Network security management

GCHQ: Cyber investment a guarantor of UK’s global status

GCHQ director Jeremy Fleming sets out a vision for the UK’s cyber security future Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Researchers shed more light on APT29 activity during SolarWinds attack

RiskIQ’s Atlas threat intel team uncovers new patterns and threat infrastructure used in the SolarWind’s attacks Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Automation, zero-trust, API-based security priorities for EMEA CISOs

Report by FireMon sheds light on buyer behaviour across the EMEA region Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

NCSC offers teachers free cyber security training

The NCSC’s latest security training offer builds on a package of measures designed to protect schools from cyber attack Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

SonicWall Email Security zero-days need urgent patch

Users of SonicWall Email Security are advised to patch immediately, but the supplier is being criticised for the pace of its response Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Time is running out to probe networks for Emotet

Security teams will lose an unprecedented opportunity to gain valuable intelligence to enhance their defences when Emotet is finally ‘executed’ in a few days’ time Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Chinese APT exploits critical CVE in Pulse Secure VPN

A newly disclosed vulnerability in Pulse Secure’s VPN is being exploited by a Chinese advanced persistent threat group – assume compromise and mitigate today Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Codecov supply chain attack has echoes of SolarWinds

Supply chain attack on code auditing service may have compromised the likes of HPE and IBM Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Singapore’s ViewQwest debuts security service

ViewQwest’s SecureNet service uses Palo Alto Networks’ next-generation firewall with deep packet inspection capabilities to guard against cyber threats Continue Reading

By

• Aaron Tan, TechTarget

The Secret IR Insider’s Diary – from Sunburst to DarkSide

From dealing with SolarWinds fallout to ransomware attacks, it’s been a busy few weeks for the Secret IR Insider, but they've picked up some new tricks along the way Continue Reading

By

• The Secret IR Insider, Check Point

denial-of-service attack

A denial-of-service (DoS) attack is a security event that occurs when an attacker makes it impossible for legitimate users to access computer systems, devices, services or other IT resources. Continue Reading

By

• Kevin Ferguson
• Peter Loshin, Former Senior Technology Editor

Finnish government strengthens country’s IT network security

Finland’s government has created a new national organisation to help public and private bodies improve network security Continue Reading

By

• Gerard O'Dwyer

Dutch accuse UK of ‘damaging confidence’ by disclosing details of EncroChat police collaboration

The Dutch Public Prosecution Service claims Britain has damaged confidence by disclosing details of an international investigation into the EncroChat encrypted phone network to the courts Continue Reading

By

• Bill Goodwin, Computer Weekly
• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

University of Hertfordshire is latest academic cyber attack victim

Multiple systems are offline at the University of Hertfordshire following a cyber attack Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

FBI accesses ProxyLogon target servers to disrupt cyber criminals

US Justice Department reveals successful court-authorised effort to clamp down on ProxyLogon exploitation Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

NSA unearths more MS Exchange vulnerabilities

Microsoft patches more critical vulnerabilities in Exchange Server a month after the ProxyLogon incident, after being warned by the US National Security Agency Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Security Think Tank: Vaccine passports cannot be taken lightly

What are the security issues and challenges presented by vaccine passports, and how should they be designed and used with ethics and privacy in mind? Continue Reading

By

• Richard Hunt, Turnkey Consulting

Millions of devices at risk from NAME:WRECK DNS bugs

Newly disclosed set of nine DNS vulnerabilities puts over 100 million consumer, enterprise and industrial IoT devices at risk Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Cring ransomware hits ICS through two-year-old bug

A long-disclosed vulnerability in Fortinet’s Fortigate VPN servers is being exploited to distribute Cring ransomware Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Nation-state cyber attacks double in three years

Cyber attacks backed by nation states are becoming more frequent and varied, moving the world closer to a point of ‘advanced cyber-conflict’, according to a University of Surrey research project Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

EncroChat hearings delayed as lawyers seek disclosure on police hacking

Court hearings precipitated by police cracking the EncroChat secure mobile phone network have been delayed after defence lawyers request further disclosures on police decryption capabilities Continue Reading

By

• Bill Goodwin, Computer Weekly

NHS is apparently closing security skills gap

By the end of 2020, there were more than twice as many in-house security professionals at NHS trusts as there were two years before Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Security Think Tank: Evolving threats, tech, leaves CNI exposed

In light of increasing cyber attacks on critical national infrastructure, what are the immediate risks to industrial control systems and other operational technology, and what steps can be taken to address them? Continue Reading

By

• Tim Parker

Cyber Security Council to champion UK security pros

A new cyber security professional body has launched with the aim of developing and promoting UK cyber security excellence globally and growing the skills base Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Ransomware attack on London schools highlights warnings

Ransomware attack on Harris Federation comes just days after a fresh NCSC alert for the education sector Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

The Security Interviews: How to secure an F1 team in a pandemic

A multi-year digital transformation programme paid off for F1 team Williams Racing when the 2020 season was abruptly postponed thanks to Covid-19. Learn how the team’s CIO has been supporting remote working and protecting data Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

UK courts face evidence ‘black hole’ over police EncroChat mass hacking

French investigators have refused to disclose how they downloaded millions of messages from a supposedly secure cryptophone network used by organised criminals – leaving UK courts to grapple with a forensic ‘black hole’ of evidence Continue Reading

By

• Bill Goodwin, Computer Weekly
• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

Cyber attack takes Channel Nine off-air

The Australian broadcaster was hit by an alleged ransomware attack that disrupted broadcasting operations in its Sydney studio Continue Reading

By

• Aaron Tan, TechTarget

Retailer FatFace pays $2m ransom to Conti cyber criminals

Retailer FatFace paid out a $2m ransom to restore its data following a January 2021 cyber attack by the Conti ransomware syndicate Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor
• Valéry Rieß-Marchive, Rédacteur en chef

Remote working burn-out a factor in security risk

After a year of working from the kitchen table, stress and burn-out are increasing, giving rise to more security risks – and Millennials seem to be particularly affected Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

‘Major’ security flaw detected in 5G core network slicing design

Mobile security specialist details potentially revenue-threatening vulnerabilities with key element of next-generation networks and reveals plans to work with industry to provide mitigation prior to widespread deployments Continue Reading

By

• Joe O’Halloran, Computer Weekly

Four in five UK businesses seek new security suppliers

Decision-makers are ready to buy new security technology, but suppliers must pay close attention to how they present themselves Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Oil giant Shell hit through Accellion FTA breach

Energy firm discloses cyber attack through Accellion File Transfer Appliance Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

NCSC beefs up support for education sector after spate of attacks

Refreshed guidance from the NCSC recommends a defence-in-depth strategy as schools and universities face a renewed wave of cyber attacks Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Security Think Tank: Attacks on CNI – an evolving frontier in warfare

In the light of increasing cyber attacks on critical national infrastructure, what are the immediate risks to industrial control systems and other operational technology, and what steps can be taken to address them? Continue Reading

By

• Asaf Weisberg, ISACA board of directors

$50m ransomware demand on Acer is highest ever

Record-breaking double-extortion cyber attack saw REvil gang exfiltrate financial data from Taiwan-based PC manufacturer Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Security Think Tank: Back to square one – ground-up CNI protection

In the light of increasing cyber attacks on critical national infrastructure, what are the immediate risks to industrial control systems and other operational technology, and what steps can be taken to address them? Continue Reading

By

• Matthias Reinwarth, KuppingerCole

Security Think Tank: Properly protecting CNI demands specificity

In the light of increasing cyber attacks on critical national infrastructure, what are the immediate risks to industrial control systems and other operational technology, and what steps can be taken to address them? Continue Reading

By

• Paddy Francis

Security Think Tank: Take a realistic perspective on CNI cyber attacks

In light of increasing cyber attacks on critical national infrastructure, what are the immediate risks to industrial control systems and other operational technology, and what steps can be taken to address them? Continue Reading

By

• Andrew Morris, Turnkey Consulting

Security Think Tank: CNI operators must focus on core issues

In the light of increasing cyber attacks on critical national infrastructure, what are the immediate risks to industrial control systems and other operational technology, and what steps can be taken to address them? Continue Reading

By

• Petra Wenham

Cyber sector welcomes PM’s defence review

Security commentators approve of measures to improve the UK’s cyber resilience, strengthen its R&D and skills base, lead on the development of new technology and promote a free, open, peaceful and secure global internet Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Unusual DearCry ransomware uses ‘rare’ approach to encryption

Hybrid approach to encryption used by DearCry bears similarities to WannaCry Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Microsoft releases one-click ProxyLogon mitigation tool

Microsoft’s mitigation tool is designed to help customers without dedicated security or IT teams navigate fixing their vulnerable Exchange servers Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Endpoint security vs. network security: Why both matter

As the security perimeter blurs, companies often debate the merits of endpoint security vs. network security. However, it shouldn't be an either-or decision. Continue Reading

By

• Andrew Froehlich, West Gate Networks

Microsoft Exchange ProxyLogon attacks spike 10 times in four days

Exploitations of the Microsoft Exchange ProxyLogon vulnerabilities have increased tenfold in just four days Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Judges refuse EncroChat defendants’ appeal to Supreme Court

Experts suggest Parliament and Investigatory Powers Tribunal need to consider the implications of a court decision on police use of data from the EncroChat phone network Continue Reading

By

• Bill Goodwin, Computer Weekly

Arrest warrants issued for Canadians behind Sky ECC cryptophone network used by organised crime

The US has issued arrest warrants for the CEO of Sky Global and a former distributor for racketeering, aiding and abetting the distribution of illegal drugs by supplying encrypted phones to criminals Continue Reading

By

• Bill Goodwin, Computer Weekly

NCSC issues emergency alert on Microsoft Exchange patch

UK’s national cyber agency calls on organisations affected by the ProxyLogon vulnerabilities to patch their Microsoft Exchange Servers immediately Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

DearCry ransomware targets vulnerable Exchange servers

As predicted, ransomware gangs have started to target vulnerable instances of Microsoft Exchange Server, making patching an even greater priority Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Brewer Molson Coors targeted in cyber attack

Cyber criminals have disrupted beer production at Molson Coors, one of the world’s largest brewers Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Security Think Tank: US security efforts may centre on collaboration

As US president Joe Biden sets out his agenda for the next four years, we consider the opportunities for renewed international collaboration on cyber security, what aspects of cyber Biden should focus on, and ask how the industry can make its voice heard Continue Reading

By

• Cath Goulding, Nominet

Attack on surveillance cameras a warning over security, ethics

The attack on a video surveillance startup by a hacktivist group raises questions not just over cyber security, but the use and extent of surveillance technology Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Norwegian government falls victim to Microsoft attacks

Norway’s parliament, the Storting, suffers second major cyber incident in a year as threat groups capitalise on vulnerable Microsoft Exchange Servers Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Top five threats to compliance during the pandemic

We survey the top five pandemic compliance threats – remote working, Covid tracking, criminal exploits, compliance measures slipping, and heightened enforcement to come Continue Reading

By

• Stephen Pritchard

Police crack world’s largest cryptophone network as criminals swap EncroChat for Sky ECC

Belgian and Dutch police have breached the encryption of users of Sky ECC, the world’s largest cryptophone network. There are significant parallels with the international police operation against the EncroChat cryptophone network which led to hundreds of arrests Continue Reading

By

• Bill Goodwin, Computer Weekly

Why your business needs SOC as a service

Security in the digital era demands that businesses monitor their entire IT estate and resolve all alerts, but for many organisations the most effective way of doing that is SOCaaS Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Significant jump in number of hackers reporting vulnerabilities to companies

Since the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic, the number of hackers reporting security vulnerabilities and bugs to enterprises has increased by nearly two-thirds Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

EBA restores services after Microsoft Exchange attack

European Banking Authority was breached through vulnerabilities in Microsoft Exchange Server, but is now back online Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Private equity house buys McAfee enterprise business

Deal to sell off enterprise unit will see McAfee become a pure-play consumer organisation Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Williams F1 car launch disrupted by data leak

Williams Formula One team forced to pull augmented reality app it had planned to use to launch its 2021 car at the last minute after an apparent cyber attack Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Mandiant: MS Exchange bugs first exploited in January

Analysis from technical teams at FireEye’s Mandiant tracked activity exploiting newly disclosed vulnerabilities in Microsoft Exchange Server more than a month ago Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Nottinghamshire schools suspend online learning following cyber attack

Cyber attack on central trust that manages secondary schools in Nottinghamshire leaves them unable to access IT systems and deliver remote lessons Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

Qualys caught up in Accellion FTA breach

Security services supplier confirms that some of its data was stolen via vulnerabilities in Accellion’s file transfer product Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Essential guide to operation-centric security

To stay ahead of cyber attackers, IT security teams need to take an operation-centric approach, to offer a real-time picture of activity across their estate. Continue Reading

Get started with network penetration testing for beginners

Authentication, patching and configuration are among the most common vulnerabilities found through network penetration testing. Learn more in this free chapter excerpt. Continue Reading

By

• Michaela Goss, Senior Site Editor
• Manning Publications Co.

Advice on how to learn network penetration testing skills

As beginners learn network penetration testing skills, they should remember these expert tips: Pay attention to what the client wants, and stick to offense, not defense. Continue Reading

By

• Michaela Goss, Senior Site Editor

Vaccine passports prove an ethical minefield

Privacy campaigners warn that vaccine passports may turn out to be discriminatory and invasive, while technologists agree careful consideration must be given to their design Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Is Clubhouse safe, and should CISOs stop its use?

With more concerns being raised over the privacy and security of social media app Clubhouse, we consider whether security teams should consider restricting or stopping employees from using it Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Bombardier is latest victim of Accellion supply chain attack

Canadian aviation company joins the growing list of Accellion breach victims Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Warning on security risk from virtual events platforms

Vulnerabilities found in virtual events platforms could form part of a variant supply chain attack Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Rogue drones beware: We’re here to ground you

Eugene Kaspersky exclusively lifts the lid on a mysterious, shiny device that’s been sitting in his office Continue Reading

By

• Eugene Kaspersky, Kaspersky

XDR makes cyber a Stroll in the park for Aston Martin F1

Aston Martin Cognizant Formula One team will run SentinelOne’s Singularity XDR platform under the bonnet Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Biden will act on cyber security to fix SolarWinds mess

US will take action to modernise its defences in the wake of the SolarWinds attack, says US government cyber lead Anne Neuberger Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

2020 a record year for cyber, thanks to Covid

The UK’s cyber industry now employs close to 50,000 people and contributes billions to the economy Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

7 steps for a network and IT security foundation

Enterprises should make it a habit to review their IT security systems, following steps that include network segmentation, multifactor authentication and security education. Continue Reading

By

• Terry Slattery, NetCraftsmen

North Korea accused of Pfizer Covid vaccine cyber attack

South Korean intelligence pins a recent attack on Pfizer, targeting information on coronavirus vaccines, on its neighbour Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Windows 10, Server 2019 users must patch serious zero-day

Another dangerous zero-day exploit is among 56 vulnerabilities patched by Microsoft in February’s Patch Tuesday update Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Using content disarm and reconstruction for malware protection

Content disarm and reconstruction is a modern approach to removing malicious code from files, key to detecting and thwarting successful phishing and malware attacks. Continue Reading

By

• Michael Cobb

‘Batman Begins’ cyber attack is a warning to CNI providers

A thwarted cyber attack in a Florida town that could have resulted in the poisoning of the water supply is a timely reminder of the vulnerability of critical services Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

5 cybersecurity lessons from the SolarWinds breach

Ransomware attack simulations, accessing enterprise logs and pen testing software code are among the best practices cybersecurity pros suggest following the SolarWinds breach. Continue Reading

By

• Sandra Gittlen

Financial regulatory body bombarded with malicious emails

New disclosures reveal the FCA’s systems bounced almost a quarter of a million malicious emails in a three-month period Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

SolarWinds chases multiple leads in breach investigation

Investigators at SolarWinds are exploring multiple theories as to how the company’s systems were compromised Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Foxtons rejects claims of slow reaction to data leak

Investigators have unearthed 16,000 data records that seem to have been stolen in an attack on property firm Foxtons last year, but the organisation says it acted by the book in dealing with the incident Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

SolarWinds patches two critical CVEs in Orion platform

New vulnerabilities disclosed as SolarWinds reels from December 2020 Solorigate/Sunburst attack – but do not appear to have been exploited yet Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

SASE hype includes SD-WAN, but does it need to?

Much of the hype around Secure Access Service Edge features the importance of SD-WAN with SASE, but do the two need each other to thrive? Research says probably not. Continue Reading

By

• Andrew Froehlich, West Gate Networks

Agent Tesla trojan finds new ways to sneak past defences

Updated versions of Agent Tesla Rat include new techniques that fiddle with code to disable endpoint protection tools on target systems Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Revealed: Brits who fuelled ‘vicious’ conspiracy theory by Trump supporters

Trump supporters have apologised and paid millions in damages to the family of murdered Democratic Party staffer Seth Rich for promoting false allegations that Rich – not Russian agents – stole emails from the Democratic National Committee Continue Reading

By

• Duncan Campbell , 2QQ Ltd, Sussex University

Manufacturing particularly at risk of Solorigate-linked breaches

Every fifth victim of the SolarWinds Solorigate/Sunburst attack was a manufacturing organisation, say researchers Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Human factor dominates Australia’s latest data breach numbers

The number of data breaches resulting from human error increased by 18% in the second half of 2020, according to Australian government’s latest notifiable data breaches report Continue Reading

By

• Aaron Tan, TechTarget

Mimecast breach was work of SolarWinds attackers

Mimecast’s investigation into a January 2021 breach of its systems turns up evidence that the culprit was the same group that targeted SolarWinds in December Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Global VPN downloads surge in 2020

Repressive regimes’ regulatory demands and remote working see virtual private network usage rocket over the past 12 months Continue Reading

By

• Joe O’Halloran, Computer Weekly

The ransomware routine: pages from the Secret IR Insider’s diary

The Secret Incident Response Insider shares behind-the-scenes stories of what really happens after organisations are hit by cyber attacks – and shows how they could have been avoided Continue Reading

By

• The Secret IR Insider, Check Point

Security Think Tank: Are security teams the unsung heroes of 2020?

After a year of unprecedented disruption thanks to Covid-19, it looks like remote working is set to remain with us for now, which means security strategies will change in 2021. What will this change look like, and what tools and services will be selling like hotcakes? Continue Reading

By

• Josh Bregman

Security Think Tank: Time to rethink stopgap solutions

After a year of unprecedented disruption thanks to Covid-19, it looks like remote working is set to remain with us for now, which means security strategies will change in 2021. What will this change look like, and what tools and services will be selling like hot cakes? Continue Reading

By

• Paul Holland, Information Security Forum

Hackney Council tenders for cyber security upgrade

Suppliers are being invited to tender for enhanced cyber security capabilities at ransomware victim Hackney Council Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

How can healthcare organisations fight increased cyber crime in 2021?

As the Covid-19 pandemic enters what may be its most dangerous phase, we explore how healthcare organisations can ward off cyber threats while preserving their ability to deliver critical care Continue Reading

By

• Nicholas Fearn

Should I be worried about MFA-bypassing pass-the-cookie attacks?

Malicious actors bypassed multi-factor authentication using so-called pass-the-cookie attacks, but how worrying is this and what is the risk to organisations? Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Malwarebytes also hit by SolarWinds attackers

The nation state group that attacked SolarWinds in December got inside Malwarebytes by exploiting privileged access to its Microsoft Office 365 tenant, the firm reveals Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Legacy security architectures threaten to disrupt remote working

Annual survey of IT leaders finds network security is of prime concern as most companies continue with work-from-home policies Continue Reading

By

• Joe O’Halloran, Computer Weekly

Security Think Tank: In 2021, enable, empower and entrust your users

After a year of unprecedented disruption thanks to Covid-19, it looks like remote working is set to remain with us for now, which means security strategies will change in 2021. What will this change look like, and what tools and services will be selling like hot cakes? Continue Reading

By

• Mike Gillespie