Privacy and data protection

Greek government fined over AI surveillance in refugee camps

Greece’s Data Protection Authority has issued a €175,000 fine against the country’s migration ministry over its deployment of artificial intelligence-powered security systems in refugee camps after the watchdog’s investigation found ‘serious shortcomings’ with the roll-out Continue Reading

By

• Lydia Emmanouilidou

UK vet network CVS hit by cyber attack

Operations at UK-based veterinary network CVS have been disrupted by a cyber incident of an as-yet undisclosed nature Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Seven ways to be sure you can restore from backup

Backups are no good if you can’t restore from them. We look at key elements of backup restoration, including backup audits, RPOs and RTOs, and how and when to test backups Continue Reading

By

• Stephen Pritchard

China ramps up use of AI misinformation

Microsoft researchers have identified a growing pattern of AI-laced misinformation and political interference coming from Chinese threat actors Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Changes needed for SOCs and CSIRTs, claims Dutch research institute

Cyber security specialists need a game-changer to keep up with their adversaries, who increasingly use automation and AI for their attacks Continue Reading

By

• Kim Loohuis

Obituary: Professor Ross Anderson, pioneer in security engineering and campaigner

Ross Anderson, a titan in the field of security engineering and campaigner for privacy and security, has passed away Continue Reading

By

• Bill Goodwin, Computer Weekly

Organisations getting better at spotting identity fraud

As the barriers to committing identity fraud continue to drop, organisations should consider more sophisticated technical measures to successfully up their game, according to a report Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

sensitive information

Sensitive information is data that must be protected from unauthorized access to safeguard the privacy or security of an individual or organization. Continue Reading

By

• Nick Barney, Technology Writer

UK plc going backwards on cyber maturity, Cisco report claims

Fewer UK organisations believe their cyber security postures have reached a mature level than did so 12 months ago, as they struggle to keep up with new challenges and a fast-evolving threat landscape Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Sellafield to be prosecuted over alleged cyber compliance failure

Sellafield Ltd, the organisation responsible for cleaning up and decommissioning the UK's largest nuclear waste site, is to be prosecuted over alleged cyber security failings dating back to 2019 Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Facial recognition endangers us all without a clear legal basis

Technology researcher Stephanie Hare outlines the growing danger of the UK’s failure to legalise and regulate facial recognition technology Continue Reading

By

• Stephanie Hare

Ransomware gang leaks data stolen from Scottish NHS board

Data stolen from an earlier attack on NHS Dumfries and Galloway has been leaked by a ransomware gang that claims to be in possession of much more content Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Qilin ransomware gang claims cyber attack on the Big Issue

A ransomware attack on the systems of publisher and social enterprise Big Issue Group has been claimed by the Qilin gang Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange given temporary reprieve over extradition

Court seeks assurances from the US that Assange will be given First Amendment Rights, will not prejudiced at trial because of his nationality, and will not be subject to the death penalty Continue Reading

By

• Bill Goodwin, Computer Weekly
• Sander Priston

NCSC reaffirms guidance for those at risk of Chinese state hacking

As the UK and US governments announce sanctions and indictments of a Chinese state threat actor, the NCSC has reiterated its security advice for individuals at risk of being targeted for espionage purposes Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

US authorities charge seven over Chinese hacking

The US Department of Justice has charged seven Chinese nationals linked to the APT31 threat actor that targeted politicians in the UK and US Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Which? calls for government action on fake banking sites

Amid high volumes of spoofed, fraudulent banking websites, Which? is calling for the government to implement new legal obligations for domain registrars Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Chinese hackers responsible for two ‘malicious’ cyber campaigns against UK

Government sanctions two Chinese nationals and a Chinese company identified as responsible for cyber campaigns against government officials and members of parliament Continue Reading

By

• Bill Goodwin, Computer Weekly

Britain’s democracy under threat from Chinese cyber attackers, government warns

The deputy prime minister, Oliver Dowden, is due to tell Parliament that Beijing is behind a hacking attack that obtained details of 40 million UK voters and has targeted parliamentarians who have criticised the regime Continue Reading

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• Bill Goodwin, Computer Weekly

Data protection impact assessment template and tips

Conducting a data protection impact assessment is key to evaluating potential risk factors that could pose a serious threat to individuals and their personal information. Continue Reading

By

• Paul Kirvan

Open Data Institute launches digital policy manifesto

The Open Data Institute has launched a policy manifesto ahead of the UK general election that outlines policies and issues it believes must be part of the political discussion around digital and data Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

NCSC guidance to help CEOs work through cyber incidents

The NCSC has published in-depth guidance on how business leaders should respond to a cyber attack or data breach. Learn about some of the key steps you will need to follow Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Ukrainians crack network that stole 100m email, social accounts

Three members of an organised cyber criminal group who hacked and appropriated personal email and social media accounts face up to 15 years in prison Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

UK’s cyber resilience stagnates as more fall victim to attacks

The government is calling on businesses to ramp up their cyber protections as study shows improvements to resilience are stagnating amid an ever-growing volume of attacks Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

EMEA security spend will have another boom year in 2024

Cyber security services and technology will once again be the focus of major investment across EMEA during 2024, according to the latest Technology Spending Intentions study from TechTarget and ESG Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

IT Governance for Today and Tomorrow: Minimum Viable Principles

Introduction The traditional one-size-fits-all approach to IT governance, particularly in relation to data, is becoming increasingly unsustainable in the flexible, Agile/DevOps/AI-driven IT ... Continue Reading

By

• Tony Lock, Freeform Dynamics

Australia’s cyber security spending to grow 11.5% this year

Highly publicised cyber attacks and growing regulatory obligations are keeping security and risk top of mind for Australian organisations this year, says Gartner Continue Reading

By

• Aaron Tan, TechTarget

Spring Budget risks funding legally questionable police tech

Open legal questions around how UK police are using facial recognition and cloud technology could undermine the £230m investment committed in the Spring Budget to “time and money-saving technology” for police Continue Reading

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• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

UK’s AI ambitions pointless while cyber security is still neglected

The UK’s AI ambitions may be at considerable risk without stronger cyber defences across the private and public sectors Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

London Mayor’s Office reprimanded over data breach

The London Mayor’s Office has been reprimanded by the ICO after an internal error exposed the data of people who had made complaints against the Metropolitan Police Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Questions raised over NHS deletion of thousands of emails during whistleblower tribunal

NHS doctor Chris Day has won the right to challenge a tribunal ruling that found no procedural unfairness when an NHS trust deleted thousands of emails. The case that raises wider questions about the use of electronic evidence Continue Reading

By

• Tommy Greene

US authorities move a step closer to banning TikTok

Lawmakers in Washington DC have moved a step closer to enacting a broad national ban on controversial video app TikTok in the US, with global ramifications Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Podcast: Immutable storage essential against ransomware, but...

...not all immutable storage is created equal. That’s the message from Paul Speciale of Scality, who looks at immutable storage, its variants and what’s needed to secure data Continue Reading

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• Antony Adshead, Storage Editor

Dutch organisations vulnerable to deepfake fraud

With the information many employees share on social media, Dutch companies are especially vulnerable to a new form of fraud Continue Reading

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• Kim Loohuis

PSNI chief denies ‘industrial’ use of surveillance powers against journalists

PSNI chief constable Jon Boutcher has agreed to provide a report on police surveillance of journalists and lawyers to Northern Ireland’s policing watchdog Continue Reading

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• Bill Goodwin, Computer Weekly

NI Policing Board pressed to open inquiry into PSNI spying on journalists’ phones

Amnesty International and the Committee on the Administration of Justice have asked Northern Ireland’s policing watchdog to open an inquiry into the Police Service of Northern Ireland’s use of surveillance powers against journalists Continue Reading

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• Bill Goodwin, Computer Weekly

Apple patches zero-days amid ‘foundational’ post-quantum update

Apple’s iOS 17.4 update not only fixes zero-day flaws that are being actively exploited, but includes important new security protocols to safeguard users against future attacks Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

ALPHV/BlackCat gang vanishes amid ransomware ‘turmoil’

Mystery surrounds the apparent disappearance of the ALPHV/BlackCat cyber crime gang amid reports that a prominent US victim paid a $22m ransom Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Open Rights Group accuses LiveRamp of ‘unlawful’ data processing

Privacy campaigners at Open Rights Group have submitted formal complaints to UK and French data regulators about allegedly unlawful data processing by online advertising firm LiveRamp Continue Reading

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• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

American Express customers exposed through third-party breach

US card giant warns customers that their personal details may have been exposed after a third party experienced a systems breach Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Fancy Bear sniffs out Ubiquiti router users

The authorities have warned users of Ubiquiti EdgeRouter products to take remedial action after a number of devices were hijacked into a malicious botnet by a Russian cyber espionage unit Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

APAC firms bullish on IT spending

More than half of organisations plan to spend more on key areas such as cyber security, generative AI and cloud in a sign of growing optimism across the region Continue Reading

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• Aaron Tan, TechTarget

Home Office GPS tagging of asylum seekers breaches data protection law

The Information Commissioner’s Office has issued an enforcement notice against the Home Office after finding its programme to tag asylum seekers with GPS monitors breaches data protection law Continue Reading

By

• Bill Goodwin, Computer Weekly

Okta doubles down on cyber in wake of high-profile breaches

Okta launches Secure Identity Commitment to shore up its technology in the wake of a damaging breach and elevate best practice around identity Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Police arrested journalists as part of surveillance operation to identify confidential sources

Three police forces took part in surveillance operations between 2011 and 2018 to identify sources that leaked information to journalists Trevor Birney and Barry McCaffrey, the Investigatory Powers Tribunal hears Continue Reading

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• Bill Goodwin, Computer Weekly

New version of ALPHV/BlackCat ransomware hits victims

An updated version of the ALPHV/BlackCat ransomware has been spotted in the wild amid a series of attacks on American healthcare providers, prompting a new alert from the authorities Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Hycu uses AI to develop APIs for SaaS application backup

SaaS applications don’t usually come with built-in data protection, but Hycu plans to tackle that gap in the market with AI to generate the connectors needed to backup user data Continue Reading

By

• Yann Serra, LeMagIT
• Antony Adshead, Storage Editor

Microsoft president commits to Azure open platform for AI

Brad Smith sets out Microsoft’s ambitions to make Azure the best platform to host foundational AI models, and train and run AI applications Continue Reading

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• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor

Storage and backup spend in 2024 targets risk and resilience

The TechTarget and ESG spending intentions survey finds big bias towards averting risk and building organisational resilience, but on-premise storage a significant planned outlay Continue Reading

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• Antony Adshead, Storage Editor

ConnectWise users see cyber attacks surge, including ransomware

ConnectWise ScreenConnect users who have yet to patch against a critical vulnerability are now being targeted by a barrage of cyber attacks, including ransomware Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Australian data breach report highlights supply chain risks

The OAIC has called for organisations to proactively address privacy risks from outsourcing personal information handling to third parties Continue Reading

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• Aaron Tan, TechTarget

How Indian fintechs can address compliance issues

Fintechs will need to bolster their know-your-customer practices and establish self-regulatory mechanisms, among other measures, to address compliance issues that have come under the spotlight Continue Reading

By

• Kavitha Srinivasa

LockBit locked out: Cyber community reacts

Reaction to the takedown of the LockBit ransomware gang is enthusiastic, but tempered with the knowledge that cyber criminals are often remarkably resilient Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

US extradition of Julian Assange is ‘state retaliation’ for exposing war crimes, court hears

Lawyers argue that the US extradition case against WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange is politically motivated and in is breach of the UK-US extradition treaty Continue Reading

By

• Charlie Moloney

Advanced Encryption Standard (AES)

The Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) is a symmetric block cipher chosen by the U.S. government to protect classified information. Continue Reading

By

• Rahul Awati
• Corinne Bernstein
• Michael Cobb

LockBit gang members arrested in Poland and Ukraine

The UK’s National Crime Agency and its global partners have shared more details on their audacious takedown of the LockBit ransomware operation, including news of two arrests Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Government agrees law to protect confidential journalistic material from state hacking

The government will update Investigatory Powers Act to require secret intelligence agencies to seek independent approval before accessing confidential journalistic material obtained by bulk hacking, but journalists remain vulnerable to other bulk surveillance powers Continue Reading

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• Bill Goodwin, Computer Weekly

WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange faces last appeal against ‘political’ extradition

WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange is seeking leave to appeal against extradition to the US in a case that could have chilling implications for journalists reporting on national security Continue Reading

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• Bill Goodwin, Computer Weekly

Microsoft: Nation-state hackers are exploiting ChatGPT

Threat actors from China, Iran, North Korea and Russia have all been probing use cases for generative AI service ChatGPT, but have yet to use such tools in a full-blown cyber attack Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Dutch Supreme Court approves use of EncroChat evidence

Defence lawyers plan appeal to European Court of Human Rights after Supreme Court upholds a conviction based on intercepted messages from the EncroChat encrypted phone network Continue Reading

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• Bill Goodwin, Computer Weekly

Southern Water customer data was taken in ransomware attack

Southern Water has started to contact customers whose data was stolen in a January 2024 ransomware attack on its systems Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Met Police to scrap and replace ‘racist’ Gangs Violence Matrix

A database used by the Metropolitan Police to identify and track people linked with gang violence is being decommissioned and replaced. The decision follows a long-running controversy over its discriminatory impacts on young black people, but campaigners warn that racial discrimination will persist with new tool Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

Podcast: What is the impact of AI on storage and compliance?

Start now looking at artificial intelligence compliance. That’s the advice of Mathieu Gorge of Vigitrust, who says AI governance is still immature but firms should recognise the limits and still act Continue Reading

By

• Antony Adshead, Storage Editor

Security experts: Investigatory powers plans will delay security updates

Cyber security experts warn that government proposals to amend the Investigatory Powers Act will limit tech companies’ ability to respond to security threats and could hamper the use of end-to-end encryption Continue Reading

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• Bill Goodwin, Computer Weekly

Podcast: What are snapshots? Can they replace backup?

We talk to Shawn Meyers, field CTO at Tintri, who defines snapshots, why they are no substitute for backups, and the effect on recovery of snapshot granularity Continue Reading

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• Antony Adshead, Storage Editor

What will result from Cohesity’s Veritas acquisition?

The $7bn backup giant will leverage huge assets in enterprise customer base, compliance and governance intelligence, AI, R&D, and Kubernetes backup and storage Continue Reading

By

• Yann Serra, LeMagIT
• Antony Adshead, Storage Editor

Executives must face down state-sponsored hacking groups targeting firmware

State-backed groups have ratcheted up the pressure for cyber security professionals and executives. But that’s not an excuse to cede them the territory. Continue Reading

By

• Michael Marcotte

Trends driving cyber security in 2024

While cyber security breaches are not going away, emerging threats are driving new and innovative approaches to IT security Continue Reading

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• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor

Why open data is needed in the battle to address homelessness

Centrepoint needed to send FOIs to more than 300 local authorities in England to access required information Continue Reading

By

• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor

Executive alleged to be behind EncroChat encrypted phone network arrested

A businessman allegedly behind EncroChat, an encrypted phone network that was used by organised crime groups, has been extradited from the Dominican Republic to France Continue Reading

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• Bill Goodwin, Computer Weekly

NCSC warns CNI operators over ‘living-off-the-land’ attacks

Malicious, state-backed actors may well be lurking in the UK’s most critical networks right now, and their operators may not even know until it is too late, warn the NCSC and its partners Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Dozens of surveillance companies are supplying spyware to governments, says Google

Google’s Threat Analysis Group has identified 40 companies involved in selling and supplying security exploits and spyware services to governments Continue Reading

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• Bill Goodwin, Computer Weekly

How Iranian cyber ops pivoted to target Israel after 7 October attacks

Microsoft has shared new intelligence on how Iranian government-aligned threat actors have turned their fire on Israel over the past four months Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

South Staffs Water faces group action over Clop ransomware attack

South Staffordshire Plc, the parent company of South Staffordshire and Cambridge Water, is facing legal action from customers whose data was compromised in a 2022 Clop ransomware attack Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

encryption

Encryption is the method by which information is converted into secret code that hides the information's true meaning. Continue Reading

By

• Robert Sheldon
• Peter Loshin, Former Senior Technology Editor
• Michael Cobb

AI ID specialist Onfido in talks to be bought by Entrust

UK-based cyber unicorn Onfido agrees to enter talks to be acquired by Entrust Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

UK’s McPartland Cyber Review to probe trust in technology

The UK government has launched a cyber security review that will investigate how best to give businesses the confidence they need to use new technologies Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Inquiry to explore cyber risk to Sunak-Starmer showdown

The UK’s Joint Committee on National Security Strategy is opening an inquiry into securing the democratic process ahead of the next general election Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

UK and France push for international agreement on spyware

The UK and France are hosting diplomats, big tech companies and civil society groups, in a two-day conference in London targeting the proliferation of spyware tools and ‘hackers for hire’ Continue Reading

By

• Bill Goodwin, Computer Weekly

Generative AI – an early adopter’s experience

In this week’s Computer Weekly, as IT leaders start to implement GenAI in their organisations, we look at the experiences of one early adopter. Our latest buyer’s guide examines the key security trends for 2024. And Microsoft’s head of identity talks about a future without passwords. Read the issue now. Continue Reading

IT security strategy: Assessing the risks of generative AI

Most industry watchers see 2024 as the year when generative AI and large language models will begin moving into enterprise IT Continue Reading

By

• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor
• Adrian Bridgwater

UK police facial recognition explained: What you need to know

In this essential guide, Computer Weekly looks at the use of facial recognition technology by UK police forces, including the points of contention around its deployment so far and where it’s heading next Continue Reading

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• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

Welsh workers’ AI experiences shaped by uneven power dynamics

Workers in Wales are being negatively affected by the unregulated introduction of artificial intelligence into workplaces due to asymmetric power dynamics Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

consumer data

Consumer data is the information that organizations collect from individuals who use internet-connected platforms, including websites, social media networks, mobile apps, text messaging apps or email systems. Continue Reading

By

• Robert Sheldon

Chat control: Tech companies warn ministers over EU encryption plans

Tech companies have written to EU ministers to urge them to back the European Parliament, rather than the European Commission, over proposed regulations to police child abuse. Continue Reading

Tech companies warn EU over encryption plans

In this week’s Computer Weekly, tech companies are calling on the European Commission to rethink plans to weaken internet encryption – we explore the issues. We talk to credit rating agency Moody’s about why it thinks now is the time to start investing in quantum computing. And we examine how a different approach to recruitment could ease the datacentre sector skills gap. Read the issue now. Continue Reading

Lords question legality of police facial recognition

Lords committee ‘deeply concerned’ about the rapid expansion of live facial recognition by UK police, which it says is progressing without any real oversight or accountability Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

What developers need to know about LLMs in the enterprise

We look at the main areas enterprise developers need to consider when building, testing and deploying enterprise applications powered by large language models Continue Reading

By

• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor
• Adrian Bridgwater

Security Think Tank: Expect more from GenAI in 2024

But 2024 also feels slightly different; the past 12 months have seen generative AI burst on to the scene, and this year its impact will continue to be felt, says Turnkey Consulting's Harshini Carey. Continue Reading

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• Harshini Carey, Turnkey Consulting

Quantum, AI and geopolitical conflict: '24 will be a big year for cyber

With big trends like quantum, generative AI and geopolitical conflict, 2024 looks set to be a big year in security, but defenders have an unparalleled opportunity to harness these trends for good, says Quorum's Federico Charosky Continue Reading

By

• Federico Charosky

Akira ransomware gang claims Lush cyber attack

The Akira ransomware gang claims to have stolen over 100GB of data from cosmetics manufacturer and retailer Lush Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Security Think Tank: What to expect in cyber this year

Risk arising from insecure generative AI, an explosion in mainstream acceptance of zero-trust, and increasingly tight cyber insurance policies will all be high on the agenda in 2024, writes Forrester senior analyst Alla Valente Continue Reading

By

• Alla Valente

Bulk sender authentication: More vital than ever

With new guidelines from Google and Yahoo governing bulk emails coming into force in February 2024, here's what you need to know to keep your sales and marketing lists compliant Continue Reading

By

• Gerasim Hovhannisyan

encryption key management

Encryption key management is the practice of generating, organizing, protecting, storing, backing up and distributing encryption keys. Continue Reading

By

• Rahul Awati
• Ed Hannan

WebKit vulnerability sparks Apple’s first major security update of 2024

A zero-day in the open source WebKit browser engine that powers Safari has sparked Apple’s first major patch roll-out of the new year Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Southern Water confirms cyber attack after Black Basta claims

Southern Water, which supplies millions of customers in southeast England, has confirmed it has fallen victim to a cyber attack, although its services appear to be running normally Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

AI will heighten global ransomware threat, says NCSC

The benefits of artificial intelligence to cyber criminals being well-known, the NCSC now assesses it’s likely AI will soon be widely used to enhance ransomware attacks Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Podcast: Storage and compliance outlook for 2024

Interesting times ahead in 2024 as we talk to Mathieu Gorge, CEO of Vigitrust, about updates to EU regs, PCI, NIST, post-Brexit divergence and 60 national elections across the globe Continue Reading

By

• Antony Adshead, Storage Editor

Leak of 26 billion records may prove to be ‘mother of all breaches’

The discovery of a dataset comprising 26 billion stolen records may prove to be record-breaking in both its size and the danger it poses to ordinary people Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

SEC bitcoin hack was result of SIM-swapping

A cyber attack on the US financial regulator earlier in January 2024 occurred after hackers took over one of its mobile phone accounts in a so-called SIM-swapping attack Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor