Privacy and data protection

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

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• 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

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• 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

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• 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

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• 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

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• 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

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• 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

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• 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

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• 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

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• 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

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• 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

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• 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

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• 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

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• 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

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• 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

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• 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

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• 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

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• 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

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• 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

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• 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

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• 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

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• 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

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• 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

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• 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

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• 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

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• 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

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• 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

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• 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

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• 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

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• 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

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• 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

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• 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

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• 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

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• 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

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• 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

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• 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

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• 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

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• 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

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• 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

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• 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

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• 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

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• 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

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• 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

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• 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

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• 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

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• 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

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• 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

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• 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

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• 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

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• 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

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• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

North Korean programmer charged for WannaCry attacks

The US has charged a member of a group of North Korean hackers linked to the WannaCry, Sony Pictures and other cyber attacks around the world Continue Reading

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• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Ransomware down, but not out, report reveals

Cryptojacking has taken over from ransomware as the top money spinner for cyber criminals, but the threat is not over and spam is also seeing a resurgence as an attack method, a report reveals Continue Reading

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• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

BA praised for swift GDPR-aligned action on data breach

British Airways has been praised for its swift response to a customer data breach, which could be the first test case under the EU’s GDPR and new UK GDPR-aligned data protection laws Continue Reading

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• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Chrome 69 security improvements welcomed

The cyber security community has welcomed the improvements in the latest version of the Chrome browser, especially when it comes to generating strong, unique passwords Continue Reading

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• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Security Think Tank: Eight controls to manage software vulnerabilities

What is the most practical and cost effective way for organisations to identify and remediate high-risk software vulnerabilities? Continue Reading

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• Kevin Murphy

UK and allies call for backdoors in encryption products

The Five Eyes intelligence alliance is calling on tech firms to include backdoors in their encrypted products to give access to law enforcement authorities or face various measures Continue Reading

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• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Majority of UK firms not insured for data breaches

Many UK firms are not insured against information security breaches and data loss, and would have to spend £1m on average to recover from a breach, a report reveals Continue Reading

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• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Security Serious Week to feature flash mob event

“Flash mob” event will create a human collage, highlighting cyber security advice Continue Reading

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• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Fraudulent money transfers are top aim of business email compromise

Business email compromise is increasingly popular with cyber criminals to steal money and information as well as spread malware, security researchers find Continue Reading

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• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Fourth man jailed for iCloud celebrity hacking

The final hacker charged with leaking nude images of female celebrities in 2014 has been jailed Continue Reading

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• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

US and UK days away from European Parliament ultimatum to suspend data transfers to the US

Threat to Privacy Shield as the European Union and US approach a critical European Parliament deadline to suspend data transfers from the EU to the US Continue Reading

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• Kevin Cahill

Improving security is top driver for ISO 27001

Organisations are implementing the ISO 27001 standard in recognition of the fact that cyber attacks are increasingly inevitable and that it is best to be well-prepared to fend off attacks and mitigate their effect Continue Reading

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• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Challenge to anti-GDPR immigration exemption in DPA to go ahead

Two human rights groups are challenging a controversial clause in new UK data protection legislation that they say is in conflict with the EU’s Charter of Fundamental Rights and undermines the General Data Protection Regulation Continue Reading

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• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Sharp rise in business email compromise

Cyber attackers are expanding their attack methods to steal money and to gain access to corporate and employee data, a report reveals Continue Reading

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• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

UK universities targeted by Iranian hackers

UK universities are among those targeted by a cyber threat group associated with the Iranian government Continue Reading

Cryptographic agility is key to post-quantum security

Although post-quantum security is not an issue for all organisations today, an expert believes that those needing to ensure data is secure for decades to come should aim to achieve cryptographic agility above all else Continue Reading

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• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

No Deal Brexit papers warn of stark future for UK tech

The government has published the first of its No Deal Brexit contingency planning notices, containing sobering messages for the UK technology industry Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

European cloud adopters still lack basic security

Despite outpacing the rest of the world, the majority of organisations adopting cloud in Europe, the Middle East and Africa lack basic security, a report reveals Continue Reading

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• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Nearly a third of organisations still not GDPR ready

As the UK and other states implement the EU’s GDPR, many organisations admit they are still not fully compliant, but most claim to be able to respond to data subject access requests Continue Reading

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• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Better the data you know – how GDPR is affecting UK tech companies

As the dust settles from the General Data Protection Regulation, the implications for technology firms in the UK are becoming clearer Continue Reading

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• Rebecca West, Coffin Mew

Superdrug denies data breach

Superdrug has warned online customers it believes may have had personal details exposed, but claims its systems were not compromised, in what could be the first GDPR-related extortion attempt Continue Reading

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• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Veritas aims to boost NetBackup with simplified UI and setup

Two decades-old enterprise product upgraded with backups that can be set in three clicks, down from 30, plus instant VM workload recovery and capacity monitoring and planning Continue Reading

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• Antony Adshead, Storage Editor

Retail and finance top cyber targets

Retail and finance remain the top cyber attack targets, but the second quarter also saw a spike in attacks against the manufacturing industry and an increase in remote desktop attacks, a report reveals Continue Reading

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• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Microsoft announces free election cyber defence tools

Microsoft has revealed it recently disrupted domains associated with a Russian cyber attack group believed to be targeting US political groups ahead of the midterm elections Continue Reading

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• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Malaysia’s financial sector warms up to cloud, but lacks security leadership

Almost two-thirds of Malaysia’s financial services firms are developing a cloud strategy, but not all have a security plan in place Continue Reading

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• Aaron Tan, TechTarget

NHS trusts lose nearly 10,000 patient records a year

Report calls for NHS trusts to work to abolish handwritten notes in hospitals to prevent loss of personal documents and to introduce a patient identity protocol Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Planned Australian law raises tech firms’ security concerns

A digital industry group representing some of the world’s largest tech firms is opposed to proposed Australian laws aimed at compelling them to help security agencies and police Continue Reading

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• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Apple confirms teen hacker took no customer data

Teenage “fan” who broke into Apple’s mainframe from his home in Melbourne is believed to have downloaded 90GB of secure files, but no customer data Continue Reading

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• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Global infosec spending to top $114bn in 2018, says Gartner

The need for improved detection, response and privacy is driving the demand for security products and services in response to security risks, business needs and industry changes, Gartner reveals Continue Reading

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• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Inside DevOps, containers and enterprise security

Global corporates are waking up to containers and orchestrated containerisation for software development that is fast and safe. Computer Weekly looks at the best approach to ensure security is not compromised along the way Continue Reading

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• Christian Annesley

Google Chrome flaw puts privacy at risk

Imperva security researcher urges Google Chrome users to update to the latest version after discovering a vulnerability that could be exploited to uncover private data Continue Reading

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• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Businesses urged to patch Microsoft flaw allowing MFA bypass

Security researchers are urging enterprises to update their software after the discovery of a vulnerability that could undermine the security provided by multifactor authentication Continue Reading

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• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Security Think Tank: Outsource security operations, not control

What critical security controls can be outsourced and how do organisations, SMEs in particular, maintain confidence that they are being managed effectively and appropriately? Continue Reading

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• Simon Persin, Turnkey Consulting

ICO strengthens commitment to technology and innovation

Information Commissioner’s Office has demonstrated its commitment to technology and innovation by appointing a new executive director to focus on this area Continue Reading

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• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Most security pros concerned about election infrastructure

A majority of information security professionals believe that election infrastructure is vulnerable to cyber attack, a survey shows Continue Reading

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• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

UK firms concerned about cyber arms race

Continuous investment and activity are key in the cyber arms race, according to Databarracks, as research shows UK firms are worried about keeping up with security challenges Continue Reading

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• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Millions of businesses vulnerable to fax-based cyber attack

Hackers could exploit security vulnerabilities in fax machines to launch cyber attacks in millions of organisations around the world, researchers warn, underlining the need for cyber resilience Continue Reading

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• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Over 146 billion records to be stolen over next five years

The US will bear the brunt of data exfiltration efforts by cyber criminals, though Asia-Pacific nations such as Singapore will not be spared Continue Reading

By

• Aaron Tan, TechTarget

Butlin’s warns of potential personal data breach

Holiday camp chain blames cyber breach on a phishing attack, implying that attackers were able to steal user credentials to access customer data – and underlining the need for security awareness training Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

ICO fines Emma’s Diary £140,000

The UK’s privacy watchdog has fined a marketing company for illegally collecting and selling personal information for political campaigning Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Incomplete visibility a top security failing

Incomplete visibility of IT environments is among the most common basic enterprise security failings, as most organisations are still failing to achieve basic cyber security hygiene, a survey reveals Continue Reading

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• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Cyber security double agents most common in the UK

Cyber security professionals who alternate between criminal and legitimate activities or move full-time into cyber criminal activity are more common in the UK than other countries, a report reveals Continue Reading

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• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Australia calls for interventionist approach in new cyber agenda

The Australian government is forming a cyber defence network comprising security agencies and private sector partners to support a more interventionist approach towards cyber security Continue Reading

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• Aaron Tan, TechTarget

Security Think Tank: Outsource responsibility, not accountability

What critical security controls can be outsourced and how do organisations, SMEs in particular, maintain confidence that they are being managed effectively and appropriately? Continue Reading

By

• Vladimir Jirasek, Foresight Cyber

Mobile banking Trojans reach all-time high

Mobile banking Trojans topped the list of cyber threats in the second quarter of the year, according to research by Kaspersky Lab Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Half of UK consumers to exercise GDPR rights within a year

More than half of UK consumers will exercise their General Data Protection Regulation rights within a year and almost two-thirds will retract or review data use because of the Facebook-Cambridge Analytica scandal, a study shows Continue Reading

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• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

The value of unified endpoint management

Given the diversity of devices people can use for work, IT needs to look at how it can unify device security Continue Reading

By

• Bob Tarzey

Security Think Tank: Almost all security can be outsourced, but not the risk

What critical security controls can be outsourced and how do organisations, SMEs in particular, maintain confidence that they are being managed effectively and appropriately? Continue Reading

By

• Emma Bickerstaffe, Information Security Forum (ISF)