Privacy and data protection

Information commissioner calls for stricter regulation on political use of data

Information commissioner Elizabeth Denham’s investigation into the use of data in elections and campaigns, finds "a disturbing disregard for voters’ personal privacy" Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

Start preparing for post-quantum data protection

Organisations that need to retain sensitive information for long periods of time need to start preparing for the post-quantum era, according to an IBM security architect Continue Reading

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• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Security Think Tank: Gap, risk and business impact analysis key to application security

What should organisations be doing to address application layer attacks and reduce the likelihood of a breach through this type of attack? Continue Reading

By

• Ramsés Gallego, Isaca

Banking sector leading CIAM innovation, say Big Four

Maturity in consumer identity and access management (CIAM) differs from sector to sector, with the banking sector taking the lead in terms of innovation, according to the Big Four accounting firms Continue Reading

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• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Security Think Tank: Three ways to safeguard against application layer vulnerabilities

What should organisations be doing to address application layer attacks and reduce the likelihood of a breach through this type of attack? Continue Reading

By

• Bruce Beam , (ISC)²

DevSecOps not limited to coding, says analyst

DevSecOps is seen as a way of ensuring application security, but security leaders must understand that embedding a security culture and taking the inter-dependencies of new development frameworks into account is key, says KuppingerCole Continue Reading

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• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Facebook to appeal EU-US data transfer ruling in Irish Supreme Court

Facebook will appeal a decision by the Irish High Court to refer questions over the legality of EU-US data transfers to the European Court of Justice in January, as the Dublin court rejects attempt by a UK IT expert to join the case Continue Reading

By

• Bill Goodwin, Computer Weekly

Radisson hotel group could be GDPR test case

Privacy watchers say the breach of personal data of members of the Radisson Hotel Group’s loyalty scheme could be an interesting test case for how the GDPR will be applied Continue Reading

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• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Key elements to success in consumer identity management

Success in consumer identity management is not just about getting the technology right, it is also about keeping in mind the consumer needs, preferences and concerns, says KuppingerCole Continue Reading

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• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

GDPR driving data protection maturity

The EU data protection laws are helping to drive data protection maturity internationally, but five months after enforcement many companies are still playing catch-up, says consultant Continue Reading

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• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

UK Post Office looks to enable reusable digital ID

The UK Post Office is investigating the possibility of enabling UK citizens to re-use their passport data for other applications where digital identity is a key component Continue Reading

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• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Australia’s data breaches are a ‘sign of naiveté’

McAfee executive attributes Australia’s poor cloud security record to the lack of data protection measures amid “new and confusing” cloud configurations Continue Reading

By

• Beverley Head

Aim for long-term customer identity relationship

Consumer identity management can deliver competitive advantage, but only if businesses follow some golden rules, says KuppingerCole Continue Reading

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• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Security Think Tank: Defend application layer with good security hygiene

What should organisations be doing to address application layer attacks and reduce the likelihood of a breach through this type of attack? Continue Reading

By

• Mike Gillespie

Security Think Tank: Counter application layer attacks with automation

What should organisations be doing to address application layer attacks and reduce the likelihood of a breach through this type of attack? Continue Reading

By

• Paddy Francis

British Airways data breach worse than thought

British Airways has admitted that up to 185,000 more people than first thought may have had personal details compromised in August’s data breach Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

IoT ecosystem needs to be investigated, say experts

A conference of IoT experts convened by Enisa and Europol has made key recommendations to ensure security vulnerabilities do not overshadow benefits Continue Reading

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• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Trusted nodes: The next generation in quantum key distribution

QKD is a form of protection against interception by quantum computers, but cost and technical limitations have made the technology impractical. Could trusted nodes make all the difference? Continue Reading

By

• Peter Ray Allison

MEPs call for action in wake of Facebook-Cambridge Analytica scandal

European members of parliament demand action to protect citizens’ privacy from abuses such as those uncovered in the Facebook-Cambridge Analytica data sharing scandal Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

GandCrab decryption tool released by No More Ransom

Another decryption tool has been made available free of charge in the battle against ransomware to help victims avoid paying to release their data Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

ICO issues maximum £500,000 fine to Facebook

The UK privacy watchdog has confirmed that Facebook has escaped a fine of more than $1bn under the GDPR, but will face the maximum under the DPA for failing to protect users’ personal information Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Cathay Pacific under fire over breach affecting 9.4 million passengers

Hong Kong-based airline reveals massive data breach of the most sensitive personal data of passengers five months after loss was confirmed Continue Reading

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• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Becrypt security platform helps ease cloud adoption

Becrypt’s secure operating system is driving a new service aimed at helping organisations reduce cost and increase agility in using cloud-based services and online applications Continue Reading

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• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Choose security tools wisely to gain upper hand

The cyber threat landscape is continually changing, but staying abreast of attacker and defender innovation can help business leaders gain the upper hand, says KuppingerCole Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Government can’t guarantee no-deal Brexit data-sharing agreement

Digital minister Margot James says there is no clear timetable on when the UK will secure a data adequacy decision from the EU, and cannot guarantee an agreement will be in place in the event of a no-deal Brexit Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

Sibos 2018: ‘Black swan’ cyber event is inevitable

With security experts and bankers expecting a 9/11-style cyber event, deeper collaboration between companies and governments is necessary to identify emerging threats before they occur Continue Reading

By

• Beverley Head

Yahoo to pay at least $85m for data breach settlement

Yahoo has agreed to a settlement in a class action lawsuit on behalf of 200 million consumers affected by a data breach in 2013 Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Interview: Steve Grobman, McAfee CTO shares his views on some burning security questions

Cyber security technology innovator and veteran Steve Grobman shares his views on adversarial artificial intelligence, post-quantum cryptography and security for next-gen tech Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Morrisons loses appeal against data breach liability ruling

Supermarket chain has lost its appeal against a High Court ruling that found it liable for a data leak by a former employee, underlining the importance of managing insider threats Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Centralised identity risky and not web 3.0 friendly, says entrepreneur

User controlled identity is less risky than centralised identity and essential for the next evolution of the web, according to an entrepreneur and evangelist of self-sovereign identity and blockchain technologies Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

McAfee CTO raises concerns about election cyber security

The security industry needs to look at the security of election processes around the world as well as the security of voting and counting machines, says McAfee CTO Continue Reading

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• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Learn lessons from attacks, says McAfee investigations chief

Organisations should use every cyber attack as an opportunity to learn, identify weaknesses and improve security posture, according to McAfee’s head of cyber investigations Continue Reading

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• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

McAfee researchers uncover ‘significant’ espionage campaign

Researchers discover campaign targeting South Korea, the US and Canada with links to eight-year-old source code from a threat group that has been dormant for five years Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Best of VMworld Europe 2018 Awards nominations now open until 26 October

Read the criteria for the Best of VMworld Europe User Awards and find out how to submit your nomination Continue Reading

By

• Caroline Donnelly, Senior Editor, UK

Time to implement new cyber security protections, says McAfee CEO Chris Young

Convergence of threats and technologies and an increasingly complex regulatory environment are driving the need to implement new cyber security protections, says McAfee chief Continue Reading

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• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

'Sealed cloud' promises better data security

TÜV SÜD’s Singapore Sealed Cloud does not grant administrators access to data, reducing the possibility of hackers breaking into databases using compromised administrator credentials Continue Reading

By

• Aaron Tan, TechTarget

Zero-trust security model gaining traction

The zero-trust model of security is finally gaining traction as security professionals tap into new tools and executive buy-in to support this approach in an effort to improve security posture and practices Continue Reading

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• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

UK faces 10 cyber attacks a week as hostile states step up hacking, says NCSC

The UK’s National Cyber Security Centre has thwarted more than 1,600 attacks over the past two years – many by hostile nation states Continue Reading

By

• Bill Goodwin, Computer Weekly

Tech companies should not be under legal duty to remove terrorist material, says watchdog

The internet should not be a safe place for terrorists, but making it compulsory for technology companies to trawl for radical content risks interfering with the rights of innocent people, says Max Hill QC, the independent reviewer of terrorism legislation Continue Reading

By

• Bill Goodwin & Fiona O'Cleirigh

Good data governance is good business

Organisations are failing to understand the importance of getting their data relationship with customers right and seeing the business opportunities that it enables, an industry analyst warns Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Apple challenges Australia’s proposed decryption law

Tech giant Apple argued that the lack of judicial oversight could reduce customer trust and security, among other reservations over Australia’s draft decryption legislation Continue Reading

By

• Aaron Tan, TechTarget

FS-ISAC awards cyber security scholarships in Europe

Five women have been awarded cyber security scholarships at FS-ISAC’s 2018 EMEA Summit Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Some 10% of user-reported emails malicious

On average, 1 in 10 user-reported emails is identified as malicious, and more than half can be tied to credential phishing, a Cofense report reveals Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Watchdog calls for clarity on Schedule 7 terrorism powers

The Independent Reviewer of Terrorism Legislation has called for greater clarity over police Schedule 7 powers to seize mobile phones and computers and question people without grounds for suspicion at ports and airports Continue Reading

By

• Bill Goodwin, Computer Weekly
• Fiona O'Cleirigh

RATs and Mimikatz among top publicly available hacking tools

Remote access Trojans (RATs), web shells and Mimikatz among the top publicly available tools that are used in cyber attacks around the world, a five-nation cyber intelligence report reveals Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

The troublesome saga of Gov.uk Verify

As the government plans to hand over its flagship identity assurance programme to the private sector, Computer Weekly looks at the history of the troubled project and how Gov.uk Verify ended up on the chopping board Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

Nato to be fully operational in cyber space by 2023

Nato is aiming to achieve full operational readiness in cyber space within five years Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

MEPs urge Facebook to roll out election fraud prevention measures

Facebook is coming under pressure from European lawmakers to do more to prevent its user data from being misappropriated during elections Continue Reading

By

• Caroline Donnelly, Senior Editor, UK

Bug bounties not a silver bullet, Katie Moussouris warns

Targeted bug bounties have a role to play in cyber security, but they are not a "silver bullet", and run the risk of wiping out talent pipelines if poorly implemented, warns bug bounty pioneer Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

NCSC head says attribution of GRU attacks important

The head of the UK’s National Cyber Security Centre has described the attribution of a wave of cyber attacks to Russia’s military intelligence service as “historically important” at a conference in Poland Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Singapore extends reach of digital ID system with cloud

GovTech is using AWS to host a developer platform that enables government agencies and businesses to develop services that build on the upcoming National Digital Identity system Continue Reading

By

• Ai Lei Tao

Security Think Tank: Monitoring key to outcomes-based security

What is the first step towards moving from a tick-box approach to security to one that is outcomes-based, and how can an organisation test if its security defences are delivering the desired outcome? Continue Reading

By

• Ramsés Gallego, Isaca

Cooperation vital in cyber security, says former Estonian minister

States acting alone cannot be efficient in cyber security and need to cooperate with others to build trust, says a former foreign minister of Estonia Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Consumer Google+ dumped in favour of enterprise focus

Google+ will no longer be offered to consumers, following a security audit. Instead, the company plans to flesh out an enterprise social media strategy Continue Reading

By

• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor

High Court blocks Google iPhone privacy lawsuit

The UK High Court has thrown out a group action lawsuit against Google for tracking iPhone browsing data, but campaign group Google You Owe Us, which brought the litigation, will appeal the decision Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

NCSC head calls for technocratic partnership to fix cyber risks

The UK’s National Cyber Security Centre is appealing for collaboration with the technology industry to remedy key vulnerabilities in current IT Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

ICO hits Heathrow Airport with £120,000 data breach fine over lost USB stick

Information Commissioner’s Office fines airport after a member of the public came across a USB stick containing sensitive personal information about airport staff Continue Reading

By

• Caroline Donnelly, Senior Editor, UK

Customers need to be at the centre of GDPR plans

Responding to a breach is not just about data, it is about taking care of, and protecting, customers Continue Reading

By

• Dominic Cockram, Deloitte

Security Think Tank: Enable outcomes-based security in software development

What is the first step towards moving from a tick box approach to security to one that is outcomes based, and how can an organisation test if its security defences are delivering the desired outcome? Continue Reading

By

• Bruce Beam , (ISC)²

Google Safety Center goes live in the UK

Google says its commitment to transparency is as strong as ever as its new Safety Center goes live in the UK to help keep businesses and consumers safe online Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

GDPR case work swamps Denmark’s data protection agency

The agency investigating alleged breaches of GDPR in Denmark is recruiting additional resources to cope with the increase in work Continue Reading

By

• Gerard O'Dwyer

Security Think Tank: C-suite needs to drive outcomes-based security

What is the first step towards moving from a tick-box approach to security to one that is outcomes-based and how can an organisation test whether its security defences are delivering the desired outcome? Continue Reading

By

• Mike Gillespie

Security Serious Unsung Heroes announced

Awards celebrate the people of the cyber security industry on the front lines of organisations battling cyber threats Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Business email compromise made easy for cyber criminals

Poor security practices and access to hacking services are making it easy for cyber criminals to compromise business email, research reveals Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Apps are gateway to business data for cyber attackers

Application security is becoming increasingly important because apps are often the main way cyber attackers are getting into corporate networks, a threat researcher warns Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Rise in data-stealing Betabot malware

Researchers are warning about an increase in Betabot malware after detecting multiple infections in recent weeks, underlining the importance of software patching Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Security Think Tank: Shift to outcomes-based security by focusing on business needs

What is the first step towards moving from a tick-box approach to security to one that is outcomes-based and how can an organisation test whether its security defences are delivering the desired outcome? Continue Reading

By

• Simon Persin, Turnkey Consulting

Security Think Tank: Start outcomes-based security with asset identification

What is the first step towards moving from a tick-box approach to security to one that is outcomes-based and how can an organisation test whether its security defences are delivering the desired outcome? Continue Reading

By

• Paddy Francis

UK firms’ password security score ‘average’

While businesses are making strides in strengthening password security, there is more work to be done, with the UK password score lagging behind the frontrunners, a survey shows Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Tesco Bank gets first cyber-related FCA fine

UK’s financial watchdog issues its first cyber-related fine to Tesco Bank in connection with a multimillion-pound cyber fraud in 2016 Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Security Think Tank: Security governance key to outcomes-based approach

What is the first step towards moving from a tick-box approach to security to one that is outcomes based, and how can an organisation test if its security defences are delivering the desired outcome? Continue Reading

By

• Maxine Holt, Omdia

Facebook could face up to $1.6bn fine for data breach

Facebook is under increased pressure to demonstrate that users’ personal data is protected as it faces a potential fine of more than a billion dollars for a data breach affecting millions of users Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Keeping Commvault on its toes in ASEAN

Backup and data protection software supplier is going after mid-sized companies and renewing its focus on partners to make deeper inroads in Southeast Asia Continue Reading

By

• Aaron Tan, TechTarget

EU sees eIDAS regulation come into full force

A regulation aimed at cutting red tape to enable a digital single market in Europe will soon be in full force, but it could present some challenges to the UK after Brexit Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Cyber attackers are increasingly exploiting RDP, warns FBI

Businesses should to act to reduce the likelihood of compromise from cyber attackers exploiting the remote desktop protocol, warns the FBI Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Blockchain is no ‘magic wand’ for cyber security

The decentralised nature of blockchain networks may deter some cyber crooks, but ASEAN organisations still need to pay heed to the security of their blockchain infrastructure Continue Reading

By

• Aaron Tan, TechTarget

Business is at inflection point for proactive cyber security

The time is ripe for proactive cyber security, but many organisations must first overcome four key obstacles to achieve effective protection, according to a research report Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Explosion in fake data-stealing shopping sites

Cyber attackers are ramping up efforts to steal personal data by setting up look-alike domains that pose a phishing risk to online shoppers, researchers warn Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Prepare now for quantum computers, QKD and post-quantum encryption

The predicted processing power of quantum computers is likely to make existing encryption algorithms obsolete. Quantum key distribution (QKD) is a possible solution - we investigate whether QKD is viable Continue Reading

By

• Peter Ray Allison

Uber fined $148m for data breach cover-up

US court hits Uber with heavy fine which security industry commentators hope will encourage firms to take cyber security more seriously and resist the urge to cover up data breaches Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Australian teen Apple hacker avoids jail time

“Fan” who broke into Apple’s mainframe from his home in Melbourne has avoided prison because the information he gathered was recovered Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

ICO threatens fines for outstanding fees

The UK’s privacy watchdog has issued warning letters to organisations, including some NHS trusts and government organisations, for failing to pay a new data protection fee Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Financial services firms face potential security bombshell

UK financial services are facing a security crisis over outdated services and applications, a survey shows Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Why the government should rethink the UK’s surveillance laws

The European Court of Human Rights has made clear that the Snoopers’ Charter is an unlawful violation of people’s rights and freedoms Continue Reading

By

• Megan Goulding

Fujitsu teams up with UTCs on cyber security training

Fujitsu, University Technical Colleges across England and other private sector partners have joined forces to help address the cyber security skills gap Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

PCI DSS compliance falls despite security benefit

Despite the benefits of the payment card industry security standard, there is a concerning downward trend in compliance, a report reveals Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

MI5 admits to ‘unlawful’ spying on Privacy International

The UK's intelligence agencies acted unlawfully by intercepting communications data on NGO, Privacy International, the UK's most secret court ruled. Continue Reading

By

• Bill Goodwin, Computer Weekly

WannaCry and NotPetya inspiring new attacks

Designs and techniques used in 2017’s global cyber attacks have inspired a new breed of malware that exploits software vulnerabilities, according to a McAfee report Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Mac OS Mojave zero-day warning

The latest version of Apple’s Mac operating system contains a vulnerability that could be exploited by attackers to access protected files, a researcher warns Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Business leaders expect suppliers to ensure they are cyber secure

Most UK business leaders expect suppliers to be cyber secure and nearly a third of businesses would terminate contracts because of suppliers’ security failings, a survey has revealed Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Security Editor

Europol cyber crime report highlights emerging threats to enterprise security

Research highlights increase in sophistication of ransomware attacks, while revealing details of new and emerging threats to enterprises Continue Reading

By

• Tasmin Lockwood

Employers turn to wearable technology to help staff manage work-life balance

Companies are realising that there are sound business reasons for ensuring their employees get enough sleep and exercise, so they are turning to wearable technology to help their staff stay healthy, despite the pressures of work Continue Reading

By

• Christian Annesley

Singapore government to start bug bounty programme

Singapore’s bug bounty programme will help the authorities identify cyber blind spots and benchmark its defences against skilled hackers Continue Reading

By

• Aaron Tan, TechTarget

Cutting through the blockchain hype

Blockchain adoption is still in its infancy, with security challenges standing in the way of more widespread deployment, according to a blockchain expert Continue Reading

By

• Aaron Tan, TechTarget

Printing, document capture and compliance risk in the GDPR era

Printers, scanners and mobile devices that capture data from documents all store data in some way or other. How can you be sure to be compliant with GDPR with regard to that data? Continue Reading

By

• Antony Adshead, Storage Editor

No Deal Brexit may hinder free flow of personal data from EU to UK

The government’s No Deal Brexit planning document on data protection warns free flow of personal data from EU isn’t guaranteed, and organisations must take action to ensure they will still be able receive data from Europe Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

GCHQ mass surveillance regime was in breach of human rights law, European court rules

The European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg has ruled that the UK’s collection of bulk interception of communications data lacked adequate oversight and safeguards and was in breach of human rights law Continue Reading

By

• Bill Goodwin, Computer Weekly

Outcomes-based security is the way forward

Every security technology is effective for a limited time, but understanding data assets and their value to attackers is key to effective cyber defence, according to an industry veteran of 20 years’ experience Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Two-thirds of emails not clean, says research

Two-thirds of emails don't make it to the inbox because security systems consider them unsafe, according to research Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Cyber criminals outspend businesses in cyber security battle

Cybercriminals are flexing their financial might and UK organisations are facing more attacks as a result Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA