IT security

Cyber crime a significant risk to individuals and organisations

Cyber crime is still a significant risk to individuals and organisations, a report claims, with the top threats including business email compromise, ransomware, and banking and mobile malware Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Can DevOps deliver on its productivity promises?

DevOps and agile working are often cited as key elements of successful digital transformation – in this week’s Computer Weekly, we examine the challenges to delivering on that promise. Many retailers are investing in emerging technologies to gain an edge – but are they getting too far ahead of the curve? And we hear how a new spirit of collaboration could help UK broadband roll-out. Read the issue now. Continue Reading

Technology moving to the centre of Brexit debate

Slowly, technology issues are rising to centre of the Brexit debate – as they should. This week saw the publication of the UK government’s Data Protection Bill – our implementation of the European ... Continue Reading

By

• Bryan Glick, Editor in chief

Government aligns data laws with GDPR

The UK government announces details of its data protection law that will align with the EU’s GDPR Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

CW Europe: The Macedonian surveillance scandal that brought down a government

In this issue, we look at evidence that Macedonia may have been running covert internet surveillance using sophisticated software supplied by a western technology company. We also look at how politics is changing IT buying habits in France, with French CIOs looking at alternatives to storing data with US-based suppliers as a result of one of President Trump’s executive orders. Download the issue now. Continue Reading

Government wants to remain in EU cyber security club after Brexit

The UK government wants to maintain deep links with the European Union’s cyber security working groups following Britain’s exit from the bloc in 2019 Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Millions of customer records compromised in Equifax breach

Major security breach unfolded over a two-month period, and is thought to have affected 143 million customers in the US, as well as an undisclosed number of Britons and Canadians Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

People with non-IT backgrounds could help fill cyber security skills gap

Organisations should look to fill cyber security roles with people who are curious and have work experience rather than focusing solely on graduates Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Content delivery innovation improves user experience for e-tailer

WorldStores Group, the owner of a number of online home and lifestyle retail brands, has transformed its customer experience with enhanced content delivery capabilities from Instart Logic Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Instagram fixes API blamed for celebrity data leaks

Instagram says it has fixed the API responsible for enabling hackers to access some personal details of high-profile users of the service Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Researcher finds over 711 million compromised email accounts

A security researcher has discovered a spambot using more than 711 million compromised email accounts to spread data-stealing malware Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

VMware making bigger push into cloud, cyber security

The virtualisation bigwig is making it easier for VMware customers to adopt public cloud services, starting with a partnership with Amazon Web Services Continue Reading

By

• Aaron Tan, TechTarget

Security professionals name top causes of breaches

Security professionals have named the top reasons for successful cyber attacks, which are affecting more than half of organisations Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

CW Nordics: Banks and startups increase collaboration

First they were deemed a threat, now they are potential partners. According to a new report by Nordic accelerator Fintech Mundi, banks are increasingly turning to financial technology (fintech) startups in their hunt for new ideas and market opportunities. Also in this issue, read now Baker Brun, a bakery company in Norway, is modernising its business processes through the latest technologies, and hear how Stockholm’s CIO is relishing the challenge of trying to make the Swedish capital the smartest city in the world. Continue Reading

UK business welcomes government post-Brexit data sharing plan

Business has welcomed government proposals for data protection to enable unhindered data sharing with the EU after Brexit Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Industrial robots a security risk, warns IOActive

Some of the most popular industrial and domestic robot brands have various vulnerabilities that could by exploited by cyber attackers, a research paper warns Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

How banking technology has changed since the crash

In this week’s Computer Weekly, 10 years after the financial crash, we examine how banking technology has changed as a result of the economic crisis. We look at how GDPR, the EU’s new data protection laws, will affect your data storage strategies. And we ask if the cryptocurrency boom will remain a niche pursuit or whether the underlying technologies can bring benefits for enterprise IT. Read the issue now. Continue Reading

NotPetya highlights cyber risk in shipping industry

Malware attack has shown that the shipping industry is vulnerable to cyber attacks, with Danish shipping giant Maersk reporting potential cost of up to $300m Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

School leavers urged to look at cyber security apprenticeships

Cyber security apprenticeships are a good alternative to ‘clearing’ and debts, according to security certification body, Crest Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

UK rail passengers don’t trust on-board Wi-Fi

YouGov survey commissioned by Cobham Wireless finds UK commuters are increasingly frustrated with connectivity standards on the rail network Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Developers lack skills needed for secure DevOps, survey shows

The growing demand for developers with security skills is outpacing supply, but a survey reveals that a lack of formal security education and training by employers is contributing to the growing skills gap Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

NotPetya attack cost up to $300m, says Maersk

Danish shipping line Maersk estimates that the NotPetya cyber attack in June cost the company up to $300m Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Hackers hit Holyrood with Westminster-style brute-force attack

The Scottish parliament has been hit by a cyber attack similar to the one that struck Westminster in June Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Leaked SMB exploits make malware powerful, warns Cylance

Four key exploits at the heart of hacking tools leaked by the Shadow Brokers have given malware authors a lot of power, say security researchers Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Malicious email spikes in Q2, reports Proofpoint

Malicious email campaigns saw a spike in volume and increased variety in the second quarter of 2017, a cyber security report reveals Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Russian cyber espionage group targeting hotel Wi-Fi

A Russian cyber espionage group is targeting hotel Wi-Fi networks to carry out malware infections and potentially steal credentials, researchers warn Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

China tests hack-proof quantum satellite communications

China has tested a prototype communication system that uses the principles of quantum mechanics to make it impossible for hackers to access Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

New TalkTalk fine takes total for poor data protection to £500,000

Information Commissioner’s Office fines TalkTalk for putting up to 21,000 customers’ details at risk of exposure prior to September 2014 Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

IT pros urged to support ‘WannaCry hero’ Marcus Hutchins

Computer experts fear chilling effect on security research over US arrest of Marcus Hutchins who halted the spread of the WannaCry ransomware Continue Reading

By

• Bill Goodwin and Julia Gregory

CW Benelux: IoT Tech Day showcases innovation

Read about this year’s IoT Tech Day in Utrecht, Netherlands, which featured hobby projects such as light-sensing curtains that automatically open and close, but also showed that the IoT is growing up to encompass more serious applications. Also read about the lessons to be learned from the ‘Petya’ ransomware attack that has hit 60 countries, and find out how Dutch railway stations are monitoring the movement of travellers to reduce people jams. Continue Reading

Gov.uk Verify fails to meet key business case targets

Government’s controversial online identity system has missed important milestones that formed the basis of its original 2015 business case Continue Reading

By

• Bryan Glick, Editor in chief

WannaCry hero due in court on malware charges

The Briton who played a key role in halting the global WannaCry ransomware attacks is due in court in the US to face charges in connection with the Kronos banking Trojan Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

NIS Directive plans show UK is serious about tackling cyber threats

UK government plans to implement the EU’s Network and Information Systems (NIS) Directive have been welcomed for assuring its commitment to cyber defence post-Brexit Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Gaming apps ‘main source’ of mobile phishing attacks, research shows

Analysis of 100,000 corporate devices shows more than a quarter of traffic going to phishing domains was from gaming apps Continue Reading

By

• Zach Emmanuel, Computer Weekly

Cyber criminals make it difficult to follow the money

Following the money is a classic technique used by law enforcement to link criminals to crimes by tracing associated financial exchanges, but that may not be easy in the case of the WannaCry attacks Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Voice control in BBC iPlayer pilot demos Microsoft's AI ambitions

An internal BBC pilot in collaboration with Microsoft shows how voice control could be used on the iPlayer TV streaming app Continue Reading

By

• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor

Ransom DDoS attacks on the rise

The use of distributed denial of service (DDoS) attacks to extort money from organisations is on the rise, warns security firm Kaspersky Lab Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Apple share price reaches record high on quarterly results

Apple’s share price rose 6% in after-hours trading to reach a record high in response to the company’s quarterly financial report Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

The fields of Athenry – how Apple’s datacentre plans are causing turmoil in a small Irish town

In this week’s Computer Weekly, we look into Apple’s controversial plans to build a huge datacentre in a small town in the west of Ireland, and hear the local arguments it has caused. We find out how the Met Office is managing the vast quantities of data it uses for weather forecasting. And we examine Google plans to bring artificial intelligence tools to the job recruitment market. Read the issue now. Continue Reading

Why Facebook’s AI termination raises safety concerns

Revelations that researchers at Facebook had to switch off two bots that went rogue have raised questions about the safety of artificial intelligence Continue Reading

By

• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor

CIA hacking tools for Mac OS and Linux exposed by WikiLeaks

WikiLeaks has exposed hacking tools targeting the Mac and Linux operating systems in the latest of its series of leaks allegedly from the US Central Intelligence Agency Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Radiation detection devices open to cyber attack, researcher finds

A security researcher has discovered numerous security flaws in multiple devices that are used to detect radiation in critical facilities Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Adobe to kill off Flash Player by end of 2020

Adobe has announced it is to stop updating and distributing Flash Player in just over three years’ time Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

North Korean web users enjoy Amazon, Facebook and YouTube, report claims

Threat intelligence specialist Recorded Future claims that the North Korean elite are as plugged in to the worldwide web as any western citizen Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Big data means big risk, Swedish Transport Agency leak shows

The Swedish Transport Agency exposed sensitive information by transferring its databases to a third party cloud provider without following data protection procedures Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Tech disruption forces CEOs to rethink leadership

Headline figures from KPMG’s Outlook 2017 survey of 1500 CEOs shows that 40% expect technology innovation to cause major disruption Continue Reading

By

• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor

Retail data breaches still high as GDPR deadline looms

As the EU’s General Data Protection Regulation compliance deadline approaches, retail data breaches remain unacceptably high, a data threat report reveals Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

TSB to introduce iris scan authentication in September 2017

TSB customers will soon be able to access their mobile bank accounts through iris scanning, which is regarded as the most secure biometric authentication available Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

CW ANZ: Cyber security plan bears fruit

Australia’s Cyber Security Strategy, aimed at protecting citizens, companies and critical infrastructure, has made significant headway over the past year, but the jury is still out on its long-term impact. In this month’s CW ANZ, we take a look at the progress of Australia’s national cyber security blueprint and what else needs to be done to better protect Australia’s interests in the global cyber security landscape. Also, read about what the Australian government is doing to better guard public sector IT systems against cyber attacks. Continue Reading

CW ASEAN: Stay alert to threats

With cyber threats intensifying in recent years, from the global outbreak of ransomware to intrusions of university networks to access government data, the role of threat intelligence in anticipating and mitigating threats has become more important than ever. In this month’s CW ASEAN, learn how organizations can make the most out of threat data feeds in an intelligence-driven security strategy. Also, find out how companies can navigate the ominous cyber threat landscape by investing in cyber security technology and processes. Continue Reading

Newcastle council data leak shows need for security automation

Leak of child adoption information by Newcastle City Council resulted from accidental email attachment by employee Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

IBM results show slow transition to new business model

Cognitive is one of the cornerstones of IBM’s ‘strategic imperatives’, yet building out a portfolio of products and services will take time, IBM’s CFO admits Continue Reading

By

• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor

Airbus helps secure critical infrastructure

In this week's ezine, Computer Weekly explores how to secure industrial control systems, which have often lagged behind the leading edge of IT security and pose serious risks to critical national infrastructure. Airbus believes that despite the vulnerabilities of individual components, industrial control systems as a whole are quite resilient. We also speak to the head of technology at Centrica about how the utility company is becoming a specialist provider of data lake integration tools, and we explore the 802.11ac Wave 2 standard. Continue Reading

IBM claims breakthrough in mainframe encryption

IBM says its new mainframe ushers in a new era of data protection in response to a call to action from chief information security officers and security experts worldwide Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Defence minister opens £3m cyber security centre in Gloucester

UK minister for defence procurement has opened Lockheed Martin’s job-creating cyber security centre aimed at boosting UK cyber defence capability and skills Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

NHS urged to spend extra cyber defence funds wisely

The NHS has been urged to invest wisely in cyber defences after the government announced plans to increase data security funding by millions of pounds in response to the Caldicott review Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Australia to push ahead with decryption plans

The Australian government remains undaunted in requiring tech firms to provide access to encrypted communications in law enforcement efforts Continue Reading

By

• Beverley Head

Encryption keys too predictable, warn security researchers

Encryption keys are not as random as most people think, which means encrypting data is often not as secure as it could be, according to security researchers Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

CW Middle East: How women can fill the tech skills gap

The growth of the IT sector continues to drive both innovation and employment in the Gulf, but women – as with all industries in the region – are under-represented in technology by significant margins, and could help to fill the tech skills gap. Also in this issue, read about growing threats in Saudi Arabia’s cyber sector, and how Dubai is becoming a world leader in smart city developments. Continue Reading

Verizon denies data loss but admits potentially huge breach

Verizon has responded to reports of millions of customer records being exposed to the internet by saying no data was accessed by malicious third parties, but the incident raises thorny issues Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

What Singapore can learn from Israel’s cyber security playbook

A former Unit 8200 captain from the Israel Defense Forces shares what Singapore can learn from Israel’s approach to cyber security Continue Reading

By

• Aaron Tan, TechTarget

Criminal law: Are Twitter threats taken seriously?

As threats of violence become increasingly common online, law enforcement is taking stronger action against the perpetrators Continue Reading

By

• John F Marchiano

GDPR brings serious implications for data storage

New European Union data protection regulations put tough requirements on organisations that store “personally identifiable data”. We look at what is needed to achieve compliance Continue Reading

By

• Chris Evans

Kaspersky researcher in Asia develops cyber forensics tool

The open source tool lets cyber forensics investigators access infected machines remotely to collect malware artefacts without compromising system integrity Continue Reading

By

• Aaron Tan, TechTarget

Be better connected in a wireless world

In this week’s Computer Weekly, we look at the latest developments in wireless technology and discover how enterprises can deliver secure and reliable wireless networks for staff and customers. We examine Microsoft’s PowerShell scripting language to understand why it’s become such an important tool for automating system administration. And we ask CIOs what it’s like to cross the divide and work for IT suppliers. Read the issue now. Continue Reading

Royal Free and Google DeepMind data sharing not compliant with DPA, ICO rules

Information Commissioner’s Office finds that the controversial NHS data-sharing deal with Google DeepMind did not fully comply with the Data Protection Act Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

Collaboration is key to combating cyber crime

Interpol has called for speedy and effective information-sharing between law enforcement agencies, governments, businesses and cyber security companies to counter growing cyber threats Continue Reading

By

• Aaron Tan, TechTarget

Why immutable buckets are a worthy risk management tool

Immutable buckets offer businesses benefits in terms of data compliance, backup, archiving and security Continue Reading

By

• Michael O'Dwyer

Danish shipping giant Maersk recovering from major Petya cyber attack

Company confirms attack took down its IT system across multiple sites and business units, but has now been contained Continue Reading

By

• Eeva Haaramo

Security Think Tank: Focus on high risk by automating low-risk patching

How should organisations address the need to keep software up to date with security patches without it costing too much or being too labour intensive? Continue Reading

By

• Gabe Chomic

Key lessons from ‘Petya’ ransomware attack

While the cyber security community is still working to understand the latest ransomware attack that has reportedly hit 60 countries, there are key lessons to be learned Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Security Think Tank: Patching is vital and essentially a risk management exercise

How should organisations address the need to keep software up to date with security patches without it costing too much or being too labour intensive? Continue Reading

By

• Paddy Francis

Policing should embrace IoT opportunities

The internet of things brings more opportunities than challenges for the UK’s police forces, according to a TechUK report that urges the police to embrace digital technologies Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

Petya ransomware hits Aussie businesses

The latest ransomware attack has reached Australia’s shores, prompting calls to dump on-premise IT infrastructure for the cloud Continue Reading

By

• Stuart Kennedy

Singapore authorities issue alert on Petya ransomware

The country’s emergency response team has called for users to boost their cyber defences as the Petya ransomware rages through IT systems in Asia and Australia Continue Reading

By

• Aaron Tan, TechTarget

Another global ransomware attack underway as reports of Petya exploit spread

Latest cyber attack appears to be based on the same EternalBlue exploit used by the WannaCry ransomware that hit the NHS in May Continue Reading

By

• Bryan Glick, Editor in chief

Palo Alto Networks confident of taking security into SaaS era

Security platforms could make it easier to take products to market and improve firms’ security posture by making innovative products easier to consume, but the biggest winners could be the platform providers Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Voice biometrics still relatively unheard

Authentication system could help reduce UK fraud by making it hard for fraudsters to glean information from contact centres Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Microsoft admits Windows 10 disables third-party security software

Microsoft has admitted Windows 10 disables some third-party security software, but claims this is purely because of compatibility issues Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Queen’s Speech highlights digital charter and data protection

Government confirms plans to create a digital charter to ensure the UK is “the safest place to be online”, and a new law protecting personal data Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

Pirated software used to spread malware in APAC

A regional study by a Singapore university has found that counterfeit software distributed through discs and file-sharing networks is plagued by malware Continue Reading

By

• Aaron Tan, TechTarget

Web hosting firm agrees to pay $1m ransomware demand

South Korean hosting firm Nayana agrees to pay more than $1m to restore data that was encrypted by a ransomware attack on its Linux servers on 10 June 2017 Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

What it takes for the internet of things to take off in ASEAN

Besides lowering adoption costs, an ecosystem of governments, technology suppliers and telcos is necessary for the internet of things to flourish in Southeast Asia Continue Reading

By

• Aaron Tan, TechTarget

Abu Dhabi uses surveillance tech to protect Grand Prix

Police use surveillance technology and monitoring software to ensure public safety when Formula One visits the UAE each year Continue Reading

By

• Alicia Buller

The Macedonian surveillance scandal that brought down a government

Macedonia has been accused of using surveillance technology for covert spying - the subsequent political protests were instrumental in the ruling party losing power after 10 years Continue Reading

By

• Tena Prelec

North Korean Lazarus botnet linked to WannaCry attack

US-Cert puts out an alert on DeltaCharlie, a distributed denial of service tool from North Korean hacker group Lazarus Continue Reading

By

• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor

Australia’s decryption plan seen as untenable

Experts say efforts to get technology and social media firms to cooperate with the authorities in decrypting communications will be hard to achieve Continue Reading

By

• Beverley Head

10 ways to prevent breaches and minimise impact

Attackers are continually adapting to security technologies to fly under the radar, but taking action in 10 key areas can reduce the risk of breaches and minimise their impact, according to a resilience expert Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

PaloAlto Networks partners with US Girl Scouts on security skills

Palo Alto Networks is partnering with the Girl Scouts of the USA to develop cyber security badges to foster knowledge of the topic and support interest in the profession Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

SAP users look to software suppliers to help with fast-approaching GDPR

An SAP UK and Ireland user group survey has found user organisations crying out for help as GDPR approaches, with cloud delivery a special concern Continue Reading

By

• Brian McKenna, Senior Analyst, Business Applications

Microchips implanted in hands could be in use for payments in 20 years

UK consumers are becoming more accepting that biometric authentication will become the norm for payments Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Palo Alto Networks set to drive new era in security innovation

Palo Alto Networks announces a cloud-based application framework the company claims will enable its security platform to disrupt and change the security industry completely within a decade Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Tips for buying hyper-converged systems

In this week’s Computer Weekly, we examine the growing market for hyper-converged infrastructure - combining processing, storage and networking into an integrated design - and assess the options available to IT leaders. We ask mature users of the cloud what’s next for their migration to off-premise systems. And we analyse how retail supply chains are developing to keep up with online and mobile shopping trends. Read the issue now. Continue Reading

Infosec17: Society needs to address encryption dilemma

There needs to be a discussion about how to balance the interests of privacy, security and the tech industry, says Infosecurity Europe Hall of Fame inductee Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Patent group prepares for tough data protection laws by moving HR to the cloud

CPA Global to replace ERP-based HR system as it gears up to comply with the General Data Protection Regulation Continue Reading

By

• Bill Goodwin, Computer Weekly

Islamic State supporters shun Tails and Tor encryption for Telegram

Confidential communications show terror group’s supporters are turning to simple mobile phone messaging apps to exchange messages and distribute propaganda Continue Reading

By

• Bill Goodwin, Computer Weekly

Ethical fears hinder growth of artificial intelligence in France

In this issue, read how France’s relatively slow adoption of artificial intelligence is partly the result of public confusion, and partly due to the way the French have approached the ethical debate around AI. Also, read now organisations in Europe are failing to address the most important risks because they do not have a structured approach to complying with the EU’s General Data Protection Regulation. And find out why, after 17 years, Dutch university TU Delft is saying goodbye to its legacy learning management system. Continue Reading

Rethink risk through the lens of antifragility

Antifragility is an exciting alternative that fuses value and risk, and CIOs and IT executives are well positioned to help Continue Reading

By

• Bill Murray, Leading Edge Forum

Mainframe blindspots expose companies to insider threats

More than three-quarters of CIOs say their mainframe is more secure than other systems, but most admit they are still exposed to insider threats Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Digital economy to contribute 7% of Australia’s GDP

Besides improving living standards, digital technologies could also lead to a resurgence of manufacturing in Australia Continue Reading

By

• Beverley Head