Privacy and data protection

Most small businesses fail to act after a cyber attack  

Nearly half of small businesses have suffered at least one cyber attack in the past year, yet most fail to take action afterwards, citing lack of budget at the biggest challenge Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Singapore remains hotbed for cyber threats

Singapore was a victim of advanced persistent threats, phishing and website defacements in 2017, according to the latest threat landscape report by the Cyber Security Agency Continue Reading

By

• Aaron Tan, TechTarget

Surface web used in private data sales

The surface web plays an integral role in the selling of personal information, a report on identify fraud has revealed Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

MPs see risk to critical infrastructure as top threat

A majority of MPs are concerned about the cyber threat to critical national infrastructure, a survey has revealed Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Singapore firms unprepared for GDPR

An EY study reveals that only 10% of organisations in Singapore are ready to comply with the Europe’s new data protection regime. Continue Reading

Microsoft becomes devoted to open source developers

In this week’s Computer Weekly, after Microsoft’s recent acquisition of GitHub, we examine the software giant’s tools for embracing open source developers. Secretary of state for digital, culture, media and sport Matt Hancock talks about growing the UK digital economy and supporting the tech sector. And we look at SAP’s next steps for its “intelligent enterprise” strategy. Read the issue now. Continue Reading

European Parliament heads for showdown with US over Privacy Shield

By Kevin Cahill The Justice Committee of the European Parliament has set the scene for a major showdown with the US over data transfers between the EU and the US by setting a Sept 1st deadline for ... Continue Reading

By

• Bill Goodwin, Computer Weekly

AI is key to keeping IBM compliant with GDPR

Artificial intelligence is vital for keeping IBM compliant with the principles of the General Data Protection Regulation, which, in turn, provides opportunities for business, says the company’s data protection officer Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

NCSC urges action after Dixons Carphone breach

The National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) is urging UK business to improve data protection capabilities after Dixons Carphone revealed that millions of payment card and personal data records may have been compromised in a cyber breach Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Dixons Carphone admits 'falling short' on data protection

Dixons Carphone has warned that millions of credit card and personal data records may have been compromised in a cyber breach Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Insurer Beazley meets global challenge to secure mobile workforce

Beazley has stolen a march on other London-market insurers by implementing a versatile global digital workspace with improved security Continue Reading

By

• Christian Annesley

Security Think Tank: GDPR requires unprecedented view of data flows

Why is it important to know where data flows, with whom it's shared and where it lives at rest, and what is the best way of achieving this? Continue Reading

By

• Yves Le Roux, (ISC)2

Privacy Shield under threat by US non-compliance

The Privacy Shield framework that replaced the Safe Harbour agreement for personal data transfers between the EU and the US is under threat due to non-compliance by US firms Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

BT announces “unhackable” quantum-secured network

In the face of the threat that quantum computers could crack many of the encryption methods used to protect highly sensitive data, BT has developed a “quantum-secured” network Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Email-based cyber attacks gathering momentum

Email-based cyber attacks are gathering momentum and the cost of these attacks are rising, with several hidden costs, a survey of IT professionals in Europe, Middle East and Africa reveals Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Singapore career website hit by PageUp malware scare

A Singapore government career website was among others affected by a malware attack on an Australian recruitment technology supplier Continue Reading

By

• Aaron Tan, TechTarget

Industry must do more to open up cyber security profession

Talented and successful cyber security researcher and passionate advocate for the profession, James Lyne reveals that he fell into security more by accident than design, and says training and recruitment must change to find and develop talented individuals Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

How Australia is keeping pace with ICS threats

Besides bridging the security gap between IT and operational technology teams, Australia is driving efforts to bolster the security of IoT devices Continue Reading

By

• Beverley Head

Security Think Tank: Data flow visibility is essential to security

Why is it important to know where data flows, with whom it is shared and where it lives at rest, and what is the best way of achieving this? Continue Reading

By

• Elisabetta Zaccaria, Secure Chorus

Parliamentary computers at risk after staff targeted by phone phishing

Police are investigating phone phishing attacks targeted against Parliament. Staff warned not to disclose details of their computers to fraudulent callers. Continue Reading

By

• Bill Goodwin, Computer Weekly

BYOD for mobile ‘a year away’ for Williams F1

Companies in the Williams Group – the Formula One racing operation Williams Grand Prix Engineering and its high-growth sister operation Williams Advanced Engineering – are investing with mobile security front-of-mind to enable more agile working practices within 12 months Continue Reading

By

• Christian Annesley

Security Think Tank: Focus on data protection, but do not rely on DLP alone

Why is it important to know where data flows, with whom it's shared and where it lives at rest – and what is the best way of achieving this? Continue Reading

By

• Emma Bickerstaffe, Information Security Forum (ISF)

European Court hearing into EU-US data transfer system will not happen for at least 18 months

By Kevin Cahill The European Court of Justice may not have a hearing into crucial questions about the legality of the EU-US data transfer system for at least 18 months according to a spokesperson ... Continue Reading

By

• Bill Goodwin, Computer Weekly

Businesses must report cyber crime, panel urges

By reporting cyber crimes, private enterprise can help improve national and international cyber defences and bring criminals to justice, according to an expert panel Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Cyber security focus too much on tech, says Domino’s CISO

Many organisations are still focusing only on technology and compliance, which means their cyber defences are not as solid as they think, according to Domino’s Pizza chief information security officer Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

IT spending reaches 10-year high as CIOs struggle with digital technology strategy

IT leaders have seen their budgets and headcounts rise for the first time in 10 years, but face challenges implementing their digital strategies Continue Reading

By

• Bill Goodwin, Computer Weekly

Nation state cyber attacks affect all, says former GCHQ boss

Cyber attacks by nation states used to be a small part of the problem for state authorities to address, but now all organisations are potential targets of nation state attacks, according to former GCHQ head Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Business not learning from past cyber security incidents

Businesses are still not getting the basics right and they are not learning from past security incidents, according to world-renowned security blogger and trainer Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Security Think Tank: Understand data for risk-based protection

Why is it important to know where data flows, with whom it is shared and where it lives at rest, and what is the best way of achieving this? Continue Reading

By

• Simon Persin, Turnkey Consulting

GDPR and backup: A potential minefield easily avoided

The right to be forgotten will be impossible in backups and snapshots, but systems can be built that automate for compliance, says Andy Barratt of security consultancy Coalfire Continue Reading

By

• Antony Adshead, Storage Editor

We need to design for security and privacy, says Martha Lane Fox

The digital future is bright, but only if society works through a gear change in its relationship with technology, and demands products and services that are secure and private by design, says internet service pioneer Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Understanding is key to security awareness, says specialist

Only if people understand why cyber security matters will they change their behaviours as a result of awareness training, according to a human behaviour specialist and cyber security consultant Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Security Think Tank: Ignorance about data is tantamount to negligence

Why is it important to know where data flows, with whom it's shared and where it lives at rest, and what is the best way of achieving this? Continue Reading

By

• Tim Holman, 2-sec

Cyber attacks not sophisticated, says Just Eat CISO

The chief information security officer of Just Eat has challenged the perception that all cyber attacks are sophisticated and that it is impossible to fill cyber security jobs Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Nexsan adds Assureon Cloud Transfer for hybrid cloud archiving

Nexsan archiving appliances add hybrid cloud capability to AWS and Azure cloud for unstructured data, targeting users that want to retain files on-site with cloud access Continue Reading

By

• Antony Adshead, Storage Editor

Boards not asking right security questions, says Dido Harding

Former TalkTalk CEO says boards are still not asking the right cyber security questions, do not understand that they should be making cyber risk decisions, and are not communicating with engineers Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Application security more important than ever

Applications have an increasingly crucial role in our lives, yet they are also a real security threat, with hackers always finding new ways to bypass security defences. Computer Weekly looks at how organisations are responding to the challenge Continue Reading

By

• Nicholas Fearn

Security Think Tank: Use data flow information to protect systems

Why is it important to know where data flows, with whom it's shared and where it lives at rest, and what is the best way of achieving this? Continue Reading

By

• Paddy Francis

Technology key to new UK counter-terrorism strategy

Technologies such as machine learning and data analytics are key to the UK government’s updated counter-terrorism strategy Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

GDPR – like a lot of regulation – will mostly benefit the big incumbents

The law of unintended consequences applies to the new EU data protection laws, because the big players it seeks to regulate can better afford to comply Continue Reading

By

• Tim Worstall, Adam Smith Institute

Security Think Tank: Data governance is essential to data security

Why is it important to know where data flows, with whom it's shared and where it lives at rest – and what is the best way of achieving this? Continue Reading

By

• Raef Meeuwisse

Offensive AI unlikely in the near future, says Mikko Hypponen

Cyber criminals are not close to being able to use AI for attack purposes, according to industry veteran Mikko Hypponen, who has been at the forefront of AI use in cyber defence for several years Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Security Think Tank: Data controllers are essential in modern business environment

Why is it important to know where data flows, with whom it's shared and where it lives at rest, and what is the best way of achieving this? Continue Reading

By

• Petra Wenham

Security suppliers need to interact with community, says researcher

Security suppliers need to interact with the community to get feedback on their products before launch to ensure they have not missed any vulnerabilities, a security researchers advises Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Fintech professional’s tech predictions: 9- Gamers monitored by businesses and authorities

People that use online gaming platforms might be being sized up for a job or even by security services Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

VPN hacks can be lethal, warns security expert

Organisations should not overlook the need to secure VPN connections because failure to do so could be fatal, but 2FA alone is not enough, warns a security expert Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Security Think Tank: Data governance is good for business and security

Why is it important to know where data flows, with whom it's shared and where it lives at rest, and what is the best way of achieving this? Continue Reading

By

• Maxine Holt, Omdia

Security Think Tank: Information management means better security

Why is it important to know where data flows, with whom it's shared and where it lives at rest – and what is the best way of achieving this? Continue Reading

By

• Mike Gillespie

Security community urged to prepare for quantum computing

A top European chief information security officer is urging the security community to prepare for quantum computing to ensure their encryption processes are ready in time Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

US issues warning about North Korean malware

US government has identified more than 85 networks compromised by two malware families believed to be North Korean in origin Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Business still not addressing insider threat

Businesses are still not addressing inside threats when it comes to cyber security, leaving themselves wide open to data breaches as a result, according to a security analyst Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

UK security spend low despite breaches

The UK is the most breached country in Europe, but IT security spend remains low compared with other countries in the region, a report reveals Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Max Schrems’s NOYB initiates GDPR action

A privacy NGO led by Austrian lawyer Max Schrems is among the first to file complaints under the GDPR against Google, Instagram, WhatsApp and Facebook Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Former Macedonian PM convicted in corruption case exposed by illegal government surveillance

Information exposed by leaked recordings that were part an illegal mass surveillance campaign orchestrated under the government of former prime minster Nikola Gruevski have led to his conviction for corruption. He was found guilty of rigging a tender and receiving a luxury Mercedes as a bribe. He may still appeal the ruling Continue Reading

By

• Tena Prelec

London CDO: More groundwork needed to gain trust for data use

London’s chief digital officer, Theo Blackwell, says organisations need to do more groundwork if a smarter city is to be real possibility Continue Reading

By

• Brian McKenna, Senior Analyst, Business Applications

Now that’s what I call compliance II

Nobody’s been able to get in contact with Downtime’s marketing manager since our discovery of a GDPR-themed Spotify playlist back in March, but his driving licence was found by the Royal Thai ... Continue Reading

By

• Ryan Priest

MPs slam government for biometrics strategy delay

Science and Technology Committee questions legality of the police’s approach to deleting mugshots of innocent people, and says government’s reasons for four-year delay to a new strategy is “less than convincing” Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

GDPR may not be perfect, but it’s an important milestone in data protection

It's GDPR day, and TechUK's CEO Julian David writes about what is an important milestone in data protection in the digital world Continue Reading

By

• Julian David, TechUK

GDPR puts people first, says ICO

The day of 25 May 2018 marks the biggest change to UK data protection law in a generation, with benefits for businesses and consumers, according to the UK privacy watchdog Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Data protection as a competitive advantage

By now, many consumers in Asia and elsewhere would have received at least a couple of e-mails from merchants asking for consent to continue receiving marketing messages under Europe’s General Data ... Continue Reading

By

• Aaron Tan, TechTarget

Commitment is the watchword on GDPR D-Day

New rules for protecting European citizens’ personal data are now enforceable by law, and organisations are being advised to focus broadly on commitment rather than narrowly on compliance Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Grab outlines its approach to cyber security

Singapore-based ride-hailing company prefers detective controls rather than preventive ones to deter cyber threats – an approach it claims is less intrusive and costly to implement Continue Reading

By

• Aaron Tan, TechTarget

Stronger rules on data protection by EU institutions agreed

On the eve of the GDPR compliance deadline, European politicians agree new rules to strengthen data protection in EU organisations Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Security experts weigh in on GDPR checklists

Security experts give their views on what final checks businesses should be doing on the eve of the General Data Protection Regulation compliance deadline, while a survey reveals almost half of Brits have not heard of it Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

NHS to launch national data opt-out tool

Patients will be able to opt out of having their health and care data shared by using an online tool developed by NHS Digital Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

CW Nordics: Finland delays e-voting plan

Security concerns have re-emerged to further frustrate the Finnish government’s plans to launch a national e-voting system. Also read about a study by the Stockholm School of Economics that looks at the likely impact of AI, machine learning and robotics on people’s lives. And find out why Norway has accelerated plans to scale up its national cyber security infrastructure. Continue Reading

EU cyber security agencies pledge to up cooperation

Four European cyber security agencies have agreed to increase collaboration in five key areas Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

New UK Data Protection Act not welcomed by all

Legislation makes the UK one of the first countries to implement the GDPR in local law, but some have criticised it as a “lost opportunity” Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

UK calls for new data-sharing model with EU

The UK has proposed a new data-sharing model to ensure ongoing data protection collaboration and free flow of data between the EU and the UK post-Brexit Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Compliance in the cloud: Avoiding the cloud compliance trap

When you hand over data to a cloud provider, you don’t hand over responsibility for legal and regulatory compliance. Beware of falling into a cloud compliance trap Continue Reading

By

• Stephen Pritchard

Mobile fraud up 680% since 2015, RSA reports

Fake profiles and throw-away devices are transforming social media into a cyber criminal marketplace, a fraud report reveals Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Application and device security under the spotlight

The security of internet-connected devices and associated applications has become a significant concern, prompting suggestions legislation may be required, while the UK government’s recent Secure by Design review suggests several solutions, including legislative measures Continue Reading

By

• Peter Ray Allison

Skills shortage a major cyber security risk

Skill shortages remain a major risk to long-term information security capability and business is still struggling to defend against cyber breaches – but it is getting better at dealing with them, an IISP survey shows Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Facebook is ready for GDPR, says Zuckerberg

Facebook chief Mark Zuckerberg has claimed the social network is ready for GDPR, but failed to give any answers to the most probing questions posed by European MEPs Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Ethics and tech – a double-edged sword

Just because a business activity is legal doesn’t mean it will be acceptable to customers, as the ethical debates in tech are proving Continue Reading

By

• James Kitching, Coffin Mew

Security researchers find fourth CPU flaw

Security researchers have reported another flaw in common microprocessor chips related to the Meltdown and Spectre vulnerabilities Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Sweden’s Telenor makes GDPR consent personal

Telenor Sweden says it has seen market-leading results for General Data Protection Regulation consent after enlisting a customer experience firm to manage the process Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Most firms will not be GDPR-ready by compliance deadline

Survey of IT decision-makers shows one-fifth of companies lack continuous encryption capabilities and only half have the systems required for the right to erasure and the right to rectification. Continue Reading

GDPR is here – are you ready?

The EU’s new data protection regulation, GDPR, comes into force this week. In this edition of Computer Weekly, we ask if companies are ready for it and look at what happens if you’re not yet compliant. Our latest buyer’s guide examines digital transformation and the role of the CIO. And we find out how technology is changing the traditional sport of cricket. Read the issue now. Continue Reading

Finland government examines centralised cyber defence

The Finnish government is attempting to centralise its fight against increasing cyber threats to its infrastructure Continue Reading

By

• Gerard O'Dwyer

Google sued for £3.2bn for tracking UK iPhone browsing

A lawsuit by a group called Google You Owe Us is seeking compensation from Google for tracking millions of UK iPhone users’ browsing data Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

ICO fines University of Greenwich £120,000

The UK privacy watchdog has issued a monetary penalty against the University of Greenwich for a "serious" security breach Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

UK government promises laws to police 'Wild West Internet'

UK government plans laws to make online activity safer after green paper reveals more needs to be done to protect citizens Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

ICO could use new GDPR powers in Facebook probe

UK privacy watchdog is considering using new powers in its investigation of Facebook, while the government is considering new laws to police social media firms Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

APAC organisations could lose $1.75tn from cyber attacks

A study by Frost and Sullivan has found that losses from cyber security incidents could account for 7% of the region’s GDP in 2017 Continue Reading

By

• Aaron Tan, TechTarget

NCSC calls for greater interaction with UK business

The UK’s cyber security agency has called for greater interaction with business, particularly when it comes to cyber security incidents Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Most UK marketers GDPR ready, but not all firms have a plan

Most UK marketers believe they are ready for GDPR, but a worrying number believe their employers may not be, as businesses are urged to embrace the positives a week before the compliance deadline Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

BYOD in UK SMEs linked to security incidents

Bring your own device practices have been identified as a cyber security risk for six in 10 SMEs in research published a week ahead of the GDPR compliance deadline Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

GDPR compliance: Addressing the overlooked in enterprise IT infrastructures

As the GDPR compliance deadline approaches, enterprises need to ensure they have looked beyond the headline-grabbing aspects of the regulation so they do not fall foul of the incoming data protection regulations Continue Reading

By

• Stuart Burns

GDS seeks advice on migration from Public Services Network

The Government Digital Service has started the process of moving public sector organisations away from the Public Services Network Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Use GDPR to propel business forward, says ICO

GDPR is about a new way of doing things that businesses can use to their advantage, and cyber security is a key element, according to the Information Commissioner’s Office Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Report highlights security risk of open source code to business

Increased adoption of open source code is introducing vulnerabilities into commercial software, with many audited codebases containing the Apache Struts flaw that enabled the Equifax breach, a report shows Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Most firms see GDPR as an opportunity

A growing number of organisations consider the GDPR to be an opportunity to improve the way they handle data privacy and security, while leaders are using it as an opportunity for full business transformation, a study shows Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

US considers UK-style cyber defence model

The US is considering adopting a similar cyber defence model to the UK’s in recognition of the growing threat to all levels of society Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Fintech professional’s tech predictions: 8- Fake personal data.

There will be a law that reduces the number of required fields in online reforms to reduce the amount of unnecessary information given to organisations. Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

SMEs more worried about GDPR’s threat to reputation than fines

SMEs are more worried about the damage GDPR non compliance will do to their reputations than their wallets Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Credential theft a top priority, Rapid 7 report shows

Credential theft is still a top priority for organisations to address in terms of making it more difficult for cyber attackers to gain unauthorised access to their networks, report reveals Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Cross-site scripting a top vulnerability, hackers find

Despite the much-publicised advances in cyber attack techniques, a well-known, well-documented and avoidable vulnerability is still the most popular for attackers to exploit – along with others like it that are often overlooked, white hat hackers reveal Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Cage director Rabbani heads for Supreme Court after appeals court rules password demands lawful

Muhammad Rabbani, director of campaigning group Cage, will appeal to the Supreme Court after Court of Appeal rules that police did not act unlawfully by demanding his computer and mobile phone passwords under Section 7 of the Terrorism Act Continue Reading

By

• Bill Goodwin, Computer Weekly

Enterprise cyber threat remediation ineffective, study shows

Enterprise cyber threat remediation needs to improve in several key areas, according to an analysis of common remediation strategies Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst