Privacy and data protection

Emotet evolving to exploit coronavirus fear

With coronavirus cases now reported across the world, Emotet campaigns are exploiting legitimate fears to compromise their targets Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Internet Explorer zero day among 99 Patch Tuesday problems

After an eventful January Patch Tuesday that marked the end of support for Windows 7, the February 2020 update is another whopper, fixing close to 100 vulnerabilities Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

MI5 failed to disclose failings in handling intercepted data, court hears

MI5 failed to disclose serious failures in the way it handled intelligence data to the Investigatory Powers Tribunal, the surveillance regulator and ministers. Continue Reading

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• Bill Goodwin, Computer Weekly

Mac-based security threats outpacing Windows

Security threats targeting Apple endpoints are growing more quickly than those targeting Windows machines, according to Malwarebytes Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Podcast: The Computer Weekly Downtime Upload – episode 46

In this week’s episode of the Computer Weekly Downtime Upload podcast, Caroline Donnelly, Clare McDonald and Brian McKenna are joined by special guest Hannah Foulds, head of marketing and membership at the Open Data Institute, who flags stories about humans tricking AI. The group then discusses the Women in Software Powerlist, the loan charge and online targeting Continue Reading

By

• Brian McKenna, Senior Analyst, Business Applications
• Clare McDonald, Business Editor
• Caroline Donnelly, Senior Editor, UK

Chinese military personnel accused of Equifax hack

A US federal grand jury has indicted four Chinese army personnel over the 2017 Equifax breach Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Tencent Cloud gains multi-tier cloud security certification

China's Tencent Cloud joins major cloud suppliers in securing tier three of Singapore’s Multi-Tier Cloud Security standard in a bid to grow its presence in Asia Continue Reading

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• Aaron Tan, TechTarget

Police use of facial recognition ‘unjustifiable’, says Scottish Justice Committee

Members of the Scottish Parliament have said police use of live facial recognition technology is “not fit for purpose” Continue Reading

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• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

What should be in Australia’s next cyber security strategy

The Australian government is reviewing the nation’s cyber security strategy, but is it looking at the right issues? Continue Reading

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• Stephen Withers

Security Think Tank: Zero trust is complex, but has rich rewards

In theory, the elimination of trust on the network simplifies IT security, but zero trust also brings new complications and new challenges. How should CISOs go about moving their organisations from traditional network security to a zero-trust architecture? Continue Reading

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• Bhanu Jagasia

Joaquin Phoenix’s Joker is ‘most dangerous’ movie

Ahead of the 2020 Oscars, Kaspersky researchers say they found more than 300 files masquerading as the Joker movie Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Security Think Tank: No trust in zero trust need not be a problem

In theory, the elimination of trust on the network simplifies IT security, but zero trust also brings new complications and new challenges. How should CISOs go about moving their organisations from traditional network security to a zero-trust architecture? Continue Reading

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• Silvano Sogus

Darktrace signs to McLaren for 2020 F1 season

McLaren Racing has enlisted Darktrace to become its official artificial intelligence cyber security partner Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Web app ubiquity gives cyber criminals new opportunities

The popularity and ubiquity of web-based apps such as Office 365 and Salesforce is a temptation too good to miss for cyber criminals Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Check Point pledges end to security updates

Check Point’s Gil Shwed expands on a vision for the next 10 years of cyber security, which he calls Infinity Next Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

IoT network flaw left Philips Hue bulbs open to attack

Vulnerabilities in the ZigBee internet of things networking protocol have left market-leading smart devices, including Philips Hue lightbulbs, open to exploitation Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Security Think Tank: Zero trust is not the answer to all your problems

In theory, the elimination of trust on the network simplifies IT security, but zero trust also brings new complications and new challenges. How should CISOs go about moving their organisations from traditional network security to a zero-trust architecture? Continue Reading

By

• Mike Gillespie

Acronis CEO bullish as specialist goes beyond backup

Acronis is set to launch Cyber Protect as it rides a wave of confidence based on increasing revenues and investor funding. Will the backup-plus-cyber protection calculation pay off? Continue Reading

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• Antony Adshead, Storage Editor

The fight against cyber crime: Why cooperation matters

With the WEF’s Global Risk Report 2019 ranking cyber attack in the top five global risks, we now see rising consensus at institutional level that no individual stakeholder can address the breadth of security challenges we face today Continue Reading

By

• Elisabetta Zaccaria

Social media targeting algorithms need regulation, says CDEI

The Centre for Data Ethics and Innovation is recommending regulation of social media algorithms as part of a drive to make user targeting safe and ethical Continue Reading

By

• Brian McKenna, Senior Analyst, Business Applications

MI5 faces court ruling over unlawful surveillance warrants

Privacy groups Liberty and Privacy International ask the Investigatory Powers Tribunal to order MI5 to disclose full details of ‘unlawful’ conduct, after classified documents reveal the spy agency failed to comply with surveillance laws Continue Reading

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• Bill Goodwin, Computer Weekly

Security Think Tank: Facing the challenge of zero trust

In theory, the elimination of trust on the network simplifies IT security, but zero trust also brings new complications and new challenges. How should CISOs go about moving their organisations from traditional network security to a zero-trust architecture? Continue Reading

By

• Eoin Keary

Digital strategy for 2020-2030 sets out police technology plans

National policing strategy sets a number of technological ambitions for the next decade, placing a particular emphasis on collaborative working and building common standards or frameworks Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

NHS adds supplier security audits to procurement platform

A new feature in the NHS’s Edge4Health procurement platform will help NHS suppliers improve their cyber security posture and NHS organisations make better buying decisions Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Davos: The clock is ticking on climate change but cyber crime and emerging technologies add to risks

Climate change, natural disasters, extreme weather and loss of biodiversity are the greatest risks we face. With cyber conflicts, state-sponsored hacking and internet fragmentation, doing nothing is not an option, says the World Economic Forum Continue Reading

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• Bill Goodwin, Computer Weekly

UK police arrest three over Maltese cyber bank robbery

The NCA has made three arrests in Belfast and London following an investigation into money laundering linked to a cyber heist on a bank in Malta Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

NCSC launches study on cyber security diversity

The UK’s National Cyber Security Centre wants to improve the diversity of the cyber security sector Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

First coronavirus cyber threats seen in the wild

Kaspersky has reported the first incidences of cyber security threats playing on fears of the emerging coronavirus Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Avast cans data harvesting subsidiary after outcry

Avast will close its Jumpshot big data unit following repeated allegations of inappropriate handling of customer data Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

UK cyber security sector worth more than £8bn

The UK’s cyber security industry employs 43,000 full-time workers, and contributed nearly £4bn to the UK economy in 2019, according to DCMS Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

NHS suffers fewer ransomware attacks, but threat persists

Ransomware attacks against the NHS have tapered off dramatically, according to statistics obtained under FoI legislation, but this does not mean the threat has diminished Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Podcast: How to boost staff awareness of compliance

Employee awareness of compliance, of the laws and regulations that affect your business, is vital, in some cases even mandatory. We look at the key ways to achieve it Continue Reading

By

• Antony Adshead, Storage Editor

Fintechs fear deepfake fraud

New research reveals the majority of CISOs working in the financial services sector are increasingly concerned about the potential use of deepfakes Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Met Police could deploy facial recognition against protesters

Live facial recognition will be rolled out operationally by the Met Police, but police monitoring group Netpol believes it will hamper people’s ability to exercise their rights to protest Continue Reading

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• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

The Dream Team: why data security, compliance and privacy come hand in hand

This is a guest blogpost by Anthony Di Bello, VP Strategic Development, OpenText Today’s business landscape is littered with valuable data. The rapid adoption of digital technologies, means that ... Continue Reading

By

• Brian McKenna, Senior Analyst, Business Applications

Top four compliance considerations for SMEs

We look at the key data compliance regulations that affect smaller companies – such as GDPR, the Data Protection Act, PCI-DSS and PECR – and some key industry-specific frameworks Continue Reading

By

• Stephen Pritchard

Organisations losing control of cloud data

Data is more widely dispersed in enterprise clouds than most organisations think, and as a result they are at risk of losing control of it, according to a report Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Data privacy benefits outweigh spend, says Cisco

Cisco’s 2020 data privacy study shows organisations can generate substantial returns on their data privacy and protection spending Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Interpol uncovers cyber crime operation in Indonesia

An Interpol-coordinated cyber operation leads to the arrest of three people in Indonesia who allegedly used a JavaScript-sniffer malware to steal payment card details of online shoppers Continue Reading

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• Aaron Tan, TechTarget

UK in catch-22 decision over Huawei security

The UK’s final decision on whether to permit mobile operators to use Huawei equipment is expected imminently, and its decision will have ramifications far beyond the technology sphere Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Government tightens law around IoT cyber security

New legislation developed by DCMS and the NCSC may help guarantee the security and privacy of users of consumer IoT devices Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Security Think Tank: Bug bounties are changing the image of hackers

The traditional picture of a hacker is of a script kiddie in a hoodie hunched over a computer keyboard, but this stereotype is stale and outdated. Is it time to move away from a fear-based approach to security? Continue Reading

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• Paul Holland, Information Security Forum

Met Police to launch facial recognition operationally

Despite the continuing controversy around its use, the Metropolitan Police will be deploying live facial recognition across the capital Continue Reading

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• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

Cyber gangsters publish staff passwords following ‘Sodinokibi’ attack on car parts group Gedia

Sodinokibi hacking group steps up pressure on German automotive manufacturer by publishing information, including the CEO’s computer password and sensitive details of its IT systems, on the internet Continue Reading

By

• Bill Goodwin, Computer Weekly

NHS alerted to severe vulnerabilities in GE health equipment

A series of vulnerabilities in patient monitoring equipment manufactured by General Electric could have left patient data exposed in hospitals around the world, including the UK Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Milan hosts Cisco’s first European security innovation unit

Cisco has cut the ribbon on its first Cyber Security Co-Innovation Centre in Europe, at Milan’s Leonardo da Vinci Science and Technology Museum Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Travelex hackers shut down German car parts company Gedia in massive ‘cyber attack’

Car parts manufacturer says cyber attack will have far-reaching consequences for its business, and it has put emergency plans in place to continue deliveries Continue Reading

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• Bill Goodwin, Computer Weekly

CISOs fear becoming the next Travelex

Poll of security professionals by the organisers of the Infosecurity Europe trade fair highlights huge gaps in incident response capabilities Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

End-user security ignorance laid bare in new report

Proofpoint’s 2020 State of the Phish report highlights an urgent need for better user training and reporting Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Six disaster recovery pitfalls and how to avoid them

We look at some key pitfalls in disaster recovery, such as failing to plan, not testing the plan, not protecting backups, poor communication and neglecting the human element Continue Reading

By

• Stephen Pritchard

Startup uses machine learning to support GDPR’s right to be forgotten

Non-intrusive algorithms enable users to track which companies hold their data, so they can take it back Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

Citrix releases IoC scanner for ADC and Gateway vulnerabilities

As patches for its compromised NetScaler ADC and Gateway products begin to roll out, Citrix enlists FireEye Mandiant to develop an indicator of compromise scanner for end-users Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Internal error left Microsoft customer service data exposed

Customer service and support records of nearly 250 million Microsoft customers left exposed after database misconfiguration Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Computer Misuse Act ‘crying out for reform’

Group of campaigners says the Computer Misuse Act of 1990 risks criminalising cyber security professionals and needs reforming Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

ICO code sets out digital privacy standards for children

The Information Commissioner’s Office has published its Age Appropriate Design Code, a set of 15 standards that online platforms must meet to protect the privacy of younger users Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Singapore updates model AI governance framework

Second edition of Singapore’s artificial intelligence governance framework includes new guidance, use cases and a self-assessment guide Continue Reading

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• Aaron Tan, TechTarget

5G builders test vulnerabilities in Finnish hackathon

University hackathon puts 5G security to the test as new wireless technology’s roll-out nears Continue Reading

By

• Gerard O'Dwyer

High-street banks face disruption three weeks after Travelex hack

Foreign exchange services still disrupted, three weeks after Travelex received a $6m ransom demand from cyber gangsters Continue Reading

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• Bill Goodwin, Computer Weekly

Don’t become the next Travelex: Get ready for ransomware

With Travelex’s IT still in disarray and banks and travellers left without access to funds more than a week after it was hit by a ransomware attack, we ask what others can learn from the foreign exchange services company’s response to the incident. Continue Reading

Consent and GDPR: at least get the basics right!

Why do companies find it so hard to get their heads around even the basics of GDPR compliance? I’m not even thinking here of techie stuff like not getting hacked, and not losing a laptop full of ... Continue Reading

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• Bryan Betts, Freeform Dynamics

Exposed AWS buckets again implicated in multiple data leaks

A series of data leaks in the past week have once again implicated poorly secured Amazon S3 buckets, which are supposed to be private by default Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

GDPR nets more than €100m in fines, with more to come

Fines totalling €114m have already been collected under GDPR, and this figure will spike in 2020 if the UK regulator succeeds in imposing record fines on BA and Marriott Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Security Think Tank: Teens in basements don’t represent a positive security culture

The traditional picture of a hacker is of a script kiddie in a hoodie hunched over a computer keyboard, but this stereotype is stale and outdated. Is it time to move away from a fear-based approach to security? Continue Reading

By

• Maxine Holt, Omdia

App developers sue Facebook over ‘anti-competitive conduct’

Lawsuit is based on leaked internal Facebook documents obtained and published by Computer Weekly and NBC last year Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

NCSC makes final call for entries to CyberFirst Girls contest

Entry to the National Cyber Security Centre’s CyberFirst Girls 2020 competition is about to close Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Emotet reinvigorated after Christmas break

The high-volume Emotet campaign is back in action after the Christmas holidays, and is just as dangerous as ever Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Cops take down data wholesale operation

The Police Service of Northern Ireland and the Dutch cyber crime unit have made two arrests in an operation targeting a website that provided criminals with access to billions of personal credentials Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

UK’s phone and internet bulk data surveillance unlawful, says EU court opinion

The Advocate General of the European Court of Justice issues legal opinions finding that the UK, French and Belgian bulk surveillance regimes are unlawful Continue Reading

By

• Bill Goodwin, Computer Weekly

A quarter of users will fall for basic phishing attacks

Phishing emails that appear to be security alerts are the most effective method of compromise, says KnowBe4 Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Security Think-Tank: Tackle insider threats to achieve data-centric security

The belief that effective perimeter security is the best way to protect data is a fallacy that is being repeatedly exposed. We must recognise the need for a data-centric security model to protect data from both internal and external threats, but what does this mean for security professionals? Continue Reading

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• Mike Yeomans, Information Security Forum

Thailand gets ready for data protection law

Thailand’s personal data protection law comes into effect in May 2020, subjecting organisations to new rules that safeguard the personal data of individuals Continue Reading

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• Aaron Tan, TechTarget

Lorca announces new cohort of 20 security scaleups

20 scaleups will focus their attention on automation, zero trust and supply chain security Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Travelex warns customers to be alert to phone scams

Under-fire forex provider warns that criminals may try to take advantage of its predicament to scam customers Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

LGBTQ+ social app Grindr accused of breaching GDPR

Norwegian Consumer Council files complaints about LGBTQ+ social networking app, alleging it is in breach of the General Data Protection Regulation Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

NSA Windows 10 security disclosure raises questions

In an unprecedented move, the NSA has got out in front of a critical cryptographic flaw in Windows 10, but in doing so has raised multiple questions Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Threat landscape grew in complexity in 2019, no respite in sight

Check Point’s annual state of security report shares some 2019 trends and looks ahead to 2020 Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Two-thirds of UK healthcare organisations breached last year

The majority of healthcare organisations in the UK experienced a cyber security incident during 2019, with almost half the result of viruses and malware introduced on third party devices Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Researchers find cryptojacker hiding in Wav audio file

Victim network was compromised by obfuscated malware hiding a Monero cryptominer, lurking inside a Wav audio file Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Cyber criminals spend three months lurking in target networks

Cyber criminals are spending longer hiding in target networks before launching their attacks, as more organised groups turn to business disruption to achieve their objectives Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Turn the end of Windows 7 support into a security advantage

CISOs can take advantage of the end of support for Microsoft Windows 7 by making the case for more investment in cyber security Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Sextortion campaign hits Nest home security cameras

Owners of Google’s Nest home security cameras are being targeted in a sextortion scam by criminals playing on fears over IoT security Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Travelex to begin restoring foreign exchange services two weeks after ‘Sodinokibi’ attack

Travelex says it is making “good progress” in its recovery and is to begin restoring electronic foreign exchange services, but is silent about whether it has agreed to pay hackers a $6m ransom to decrypt computer files Continue Reading

By

• Bill Goodwin, Computer Weekly

National Lottery hacker jailed for nine months

Small-time cyber criminal jailed for his role in a cyber attack on lottery operator Camelot that netted him just £5 Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Learning from the Travelex cyber attack: Failing to prepare is preparing to fail

The key lesson to take from the Travelex breach is that an effective response to a breach is a critical business function and no longer the sole province of the IT department Continue Reading

By

• Brian Honan, BH Consulting

The rise of 5G, entertainment in cars and increased focus on privacy

This is a guest post by Srinivasan CR, chief digital officer, Tata Communications No matter how much technology keeps evolving, making predictions about the future is always a risky business. But ... Continue Reading

By

• Aaron Tan, TechTarget

Security Think Tank: Hooded hackers? More like ruthless competitors

The traditional picture of a hacker is of a script kiddie in a hoodie hunched over a computer keyboard, but this stereotype is stale and outdated. Is it time to move away from a fear-based approach to security? Continue Reading

By

• Vladimir Jirasek, Foresight Cyber

Customer experience world catches up on CCPA regulations

GDPR compliance has put many marketing, sales, e-commerce and customer service teams somewhat in line with the California Consumer Privacy Act. There are some differences, however. Continue Reading

By

• Don Fluckinger, Senior News Writer

Travelex hackers threaten to sell credit card data on dark web

Sodinokibi cyber gangsters have threatened to sell Travelex customers’ private data on a Russian underground cyber crime forum if it fails to pay a $6m ransom Continue Reading

By

• Bill Goodwin, Computer Weekly

Retail group Dixons Carphone fined £500,000 over data breach

Dixons Carphone receives maximum possible pre-GDPR fine from the ICO following a 2018 data breach Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Don’t become the next Travelex: Get ready for ransomware

With Travelex’s IT still in disarray and banks and travellers left without access to funds more than a week after it was hit by a ransomware attack, we ask what others can learn from the foreign exchange services company’s response to the incident Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

DRaaS decisions: Key choices in disaster recovery as a service

We examine the key decisions when considering DRaaS. Whether to go full self-service, assisted or managed will depend on what you need to protect and your in-house resources Continue Reading

By

• Stephen Pritchard

PowerTrick backdoor used to target high-value businesses

Threat actors are exploiting a PowerShell-based backdoor called PowerTrick to go after high-value targets, warns SentinelLabs Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Whisper it… but could a cyber attack be good for your career?

All too often it’s the CISO who carries the can for an enterprise security failure, but this might not be a bad thing. There’s lots of evidence to suggest that falling victim to a cyber attack may actually enhance your CV Continue Reading

By

• Sooraj Shah

New GDPR service aims to ease compliance challenges

Security consultants claim their software platform will address a pressing need for an effective and efficient means of complying with data protection rules Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Security Think Tank: Changing attitudes to cyber is a team sport

The traditional picture of a hacker is of a script kiddie in a hoodie hunched over a computer keyboard, but this stereotype is stale and outdated. Is it time to move away from a fear-based approach to security? Continue Reading

By

• Petra Wenham

Half of UK citizens want tighter data regulations

Over 50% of UK citizens believe the gathering and use of personal data should be subject to more stringent government oversight, according to Fujitsu Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Five ways that backup has changed since the days of tape

Back in the day, all this was tape, but times have changed, with cloud-to-cloud backup, cloud storage, virtual and physical backup appliances and myriad endpoint hardware Continue Reading

By

• Rene Millman

TikTok video-sharing app left user data exposed

Check Point uncovered serious vulnerabilities in the TikTok video-sharing app that left users exposed Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Security Think Tank: Hero or villain? Creating a no-blame culture

The traditional picture of a hacker is of a script kiddie in a hoodie hunched over a computer keyboard, but this stereotype is stale and outdated. Is it time to move away from a fear-based approach to security? Continue Reading

By

• Paddy Francis

Facebook to ban deepfake videos

New policy closes some loopholes around misinformation, but seems to leave others wide open Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor