Network security management

Covid-19 has changed how we think about cyber security forever

Six months into the global pandemic, the true impact on the future of cyber security is beginning to look clearer, says Microsoft’s Ann Johnson Continue Reading

By

• Ann Johnson, Microsoft

Top five ways backup can protect against ransomware

Ransomware threatens to put your data beyond reach, so the best way to prepare is to have good-quality data you can restore from backup. We look at the key things to consider Continue Reading

By

• Stephen Pritchard

Race to patch as Microsoft confirms Zerologon attacks in the wild

Don’t be the organisation that made the headlines because it failed to patch. Microsoft says it is seeing cyber attacks ramping up around the Zerologon CVE-2020-1472 bug Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

What's involved in VPN maintenance and management?

Before an organization's VPN is up and running, IT teams must address four important aspects of VPN maintenance and management to keep abreast of transforming security concerns. Continue Reading

By

• Andrew Froehlich and Robbie Harrell

Video gamers barraged with cyber attacks

From credential stuffing to SQL injection and DDoS, video game producers and players are seeing massive volumes of cyber attacks Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

US agencies warn of election disinformation and cyber attacks

Federal agencies are warning of heightened disinformation as the crucial 2020 presidential election nears Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Saudi Arabia sees cyber security boom as coronavirus bites

Saudi Arabian CIOs have been forced to increase their security posture as the Covid-19 pandemic transforms working methods Continue Reading

By

• Alicia Buller

Seven charged in connection with Chinese state-backed cyber attacks

Attacks by APT41, or Wicked Panda, targeted hundreds of organisations, including the UK government Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Security Think Tank: Edge security in the world of Covid-19

That datacentre security is a complex subject is not in doubt and, given the trend to move beyond centralised datacentre to distributed environments, this is not going to change. How can security professionals ensure such setups are just as secure as the traditional centralised model? Continue Reading

By

• Petra Wenham

NCSC steps up ransomware support for schools and universities

New alert and updated guidance comes after several academic institutions were targeted in ransomware attacks Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Security Think Tank: Edge datacentre security depends on specific needs

That datacentre security is a complex subject is not in doubt and, given the trend to move beyond centralised datacentres to distributed environments, this is not going to change. How can security professionals ensure such setups are just as secure as the traditional centralised model? Continue Reading

By

• Paddy Francis

Lorca security scaleups to get Splunk data expertise

Lorca inducts Splunk onto its co-marketing programme, giving security scaleups access to new data expertise Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

How data has helped in the fight against coronavirus

In this week’s Computer Weekly, we talk to the Office for National Statistics about the important role data plays in the battle against Covid-19. We also look at the speedy deployment of the Scottish contact-tracing app and report on a discussion about the UK government’s delayed response to its digital identity consultation. Read the issue now. Continue Reading

3 ways to prevent DDoS attacks on networks

DDoS attacks on networks can result in devastating and expensive damage for organizations. Learn three ways to prevent and respond to DDoS attacks to keep company networks secure. Continue Reading

By

• John Cavanaugh, BlueAlly

Travel industry websites are laughably insecure, claims Which?

The travel industry is failing to take the data security of its customers seriously, according to a Which? investigation Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Russian interference in US elections ramps up on schedule

With the critical US 2020 presidential election looming, Russian-state backed hackers are once again after organisations directly involved in political elections, launching thousands of targeted attacks Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Cyber security is next frontier for open source

Open security will facilitate the interoperability and capabilities of cyber security tools while alleviating vendor lock-in for enterprises, says IBM Continue Reading

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• Aaron Tan, TechTarget

Government launches £500k healthcare security plan

A £500,000 funding pot from the government aims to help support small and mid-sized healthcare firms during the pandemic Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Security Think Tank: Beware security blind spots at the edge

That datacentre security is a complex subject is not in doubt and, given the trend to move beyond centralised datacentres to distributed environments, this is not going to change. How can security professionals ensure such setups are just as secure as the traditional centralised model? Continue Reading

By

• Jordon Kelly, ISF

New normal of remote working compounds enterprise security challenges

Sudden changes in priorities, poor network visibility and lack of time cited by Juniper Networks as key issues for security professionals struggling to cope with new norms Continue Reading

By

• Joe O’Halloran, Computer Weekly

Northumbria University suffers major disruption after cyber attack

Some exams cancelled as university appoints external specialists to investigate incident Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Mobile workers to form 60% of total US workforce by 2024

IDC offers more evidence of how Covid-19 has changed the face of work in the US, with CIO investment in mobile-based management and security systems to take precedence in 2020 and beyond Continue Reading

By

• Joe O’Halloran, Computer Weekly

Sharing responsibility: Why we need to work together to keep the cloud secure

The education sector has been fundamentally altered by months of lockdown, with cloud services topping must-have lists for academic staff, but now it’s time to consider security Continue Reading

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• Andy Powell, JISC

Security Think Tank: Seven steps to edge security

That datacentre security is a complex subject is not in doubt and, given the trend to move beyond centralised datacentres to distributed environments, this is not going to change. How can security professionals ensure such setups are just as secure as the traditional centralised model? Continue Reading

By

• SIlvano Sogus and Alan Taberham

Norway’s corporates want government to support ‘herd immunity’ to cyber attack

Leading business organisations in Norway call on government to play a more active role in improving and coordinating the country’s cyber defences Continue Reading

By

• Gerard O'Dwyer

Security Think Tank: Security at the distributed edge

That datacentre security is a complex subject is not in doubt, and given the trend to move beyond centralised datacentres to distributed environments, this is not going to change. How can security professionals ensure such setups are just as secure as the traditional centralised model? Continue Reading

By

• Anup Deb, Palo Alto Networks

New Zealand activates security services as DDoS outage enters fourth day

New Zealand government calls in its national cyber security agencies to help investigate a continuing cyber attack on the country’s financial systems Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Machine learning wards off threats at TV studio Bunim Murray

TV studio behind reality hits including The Real World and Keeping Up With The Kardashians turned to Darktrace’s Antigena email protection service to keep its people safe from Covid-19 threats Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

DDoS downs New Zealand stock exchange for third day

Distributed denial of service attack from overseas has left stock exchange offline for days Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Tour de France 2020 fans to get virtual experience delivered by NTT

This year’s Tour de France was delayed because of the Covid-19 pandemic. IT services company NTT has teamed up with event organiser ASO to offer a virtual experience to fans who cannot be at the roadside Continue Reading

By

• Brian McKenna, Senior Analyst, Business Applications

North Korea’s Lazarus targets cryptocurrency vertical

APT group behind the infamous WannaCry incident is targeting cryptocurrency operators, according to new research Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Getting physical with datacentre security

Whether it is natural disasters, terrorism or break-ins, datacentres will be vulnerable to a range of risks unless they are physically secured. Here’s how you can improve the physical security of your datacentre Continue Reading

By

• Nicholas Fearn

Australian regulator sues RI Advice for cyber security lapses

The Australian Securities and Investments Commission is suing RI Advice for cyber security breaches at the financial firm’s authorised representatives Continue Reading

By

• Aaron Tan, TechTarget

Marriott slapped with class action lawsuit over 2018 breach

Group action brings together millions of victims who stayed at the Starwood hotel chain over a four-year period Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Reports Oracle to enter TikTok bidding war

Oracle may be about to make a bid to acquire the US operations of TikTok from its Chinese parent ByteDance, according to the FT Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Comms startup Element helps support secure communications during pandemic

With the huge increase in remote working, Element is using an open, decentralised network to give organisations more control over their communications Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

Russia’s Fancy Bear targets Linux environments with Drovorub malware

The Russian intelligence-linked Fancy Bear group is deploying a new malware called Drovorub against Linux environments as part of a cyber espionage operation, according to US warnings Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Microsoft patches two zero-days with active exploits

Microsoft drops another major Patch Tuesday update, including fixes for two zero-day exploits that are already being exploited by cyber criminals Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Citrix users urged to patch five XenMobile CVEs

Patches are available for CVEs 2020-8208 through 8212 and should be installed as soon as possible Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Coronavirus: Phishing lures pivot to exploit vaccine hopes

Phishing emails are increasingly luring in victims with subject lines relating to the development of a vaccine for Covid-19 Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

3 DDoS mitigation strategies for enterprise networks

Enterprises can choose from three major approaches to mitigate DDoS attacks on their networks: Buy from an ISP, do it themselves or use a CDN service. Continue Reading

By

• John Cavanaugh, BlueAlly

Retailer Monsoon allegedly exposing data via Pulse Connect server

A researcher has found a critically insecure Pulse Connect Secure VPN version belonging to UK retailer Monsoon Accessorize, but claims the firm is ignoring his disclosures Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Security teams struggle to keep pace with cloud threats

Security professionals face challenges in keeping pace with cloud deployments and migrations, and the additional security threats they open up Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Don’t believe the hype: AI is no silver bullet

We want to believe AI will revolutionise cyber security, and we’re not necessarily wrong, but it’s time for a reality check Continue Reading

By

• Mike Lloyd, RedSeal

Canon said to be latest Maze ransomware victim

Canon may have had up to 10TB of its data exfiltrated by the Maze ransomware gang Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Second wave of Covid-19 cyber attacks locked in

More cyber attacks exploiting the pandemic seem likely, says Interpol Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Five signs you’re about to get hit with ransomware

A series of Sophos reports on the ransomware threat landscape shows how security professionals can sniff out a potential ransomware attack before it happens Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

More data breaches from ransomware attacks in Australia

The number of data breaches caused by ransomware rose to 33 in the first half of 2020 from 13 in the previous six-month period, according to the latest report from the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner Continue Reading

By

• Aaron Tan, TechTarget

Labour Party is latest victim of Blackbaud ransomware attack

Widening Blackbaud data breach ensnares the Labour Party as the cloud software firm continues to duck questions about its behaviour Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Twitter confirms it was hit by targeted spearphishing attack

Investigation into 15 July 2020 hack of a number of high-profile accounts by cryptocurrency scammers has found evidence of a targeted spearphishing incident Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Network security in 2020 highlights zero trust, SD-branch

In this roundup of networking blogs, experts explore various aspects of network security -- from old and evergreen to new and innovative -- and the roles they play in 2020. Continue Reading

By

• Michaela Goss, Senior Site Editor

Majority of organisations at risk of cloud data exposure

Report casts doubt on the effectiveness of the shared responsibility model of cloud security Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Cosmetics firm Avon faces new cyber security incident

Technical information relating to Avon’s web and mobile sites was inadvertently left exposed on an unsecured Microsoft Azure server Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Scotland’s security resilience centre concept goes national

Based on the success of the Scottish Business Resilience Centre, a series of regional Cyber Resilience Centres are now launching across the rest of the UK Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

NCSC inducts six security startups to Cyber Accelerator

10-week programme will guide some of the UK’s most innovative security startups as they scale their businesses for future growth Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Meet the CIO connecting IT in the most inhospitable environments

In this week’s Computer Weekly, we discuss the challenges of running global IT in the world of copper mining. We look at how tech suppliers are adapting their products to meet the lockdown demands of working from home. And we exam-ine how zero-trust methods can help secure container tech-nology. Read the issue now. Continue Reading

Court adjourns hearing into Assange extradition as US delays serving new indictment

Westminster Magistrates Court suspends scheduled extradition hearing into WikiLeaks founder after it emerged the US had failed to serve a second superseding indictment against him Continue Reading

By

• Bill Goodwin, Computer Weekly

Garmin outage prompts ransomware attack speculation

Details are thin on the ground following a major service outage at Garmin, prompting industry speculation that the firm has fallen victim to a ransomware attack Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

US charges Chinese nationals with Covid-19 research hacking

The two hackers allegedly worked with the Chinese Ministry of State Security, targeting intellectual property and confidential business information Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Russia Report reveals long-running cyber warfare campaign against UK

Russia has been hacking the UK for years and the British government has also known about it for years, according to the Intelligence and Security Committee’s report Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Businesses underestimate negative impact of bot traffic

Research from Netacea finds that although awareness of malicious bot activity is high, many are underestimating its true impact Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Automating IT security

IT security’s battle with the hacking community has always been a game of cat and mouse, but it’s becoming increasingly automated Continue Reading

By

• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor

Russian state hackers attacking Covid-19 researchers

Kremlin-linked APT29 group, also known as Cozy Bear, is conducting a campaign against Covid-19 researchers around the world Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Government proposes IoT security enforcement body

The government is today publishing new proposals concerning planned legislation that will protect users of smart IoT devices from cyber criminals Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Warning over security holes in fake Cisco kit

Two counterfeit Cisco Catalyst 2960-X switches were only found after a software update caused them to stop working Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Check Point unearths critical SigRed bug in Windows DNS

SigRed vulnerability is highly dangerous, but is being fixed as part of the July 2020 Patch Tuesday update Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Recon vulnerability puts thousands of SAP customers at risk

Users of multiple SAP products including S4/HANA should apply the security update as soon as possible to protect their systems Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Security funding soars despite Covid-19 slump, but problems lie ahead

The overall cyber security funding ecosystem in the UK is healthier than ever despite Covid-19, but the figures mask stark and concerning disparities in where the money is going Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

MSP Xchanging attacked in ransomware incident

Specialist managed services provider is restoring customer access to systems after an unspecified ransomware incident Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Lorca scale-ups bring diverse security to the fore

London Office for Rapid Cybersecurity Advancement announces the cyber security scale-ups that will make up its fifth cohort Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Need to secure industrial IoT more acute than ever

A report from the Lloyd’s Register Foundation is calling for urgent action to secure industrial infrastructure, as the IoT leaves it increasingly exposed Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

North Korea behind spate of Magecart attacks

The Magecart credit card skimmer found on the website of retailer Claire’s Accessories was likely put there by the Lazarus or Hidden Cobra North Korean APT group, reports Sansec Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Cops take out encrypted comms to disrupt organised crime

The UK’s National Crime Agency, alongside other law enforcement agencies in France and the Netherlands, have busted illicit arms and drugs rings after disabling an encrypted comms platform Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Security Think Tank: AI cyber attacks will be a step-change for criminals

AI and machine learning techniques are said to hold great promise in security, enabling organisations to operate an IT predictive security stance and automate reactive measures when needed. Is this perception accurate, or is the importance of automation gravely overestimated? Continue Reading

By

• Lee Howells and Yannis Kalfoglou

UK’s unsung cyber security heroes sought

Nominations have opened for the fifth annual Security Serious Unsung Heroes Awards Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Zoom making progress on cyber security and privacy, says CEO

Three months after being hit by a spate of security incidents, Zoom’s CEO, Eric Yuan, has been discussing progress towards a more secure product Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Time to rethink business continuity and cyber security

Business continuity and cyber security remain largely in separate silos, but changes in the IT and cyber threat landscapes mean there is an urgent need for organisations to alter their approach Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

The Security Interviews: What CISOs can learn from Covid-19

Mike Lloyd, CTO at Redseal, holds 21 cyber security patents and a PhD in stochastic epidemic modelling from Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh, so is probably the man to talk to when it comes to cyber security in the world of Covid-19 Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Complex security estates hinder incident response

The more disparate security tools in use in an organisation, the harder it becomes to mount an effective incident response Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Post-pandemic security market still set for growth, but slower

Frost & Sullivan report says the global security industry will withstand the economic crash caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, but growth will be slower for a few years Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Making the case for cloud-based security

Cloud-based security tools can hasten threat detection and response, but adoption will depend on where an enterprise is on the cloud readiness scale Continue Reading

By

• Aaron Tan, TechTarget

Australian government has failed on cyber security

The federal government’s current approach of allowing each agency to make its own cyber decisions is not working and more needs to be done to hunt down adversaries Continue Reading

By

• Carlo Minassian

APT groups’ mobile momentum finally faces resistance

State-backed APT groups are increasingly targeting mobile devices as Covid-19 puts the spotlight on remote working infrastructure security. We explore how the industry is fighting back Continue Reading

By

• Matthew Staff

How to apply zero-trust models to container security

Containers have become a common fixture in software development, but they have resulted in new concerns for security teams. Is zero-trust the answer to tackling them? Continue Reading

By

• Nicholas Fearn

Australian prime minister confirms country is suffering repeated nation-state cyber attacks

Concern over critical national infrastructure as cyber attackers repeatedly try to gain access to network of organisations operating in multiple sectors Continue Reading

By

• Caroline Donnelly, Senior Editor, UK

CW APAC: Trend Watch – data protection

Asia-Pacific organisations see the importance of having good data protection practices, even as they are still grappling with organisational and operational challenges. In this handbook, Computer Weekly looks at the different levels of preparedness across the region and what firms can do to plug any gaps. Continue Reading

Zoom U-turns on end-to-end encryption

Embattled video-conferencing provider Zoom backtracks on previous refusals to provide end-to-end encryption to free users Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Cosmetics company Avon offline after cyber attack

Representatives left unable to place orders after company’s back-end systems went offline over a week ago Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Coronavirus: Cyber security spend to slow in 2020

Analysts revise down previous growth targets for security technology as the Covid-19 pandemic bites Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Coronavirus: 50% of security pros had no pandemic contingency plan

A survey of security professionals conducted on behalf of Bitdefender reveals the lack of forward planning for events such as the Covid-19 coronavirus pandemic Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Activists call on Zoom to implement encryption for all

A coalition of tech organisations and nonprofits have urged Zoom CEO Eric Yuan to make end-to-end encryption available to all users Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Banking trojans roar back to prominence in May

Check Point sees an upswing in malicious activity around a number of classic banking trojan malware variants Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Coronavirus: Enterprise VPN adoption in India set to rise

Advancement in cloud technologies and secured remote access to applications will significantly contribute to the overall growth of India’s VPN market, says GlobalData Continue Reading

By

• Aaron Tan, TechTarget

100,000 cheap wireless cameras vulnerable to hacking

Active devices built by Chinese firm HiChip have been sold in the UK as webcams and connected baby monitors Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

CISOs buying into unified security proposition

The time is right for all-in-one security solutions, according to a report Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Decade-old vulnerability among 129 Patch Tuesday fixes

A 10 year-old bug in Windows Group Policies could easily enable attackers to gain highly privileged user status on target systems, opening the doors to a wave of cyber attacks Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Unsecured Elasticsearch server breached in eight hours flat

Comparitech’s Bob Diachenko wanted to find out how long it would take for hackers to find and attack an unsecured, public internet-facing database, so he set up a honeypot Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Coronavirus: How to go back to the office safely and securely

Security teams should be used to supporting remote workers effectively by now, but what’s going to happen when people start returning to their offices? We look at the risks and how to address them. Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Honda investigates suspected Snake ransomware attack

Attack disrupts global operations at carmaker, with assembly lines falling silent and sales suspended Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Small businesses failing on remote worker protection

Only one-third of people working for small businesses have received any guidance from their employers on how to secure their remote working set-up Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor