• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor

Open Rights Group accuses LiveRamp of ‘unlawful’ data processing

Privacy campaigners at Open Rights Group have submitted formal complaints to UK and French data regulators about allegedly unlawful data processing by online advertising firm LiveRamp Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

American Express customers exposed through third-party breach

US card giant warns customers that their personal details may have been exposed after a third party experienced a systems breach Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Banning ransomware payments back on the agenda

The idea of banning ransomware payments to cyber criminals is back on the agenda, with former NCSC chief Ciaran Martin arguing that tougher measures need to be taken Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

How Southeast Asia’s largest bank is riding the AI wave

DBS has scaled its AI capabilities across all parts of its business to deliver tangible outcomes and productivity gains Continue Reading

By

• Piyush Gupta

Authorised access only – biometrics in the workplace

In this week’s Computer Weekly, we examine how biometrics technologies are transforming identity and access management. We analyse research that shows a mismatch between managerial expectations of generative AI and worker experience. And we look at how to assess the best hybrid cloud management tools. Read the issue now. Continue Reading

Biometric revolution in IAM: The future of authentication

The IAM landscape is experiencing profound change thanks to the advent of biometrics. Learn about the latest advantages and key benefits of biometrics in identity Continue Reading

The Security Interviews: Cyber security is about managing risk effectively

Effective cyber security must lead to cyber resilience – that is, the ability to anticipate, protect against, withstand and recover from any adverse condition, disruption or compromise, as Kyndryl’s security practice leader explains Continue Reading

By

• Melisa Osores, Managing Editor para América Latina

Ivanti vulnerabilities explained: Everything you need to know

A series of vulnerabilities in Ivanti products have caused concern worldwide. Delve into some of the key issues arising from the Ivanti disclosures, looking at the vulnerabilities and their impact, what affected users should do, and learn about new developments Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Fancy Bear sniffs out Ubiquiti router users

The authorities have warned users of Ubiquiti EdgeRouter products to take remedial action after a number of devices were hijacked into a malicious botnet by a Russian cyber espionage unit Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

APAC firms bullish on IT spending

More than half of organisations plan to spend more on key areas such as cyber security, generative AI and cloud in a sign of growing optimism across the region Continue Reading

By

• Aaron Tan, TechTarget

Home Office GPS tagging of asylum seekers breaches data protection law

The Information Commissioner’s Office has issued an enforcement notice against the Home Office after finding its programme to tag asylum seekers with GPS monitors breaches data protection law Continue Reading

By

• Bill Goodwin, Computer Weekly

Okta doubles down on cyber in wake of high-profile breaches

Okta launches Secure Identity Commitment to shore up its technology in the wake of a damaging breach and elevate best practice around identity Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

DSIT publishes results of public digital identity trust consultation

Report from Department for Science, Innovation and Technology shows UK public wants government to be accountable and transparent, and views trust and inclusivity as key Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

Police arrested journalists as part of surveillance operation to identify confidential sources

Three police forces took part in surveillance operations between 2011 and 2018 to identify sources that leaked information to journalists Trevor Birney and Barry McCaffrey, the Investigatory Powers Tribunal hears Continue Reading

By

• Bill Goodwin, Computer Weekly

New version of ALPHV/BlackCat ransomware hits victims

An updated version of the ALPHV/BlackCat ransomware has been spotted in the wild amid a series of attacks on American healthcare providers, prompting a new alert from the authorities Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

75% of third-party breaches target software, IT supply chains

Data drawn from SecurityScorecard’s telemetry reveals how supply chain breaches are becoming a weapon of choice for threat actors Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Users love their cyber teams, but find them frustrating

Despite strong support for security teams, a good number of ordinary workers see them as obstructive to business goals, and would like to see them operate more transparently Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Black Basta and Bl00dy ransomware gangs exploiting ConnectWise vulns

More ransomware gangs have been observed exploiting two dangerous vulnerabilities in ConnectWise ScreenConnect software, prompting new warnings for users to get patching Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

VulnCheck bug listing to help track new threats quicker

Exploit intelligence firm VulnCheck launches a proprietary Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalogue in hopes of improving end-user access to intel on emerging threats and reaching those that the likes of CISA do not Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor