IT security

Legitimate users of Tor need not worry, says NCA

The National Crime Agency (NCA) says criminals cannot hide on the internet, but legitimate business users of anonymity software Tor are safe Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

High street retailers fight back with multi-channel IT

In this week’s Computer Weekly, we examine how high street retailers are fighting back against online rivals by using IT to support multi-channel customers – and Tesco’s marketing chief explains how it works at the UK’s biggest supermarket chain. Also, we ask how recent revelations about government internet surveillance affect the protection of corporate information. Read the issue now. Continue Reading

UK National Cyber Crime Unit becomes operational

The UK's National Cyber Crime Unit has become operational as part of the new National Crime Agency Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

FBI shuts down Silk Road online drug market

The FBI has shut down the Silk Road online drug market and arrested kingpin Ross Ulbricht, previously known only as Dread Pirate Roberts Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Privacy concerns in the digital world

Considering the full spectrum of privacy, people need to ask themselves if they are comfortable with all their characteristics in the public domain Continue Reading

By

• Yves Le Roux, (ISC)2

McAfee Focus 2013: McAfee leadership upbeat about Stonesoft acquisition

Intel-owned security firm McAfee is upbeat about its acquisition of Stonesoft and its future capability to tackle security differently Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

IT security industry still immature, says (ISC)2 board member

The information security industry is still immature and failing to act or speak as one, says Dave Lewis, (ISC)2 board member Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Charity uses cloud HR system to keep track of staff working in danger zones

It took a disaster in Haiti to demonstrate to charity World Vision why it needed better HR systems Continue Reading

By

• Bill Goodwin, Computer Weekly

MoD announces specialist programme to fend off cyber attacks

The Ministry of Defence (MoD) has announced a strategy to defend UK national security from the threat of cyber attacks Continue Reading

By

• Caroline Baldwin, Freelance editor and journalist

Financial markets next big cyber target, says US expert

Manipulation of international financial markets will be the next evolution of cyber crime, says US Cyber Consequences Unit chief Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Ex-hackers best qualified to improve cyber security say 70% of IT firms

Over half of businesses are not taking IT security seriously enough and almost three quarters of IT professionals think ex-hackers could be the right people to help businesses improve cyber-security. Continue Reading

Top 10 cyber crime stories of 2013

Cyber crime featured heavily in security news coverage in 2013, with cyber criminals and cyber law enforcers upping their games with each passing month Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Software acquisition is risk acquisition, says industry panel

New software often means new security vulnerabilities, panel tells the (ISC)2 Security Congress 2013 Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Small businesses must encrypt customer data, says ICO

The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) urges small businesses to encrypt customer data after a sole trader was fined for failing to do so Continue Reading

US websites should inform EU citizens about NSA surveillance, says report

US web site providers should inform European citizens that their data may be subject to government surveillance, says a report for the European parliament Continue Reading

By

• Bryan Glick, Editor in chief

NSA reveals how Snowden accessed secret Prism files

Prism whistleblower Edward Snowden accessed secret documents through a file-share, the NSA has revealed Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Risk assessment key to cloud adoption, says Isaca

There is mass confusion among small and medium businesses about cloud computing, says Amar Singh, chair of Isaca UK Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Most websites could be targeted through PHP, warns Imperva

Hackers are focusing on vulnerabilities in PHP web application development platform, threatening most websites, warns Imperva Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Lloyds website continuity hit as TSB launches

Lloyds Banking Group websites, including the new standalone TSB, have been hit by problems on TSB launch day Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

NSA and GCHQ unlock online privacy encryption

UK and US intelligence agencies have unlocked the technology used to encrypt online services, including email, online banking and medical records. Continue Reading

By

• Caroline Baldwin, Freelance editor and journalist

Windows Server 2012 Security from End to Edge and Beyond

This extract from the book Windows Server 2012 Security from End to Edge and Beyond shows you how to plan your platform security requirements and gives you the critical questions to ask. Continue Reading

Printing: a false sense of security?

Louella Fernandes and Bob Tarzey show how secure printing technology can provide authentication, authorisation and accounting capabilities, helping businesses improve document security and meet compliance regulations. Continue Reading

Windows 2012 Server Network Security

This book chapter offers an introduction to Windows 8 and Windows Server 2012 network security and IPv6. It includes a 30% discount code for Computer Weekly readers. Continue Reading

Disinfecting PCs false security, says security expert

Many companies proud of their ability to identify and clean malware infected machines are missing a trick, says veteran security expert Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Rapid7 United 2013 Security Summit

View the pics from Rapid7’s recent security summit in Boston. Continue Reading

By

• Kayleigh Bateman, Computer Weekly

Box.com forges new cloud security model

Service providers and consumers need to move to a security model better suited to the cloud computing, says Box.com Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Charlie McMurdie joins PwC’s cyber practice

Charlie McMurdie, former head of the Metro Police central e-crime unit, is joining business consultancy firm PwC as its senior crime adviser Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Case study: Keeping it private at Beth Israel Deaconess after the Boston Marathon Attacks

Doctor and healthcare CIO shares his lessons learned from the Boston Marathon attacks and how to protect patient data Continue Reading

By

• Kayleigh Bateman, Computer Weekly

Targeted attacks and how to defend against them

Analysts Bob Tarzey and Louella Fernandes assess the scale and real impact of targeted attacks the measures being taken to defend against them. Continue Reading

Top 10 Android security tips

As Android becomes more prevalent in the enterprise, Computer Weekly gives you 10 top tips for keeping your devices secure Continue Reading

By

• Paul Marchant

How to appoint a new outsourcing supplier

Outsourcing can come with its own security risks if not managed appropriately, making due diligence and clear contractual arrangements key Continue Reading

By

• Sheila Pancholi

The dangers of internet cafés

Businesses need clear computer use policies and need to ensure staff are properly trained in data protection, writes Garry Mackay Continue Reading

By

• Garry Mackay

The data fragmentation challenge

Few organisations have policies to guide where data should and should not be stored. The result: data fragmentation Continue Reading

By

• Tony Lock, Freeform Dynamics

Websites hacked to show child abuse images

More than 25 business websites worldwide have been hacked to show illegal images of child sex abuse Continue Reading

By

• Caroline Baldwin, Freelance editor and journalist

The ideology of hacking

Business leaders need to be educated on the true threats their firms face and IT security professionals have to arm their executives with that information Continue Reading

By

• Mark Brown

The threat within – balancing security and employee privacy

In this week’s Computer Weekly, as more data breaches come from inside an organisation, we examine how to get the right balance between information security and employees’ rights to privacy. Tech City CEO Joanna Shields talks about the opportunity for CIOs from working with startups. Our buyer’s guide to data management explains how one major utility firm improved information sharing. And we look at how mobile technology and wireless networking is helping improve patient care in the NHS. Read the issue now. Continue Reading

Big data journalism exposes offshore tax dodgers

How journalists harnessed big data to challenge offshore financial secrecy Continue Reading

By

• Duncan Campbell and Craig Shaw

ICO to investigate sale of online dating profiles

The UK’s data protection watchdog is to investigate the sale of 10,000 online dating profiles to the BBC’s Panorama programme Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

An introduction to cyber liability insurance cover

Cyber liability insurance cover has been around for 10 years, but most security professionals seem to have not heard of it or know that it exists Continue Reading

By

• Sarb Sembhi

Continual vigilance key to security, says Damballa

UK businesses must update their approach to cyber security to look for signs of compromise continually Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Securing your Wi-Fi data network

Has the 2007 assault on the Wi-Fi network of the US based TJX retail group shocked corporations enough to take note and ensure their networks are actually secure?CW Europe investigates the dip in high-profile security breaches, across the region. Continue Reading

FireEye partners with Phishme for multi-layered security

Security technology developer FireEye has partnered with phishing awareness training firm PhishMe to offer a multi-layered approach to securing information networks Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

MI5 and GCHQ call for FTSE 350 cyber health check

Intelligence agencies MI5 and GCHQ call on UK’s top listed companies to take part in a cyber governance health check Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Cisco buys cyber security company Sourcefire for $2.7bn

Networking giant Cisco has reached an agreement to buy cyber security business Sourcefire in a $2.7bn deal Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Insider threat: Balancing security with privacy

How can organisations increase security without affecting productivity or encroaching on employees’ right to privacy? Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

UK to block online porn by default

The UK is to block online pornography by default to all new internet users, David Cameron is to announce Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

How to assess the security of a cloud service provider

As businesses continue to put more information online, understanding cloud suppliers and agreements has never been more important Continue Reading

By

• Andrew Fitzmaurice

Facebook to acquire UK startup Monoidics

Facebook is to acquire UK startup Monoidics, which makes code verification and analysis tools and specialises in detecting coding errors Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

IT security case studies

Four critical IT security case-studies selected from the winners of Computer Weekly's European User Awards for security Continue Reading

Needle in a Datastack: The rise of big security data

This research from McAfee investigates how well organisations are positioned to address the challenges of managing security in a world of ever increasing amounts and types of data. Continue Reading

Tech firms target piracy profiting websites

Tech firms including Google, Yahoo and Microsoft join an initiative targeting websites that profit from piracy by cutting off advert revenue Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

2013 Cost of Data Breach Study: UK

The cost of data breaches has risen for UK organisations over the past year, the Ponemon Institute reveals. Continue Reading

Security Think Tank Download: Bring your own device

Downloadable guide. How to make your company secure when you introduce BYOD. Continue Reading

CW500: Back to the Future: Big Data at Channel 4

Bob Harris, Chief Technology Officer of Channel 4 Television, explains the broadcaster's approach to big data in this presentation for Computer Weekly's 500 Club. Continue Reading

IT Security Case Studies

Warwick Ashford presents 4 essential IT security case-studies selected from the winners of Computer Weekly's European User Awards. Continue Reading

More than one-fifth of UK firms hit by DDoS attacks in 2012

More than a fifth of UK firms experienced a disruptive distributed denial of service (DDoS) attack in 2012 Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Black market for software security flaws reaches new highs

The black market in previously undiscovered vulnerabilities in commercial software is so established that the average flaw sells for up to $160,000 Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

OpenCorporates makes company data public

Company data is being made available as part of an initiative to place more government data in the public domain Continue Reading

Yahoo wants Fisa objections revealed

Yahoo is the latest company implicated in the Prism internet surveillance programme to call for more transparency around its involvement Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Security visualisation

This article in our Royal Holloway Information Security Thesis series shows how to generate a visual representation of a dataset and use visualisation in the evaluation of known security vulnerabilities. Continue Reading

Protecting against modern password cracking

This article in our Royal Holloway Security Thesis series explains just how insecure passwords are and offers advice on alternative methods of security. Continue Reading

Smart cards: security risks

This article in our Royal Holloway Information Security Thesis series assess the new features introduced in Java Card 3 Connected Edition smart card specification and their associated security risks. Continue Reading

Microsoft notches up over 3,000 copyright cases

In its battle against piracy, Microsoft says it has settled 3,265 copyright cases in the past year and warns of links to malware distribution Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Will cloud services follow the evolution of the banking industry?

Cloud service providers say security will become the very reason companies choose cloud services in future Continue Reading

UK takes cyber threats to infrastructure seriously

The UK is taking seriously potential cyber threats to critical national infrastructure, according to GCHQ head Iain Lobban Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Tougher EU penalties for cyber crime not enough, say security experts

The European Parliament has adopted a draft directive to toughen up EU penalties for cyber crime, but security experts say this is not enough on its own Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Security Think Tank: Prism unlikely to change much

Does the data collected by Prism put the US Government at risk from other state or non-state sponsored activists? Continue Reading

By

• Petra Wenham

UK joins EU demands for Google to rewrite privacy policy

The UK’s privacy watchdog has joined data protection authorities in France, Spain, Germany and Italy in demanding changes to Google’s privacy policy Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

NSA Prism scandal could hit US cloud providers, says EC vice-president

EC vice-president Neelie Kroes says US cloud services providers could lose business because of fears over US Prism surveillance programme Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

FBI warns of increased spear phishing attacks

The FBI has issued a warning about an increase in spear-phishing attacks targeting multiple industry sectors Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Security Think Tank: Prism – Sitting duck or elaborate honeypot?

Does the data collected by Prism put the US Government at risk from other state or non-state sponsored activists? Continue Reading

By

• Robert Newby

Senior MPs flout EU cookie law

Two years after the EU cookie regulation and UK law came into force, not all UK websites are compliant, including the sites of 13 senior MPs Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Stuxnet leak investigation leads to project originator

The US government investigation into Stuxnet leak of classified information leads to retired general in the Marines, James Cartwright Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

The Washington Post reveals more details of NSA Prism programme

The Washington Post has published new slides detailing processes in the US Prism online surveillance system Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Encrypting enterprises miss out on cloud benefits

Enterprises sending encrypted data to the cloud are missing out on some of the greatest benefits of cloud computing, says Thales e-Security Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

BES extends MDM to Android and iPhones

Aiming to rekindle interest in the Blackberry Enterprise Server (BES), Blackberry has extended the platform to support Android and iOS Continue Reading

By

• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor

Identity management key to browser-based IT strategy

A cloud-based identity management system is key to enabling a browser-based IT strategy at online recruitment firm Reed.co.uk Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Most firms underestimate volume of malware, study shows

Most companies greatly underestimate the number of malicious programs appearing daily, a global survey of more than 2,000 IT professionals has revealed Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

UK businesses failing to secure virtual environments, study finds

Most UK businesses are failing to secure data in virtual environments, a survey of IT decision makers has revealed Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Government launches cyber awareness campaign

UK government debuts the first stage of a £4m cyber awareness campaign as part of the National Cyber Security Programme Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

The challenges of information governance in our increasingly litigious age

Formulating the right enterprise-wide information governance policies is essential in heading off potential legal and compliance costs Continue Reading

By

• Doug Miles

UK links to US internet surveillance remain unclear

The government insists that UK spy agencies operate within the law, but questions remain Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Telefonica Digital forms security group Eleven Paths

The business division of mobile operator Telefonica launches Eleven Paths, an independent company working on security issues in the workplace Continue Reading

By

• Jennifer Scott, TechTarget

Manage identity and access to improve business processes

Streamlining identity and access management is essential to exploiting your organisation’s assets and employees’ productivity. Continue Reading

By

• Andras Cser

2013 Cost of Data Breach Study: UK

The cost of data breaches has risen for UK organisations over the past year, but companies that appoint chief information security officers with enterprise-wide responsibilities can reduce their costs, this report from the Ponemon Institute reveals Continue Reading

PM urged to criminalise internet rape porn

Campaigners are calling for the criminalisation of possessing internet pornography depicting rape Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

ICO fines Glasgow City Council for loss of unencrypted laptops

Glasgow City Council has been fined £150,000 for losing two laptops which held personal details of more than 20,000 people Continue Reading

By

• Caroline Baldwin, Freelance editor and journalist

Human error causes most data breaches, Ponemon study finds

Human errors and system problems caused two-thirds of data breaches in 2012, according to a study from Symantec and the Ponemon Institute Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Information Governance

This research from AIIM looks at the risk profile around electronic records, the keep-all versus delete-all options, e-discovery, and the implications of social, mobile and cloud on risk management policies. Continue Reading

Stratfor hacker pleads guilty

US hacktivist Jeremy Hammond pleads guilty to accessing computers of law enforcement agencies and government contractors illegally Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Syrian hackers deface Sky Android apps

Syrian hackers have defaced several of Sky’s Android apps, forcing the broadcaster to remove them temporarily from the Google Play store Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

UK ISPs block access to pirate sites

UK internet service providers have begun blocking access to two sites accused of breaking copyright laws Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Privileged accounts key to most APT attacks, says Cyber-Ark

The theft, misuse and exploitation of privileged accounts is becoming an increasingly key tactic in advanced persistent threat attacks Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Most IT environments immature, Microsoft reveals

Most business IT environments are immature, analysis of data from Microsoft’s Cloud Security Readiness Tool has revealed Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Microsoft declares conformance with ISO 27034-1

Microsoft has declared conformance with ISO 27034-1, the first part of an international standard for secure software development Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Cyber criminals hack Washington court system

Hackers gain access to the personal data of 160,000 US citizens after compromising Washington State court service servers Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Symantec helps NHS trust cut security costs by a quarter

The Royal Liverpool and Broadgreen University Hospitals NHS Trust cut security costs by 25% in its partnership with security supplier Symantec Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Netherlands considers hacking powers for police

The Netherlands government considers legislation to give police powers to hack into computers, install spyware and read emails Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Computer Weekly European User Awards for Security: Winners

The winners are in for the Computer Weekly European User Awards for Security. See who made the top spots. Continue Reading

By

• Kayleigh Bateman, Computer Weekly

What’s to be done about data breach discovery?

The time from first contact by cyber attackers to the victim learning of it is still measured in months and years, not hours and days Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst