Privacy and data protection

Strategic cyber criminals likely to capitalise on GDPR

As cyber criminals concentrate on targeted, strategic, money-making attacks, they are likely to use GDPR fines as leverage to extort money from organisations, a report warns Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

UK local councils under huge cyber attack pressure

Investigation underlines importance of security automation and employee awareness training Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Botnets shift focus to credential abuse

Cyber criminals are increasingly using automated attacks that make use of stolen credentials, a security threat report warns Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Getting a handle on mobile security in your enterprise

Everyone now has a mobile device at work, so how can enterprises ensure they are secure? Continue Reading

By

• Rene Millman

Lauri Love can stay in UK: prosecutors will not appeal extradition ruling

Crown Prosecution Service gives undertaking to Lauri Love that it will not appeal against a court decision not to extradite him to the US – but prosecutors are seeking leave to appeal over part of the court ruling on extradition procedure Continue Reading

By

• Bill Goodwin, Computer Weekly

A third of Brits plan to exercise right to be forgotten

After the General Data Protection Regulation compliance deadline, a third of Britons polled say they plan to exercise their right to be forgotten, but few fully understand the GDPR and how it will affect them Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Few organisations managing cyber risk, survey shows

Cyber risk management practices are not keeping up with rising cyber security concerns among senior executives around the world, a study shows Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

How AI will underpin cyber security in the next few years

Cyber security risks are growing in complexity and volume, but artificial intelligence techniques can help businesses track and fight them in real time Continue Reading

By

• Nicholas Fearn

100 days to GDPR compliance deadline

As the clock ticks down to the deadline to comply with the EU’s new data protection regulations, some surveys indicate there is still some confusion, but the focus has shifted from the sanctions to the benefits Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Cyberthreat 2018 aimed at UK cyber security techies

Cyberthreat 2018 is aimed at growing the UK’s network of cyber defenders, filling a key gap in the UK cyber security conference calendar and bridging the public-private sector divide Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Why police forces need to be honest about mass mobile phone surveillance

Police forces across the UK are covering up their use of sophisticated mass surveillance devices, known as IMSI-catchers - the Bristol Cable and Liberty are campaigning for proper transparency Continue Reading

By

• Alon Aviram, The Bristol Cable

CW ASEAN: European data law – be aware and prepare

Organisations across the ASEAN region will soon have to comply with another piece of data protec-tion legislation - the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) that will apply to any company that collects the personal data of Europeans. In this month's edition of CW ASEAN, we look at how ASEAN is gearing up for the GDPR, the current state of compliance and the law's impact on businesses. Read the issue now. Continue Reading

Australian organisations unprepared for GDPR

Faced with the double whammy of complying with Australia’s upcoming data breach notification requirement and Europe’s new data protection regime, Australian firms are behind where they need to be in their compliance efforts Continue Reading

CW ANZ: Prepare for EU data law

Faced with the double whammy of complying with Australia’s upcoming data breach notification requirement and Europe’s new data protection regime, Australian firms are behind where they need to be in their compliance efforts. In this month’s edition of CW ANZ, find out how Australian organisations are getting ready for the GDPR, the challenges they are facing in meeting two new laws at the same time, as well as what they need to do to achieve their compliance goals. Read the issue now. Continue Reading

FS-ISAC enables safer financial data sharing with API

The global financial industry's body for cyber and physical threat intelligence analysis and sharing has published an API to facilitate safer sharing of consumer financial information Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Moscow puts municipal vehicles online to save fuel

The city of Moscow has deployed a unified IoT platform to monitor and control all of its municipal vehicles Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Smart security: Go beyond the basics with biometrics

With smartphone makers offering new features such as biometrics, there are lots of options available to businesses when putting mobile security into practice Continue Reading

By

• Zach Emmanuel, Computer Weekly

PyeongChang Winter Games hit by cyber attack

Although critical operations were not affected by the incident, event organisers at the PyeongChang Winter Olympics had to shut down servers and the official games website to prevent further damage Continue Reading

By

• Aaron Tan, TechTarget

Europe in the firing line of evolving DDoS attacks

The Europe, Middle East and Africa region accounts for more than half the world’s distributed denial of service attacks, a report from F5 Labs reveals Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Malaysian regulator and firm sued over data breach

The Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission and a local company have been caught in a civil lawsuit over a massive data breach reported last year Continue Reading

By

• Aaron Tan, TechTarget

DMA Group working to reduce fear around GDPR

The DMA Group is focused on the GDPR for customer communications and marketing, but says the key aim is to reduce fear in the market Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

More POS malware detected in the wild

The first new point of sale malware in many months is stealing data from the magnetic strips on payment cards, security researchers warn Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Swisscom downplays data breach

Telecommunication provider Swisscom has downplayed a data breach affecting around 800,000 customers, but security experts warn of potential long-term risks Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

CW Benelux: Dutch IT expert on a mission to expose vulnerabilities

Dutch ethical hacker Victor Gevers took full-time leave from his IT job last year and used the time to hunt for vulnerabilities. Read about his mission to find vulnerabilities, report them responsibly and then, hopefully, get them fixed by the vulnerable parties involved. Also in this issue, read how Proximus, Belgium’s largest telecommunications operator, is leaning on Cloudify to support its adoption of network functions virtualisation, and how journalists showed that the email addresses of Dutch politicians are easy to spoof. Continue Reading

Data breaches set to affect future sales

The failure to protect customer data is set to create long-term business problems for organisations in Europe and the US, a survey reveals Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Mobile biometrics set to be game-changer in APAC

Telcos, financial institutions and other industry players risk losing market share if they do not keep up with the demand for security, convenience and mobility Continue Reading

By

• Lareinna Roxanne Lee and Quah Mei Lee

UK government orders review of online laws

The UK Law Commission is to review current legislation on offensive online communications to ensure they are up to date with technology Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Security Editor

Most NHS trusts have failed their cyber security assessments, NHS Digital admits

NHS Digital deputy CEO Rob Shaw told Public Accounts Committee all 200 trusts assessed for cyber security, both before and after the WannaCry attack, have failed their assessments Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

UK leads international crackdown on Luminosity spyware

Law enforcement agencies shut down international support network for a hacking tool that allowed cyber criminals to gain remote control of victims’ computers Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Security Think Tank: Take care of security basics before automating

How can organisations evolve their security operations teams to do more automation of basic tasks and cope with dynamic IT environments? Continue Reading

By

• Greg Temm

Lauri Love plans to use ‘internet as a force for good’

Engineering student Lauri Love says he plans to help businesses fight cyber crime, after the court of appeal ruled that he can be tried in the UK for allegedly hacking US computer systems, rather than face extradition to the US Continue Reading

By

• Julia Gregory and Niels Ladefoged

3, 2, 1, GDPR: How to be prepared on 25 May

There are seven key areas organisations should review to ensure compliance with the General Data Protection Regulation, and even though the deadline is less than four months away, it is still not too late to start Continue Reading

By

• Omer Tene, IAPP

NCSC shows how first year affected cyber attacks on the UK

Initiatives by the UK’s National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) have detected and prevented millions of online commodity attacks, the agency’s first annual report shows Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Appeals court rules Lauri Love will not be extradited over US hacking charges

The lord chief justice, Lord Burnett, says 33-year-old engineering student Lauri Love will not be extradited to the US to face hacking charges, in a landmark legal decision, and the Crown Prosecution Service should bring proceedings against Love in the UK Continue Reading

By

• Bill Goodwin & Julia Gregory

Government backs national cyber policy and strategy competition

London is to host a national cyber policy and strategy competition, which has the backing of government, industry and academia Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Security Think Tank: Approaches to strengthening security operations

How can organisations evolve their security operations teams to do more automation of basic tasks and cope with dynamic IT environments? Continue Reading

By

• Rory Alsop

Appeal Court to give landmark verdict on Lauri Love extradition

The Appeal Court will decide whether Lauri Love, who has serious health issues, should be extradited to the US to face hacking charges, or face trial in the UK. The landmark case is the first test of legal protections introduced by Theresa May to protect vulnerable people Continue Reading

By

• Bill Goodwin, Computer Weekly

CIO interview: Aaron Powell, CDO, NHS Blood and Transplant

NHS Blood and Transplant chief digital officer Aaron Powell explains why pushing a digital transformation agenda has a real impact on people’s lives Continue Reading

By

• Mark Samuels

Europe’s shameful role in spy-tech exports that led to torture and jail

Governments in Europe actively assisted in government oppression in Iran, Bahrain and Russia by providing states with sophisticated surveillance equipment. The European Parliament is pressing for changes in the law to restrict exports of spy-technology to countries with poor human rights records Continue Reading

By

• Marietje Schaake, European Parliament

ASEAN nations among worst hit by cryptocurrency-mining operation

Thailand, Vietnam and Indonesia recorded high download numbers for the XMRig software that was surreptitiously slipped into user devices to mine Monero Continue Reading

By

• Aaron Tan, TechTarget

Security Think Tank: Automating basic security tasks

How can organisations evolve their security operations teams to do more automation of basic tasks and cope with dynamic IT environments? Continue Reading

By

• Petra Wenham

Privacy lessons from the fitness fiasco

Most of us already recognise that technology has the potential to wipe out our privacy, if checks and balances are not in place – or at least I hope we do! What’s scary then in the recent hoo-hah ... Continue Reading

By

• Bryan Betts, Freeform Dynamics

Dutch companies not ready for GDPR despite approaching deadline

Organisations in the Netherlands are racing towards General Data Protection Regulation compliance, but there is still much to be done Continue Reading

By

• Tijs Hofmans

Facebook reports $15.9bn profit after ‘hard’ year

Facebook has reported a strong fourth quarter and a strong year with quarterly profit up 20% and annual profit up 56%, but chief Mark Zuckerberg admits it has been a challenging 12 months Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Security Editor

Many businesses still using outdated security, says Troy Hunt

Too many businesses are using out-of-date approaches to security, a world-renowned cyber security author and trainer warns Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Security Editor

Security Think Tank: Don’t automatically automate security

How can organisations evolve their security operations teams to do more automation of basic tasks and cope with dynamic IT environments? Continue Reading

By

• Simon Persin, Turnkey Consulting

UK finance sector cyber security pros admit shocking practices

UK financial sector IT security teams face immense challenges that are undermining business opportunities and continuity in financial services, a survey reveals Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Security Editor

Navigating ASEAN’s patchy cyber security landscape

Cyber resilience remains low across Southeast Asia, a regional economic powerhouse that is increasingly susceptible to cyber threats as its digital economy grows Continue Reading

By

• Aaron Tan, TechTarget

Data breach disclosure law will lift Australia’s cyber security game

New rules underscore Australia’s recent efforts to tackle cyber security challenges on the local and international stage Continue Reading

By

• Stuart Kennedy

Cyber security salaries will rise 7% in 2018, says research

Salaries for increasingly popular technology roles such as cyber security are set to rise over the next year Continue Reading

By

• Clare McDonald, Business Editor

Government surveillance regime unlawful, court rules in Tom Watson case

Appeal court ruled in favour of Labour MP Tom Watson in a legal battle with the government over the UK’s surveillance laws, leading to calls to rethink controversial Investigatory Powers Act Continue Reading

By

• Bill Goodwin, Computer Weekly

IT Priorities 2018: Data protection a top priority ahead of GDPR

Data protection continues to be a key focus for IT security investment for European firms in 2018, as does the emphasis on cloud and mobile security as companies move to these technology platforms Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Security Editor

Most online retail sites put customers at risk of phishing

Most top online retail sites fail to protect consumers from phishing attacks, a study has revealed Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Security Editor

Security Think Tank: Humans and AI machines in harmony

How can organisations evolve their security operations teams to do more automation of basic tasks and cope with dynamic IT environments? Continue Reading

By

• Piers Wilson, IISP

Millennials set to disrupt authentication, shows IBM study

Young adults are lax on passwords, but are more comfortable than older generations with biometric and multifactor authentication, an IBM study shows Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Security Editor

GDPR’s latest gift? Class action privacy cases

Europeans will in future be able to bring US-style class actions for (alleged) privacy violations, instead of having to sue individually and expensively. It’s thanks to a little-known clause of the ... Continue Reading

By

• Bryan Betts, Freeform Dynamics

NGO to fight for GDPR rights set to launch

A new breed of NGO aimed at helping EU citizens fight for privacy rights under the GDPR is set to launch after achieving the minimum funding required Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Security Editor

Business cyber crime up 63%, UK stats show  

Despite an overall decrease in fraud and computer misuse in 2017, the latest Office for National Statistics (ONS) reports show that incidents involving computer misuse and malware against business are way up Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Security Editor

How blockchain can secure the IoT

By doing away with a central authority in internet of things (IoT) networks, blockchain technology can reduce the risk of IoT devices being compromised by a single point of security failure Continue Reading

By

• Aaron Tan, TechTarget

ICO launches data protection excellence award

UK’s privacy watchdog launches data protection excellence award to mark international Data Protection Day, as security suppliers issue data protection tips and guidelines Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Security Editor

UK likely to remain strategic EU data protection partner

Head of European Union’s independent data protection authority says UK is likely to remain a strategic partner in data protection after Brexit Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Security Editor

Ransomware was most popular cyber crime tool in 2017

Detections of ransomware increased by more than 90% last year compared with 2016 Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Security Editor

Security spending not on most-effective controls, report reveals

While planned spending on IT security is up globally, so too are data breaches, with evidence mounting that hackers are hitting the bottom line, a global security survey reveals Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Security Editor

Most UK organisations unaware of new data protection laws

The UK’s digital and culture secretary is urging businesses and charities to prepare for stronger data protection laws in the light of new information Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Security Editor

GDPR worries hit cloud storage investments, says survey

NetApp-sponsored survey finds lack of customer confidence in cloud service providers’ retention of GDPR-affected data has led organisations to rethink and scale back cloud investments Continue Reading

By

• Antony Adshead, Storage Editor

AI is moving towards acceptance in cyber security, says Check Point

Artificial intelligence is well on its way to being a useful tool in the cyber security professional’s kit, but according to Check Point, there are still big challenges to overcome Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Sweden puts government IT outsourcing under increased scrutiny

Government introduces rules to tighten security in IT outsourcing deals following a very public data leak last year Continue Reading

By

• Eeva Haaramo

Two-thirds of startups ill-prepared for GDPR

While most startups collect personal data, a survey reveals that many are not very well prepared for compliance with the EU’s forthcoming data protection regulation Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Security Editor

NHS organisations to get cyber security alerts service

As part of a deal between NHS Digital and Microsoft, NHS organisations will be able to get a threat detection service, alerting them to any cyber security issues Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

Dark web Dream Market drives cyber fraud industry

An international operation shut down the AlphaBay and Hansa marketplaces in July 2017, but new ones have sprung up on the dark web, with one in particular helping to drive cyber fraud Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Security Editor

Thousands of critical systems affected by serious security flaws

Multiple and serious vulnerabilities have been found in a software management system widely used in corporate and industrial control environments, researchers warn Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Security Editor

Facebook offers funding to secure the internet

Facebook has announced that it is offering funding for research into ways of improving internet security Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Security Editor

New controversies as Trump passes US Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act

The amended Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, which seeks to legitimise US surveillance on foreigners, has been signed off by president Trump Continue Reading

By

• Kevin Cahill

Interview: Kaspar Korjus, Estonian e-Residency lead

As the number of people signing up to become Estonian e-residents exceeds the country’s birth rate, Computer Weekly speaks to the man heading up the programme Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Uncontrolled cyber attacks on UK cyber defenders’ radar

Uncontrolled cyber attacks are just as much a threat as targeted attacks, according to the UK’s cyber defence agency, which continues to consider a major cyber attack imminent Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Security Editor

China’s Yitu eyes ASEAN market with facial recognition know-how

Facial recognition software specialist Yitu, which recently won a face identification accuracy contest in the US, has already nabbed regional clients such as Singapore’s Certis Cisco Continue Reading

By

• Aaron Tan, TechTarget

Will banking regulations create a new Big Bang?

In this week's Computer Weekly, we look at two important new financial services regulations, PSD2 and open banking, which promise to revolutionise the industry by opening up customer data. We ask security researchers to explain the Spectre and Meltdown processor flaws and how to tackle them. And we examine the NVMe protocol and its likely benefits for storage technologies. Read the issue now. Continue Reading

GDPR: Not too late to ensure real risks will be addressed

With just four months to go before the General Data Protection Regulation compliance deadline, there is a growing anxiety in many parts of the regulated community that their GDPR plans may not be fit for purpose Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Security Editor

Almost a quarter of London businesses unaware of GDPR

Nearly one in four London businesses unaware of new data protection regulation, a survey has revealed, with just months before the compliance deadline Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Security Editor

Norwegian healthcare breach alert failed GDPR requirements

Norwegian healthcare authorities failed General Data Protection Regulation requirements for notifying those affected by a personal data breach by waiting a week before disclosing a breach discovered on 8 January 2018 Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Security Editor

Judge will take time to seek answers from EU court over Max Schrems Facebook privacy fight

The Irish High Court will take time to decide what questions to put before the European Court of Justice in a case with significant implications for EU and US trade and the privacy of EU citizens Continue Reading

By

• Bill Goodwin, Computer Weekly

European Parliament votes to restrict exports of surveillance equipment

European Parliament votes to tighten export controls to restrict supply of surveillance and encryption technology to states with poor human rights records amid fears British companies may not have to comply after Brexit Continue Reading

By

• Bill Goodwin, Computer Weekly

Cyber attackers exploiting trust in FTP servers

Some cyber attackers are exploiting trust in FTP servers to distribute malware, security researchers warn Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Security Editor

The rights and wrongs about GDPR compliance

We explore some common myths surrounding the forthcoming General Data Protection Regulation Continue Reading

By

• Jimmy Desai

Create security culture to boost cyber defences, says Troy Hunt

Security suffers when there is tension between software developers and security professionals, but it is common in many organisations, says world-renowned security blogger and trainer Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Cyber attackers upped their game in 2017, warns report

Cyber attackers ranging from criminals to nation states have upped their game in the past year, “moving the needle” in terms of tactics, techniques and procedures, a report by a cyber security firm warns Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Business needs to reduce cyber threat to payment card data

Cardholder data is a prime target for cyber criminals, and that is only likely to increase in the coming year, according to a cloud-based secure payments firm Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

North Korean hackers tied to cryptocurrency attacks in South Korea

North Korea's Lazarus Group targeted South Korean cryptocurrency exchanges and users in late 2017, but may soon go after exchanges and users in other countries, warns report Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Davos: Disintegration of the internet could create economic turmoil

Politicians and business leaders will discuss the risks posed by fake news, cyber attacks, and artificial intelligence to jobs, political stability and global security, at the World Economic Forum in Davos Continue Reading

By

• Bill Goodwin, Computer Weekly

Vulnerability exploit report shows importance of patching

Latest vulnerability exploit report by security firm AlienVault shows the most popular vulnerabilities remain exploited for several years Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

LeakedSource operator could face up to 10 years in jail

Canadian man accused of selling stolen identities and passwords on website Continue Reading

By

• Zach Emmanuel, Computer Weekly

Sweden pilots surveillance technology to combat terrorism and crime

The Swedish police and security agencies are trialling surveillance equipment to help them respond to terrorism and crime more quickly Continue Reading

By

• Gerard O'Dwyer

Skygofree Android spyware active since 2014, say researchers

Powerful, highly advanced spyware has been targeting Android mobiles for the past four years, security researchers have discovered Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

How to fix the Meltdown and Spectre chip flaws

In this week’s Computer Weekly, as CIOs come to terms with the Meltdown and Spectre processor flaws that make every computer a security risk, we examine how to protect your IT estate. We find out how Alexa-style voice recognition smart speakers can help with CRM strategies and open up new sources of customer data. And we look at how the public sector is implementing DevOps and the benefits being delivered. Read the issue now. Continue Reading

London cyber security careers fair highlights opportunities

A cyber security careers fair in London on 17 January 2018 is aimed at anyone thinking of a career in the field, including experienced professionals and students Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Ohio computer programmer faces 16 criminal charges over monitoring thousands of computers

A 28-year-old computer expert has been charged for monitoring thousands of computers, using a form of malware he created Continue Reading

By

• Zach Emmanuel, Computer Weekly

Call for statutory regulation of police number plate cameras amid concerns over accuracy

The UK’s automatic number plate recognition database – one the largest non-military data-gathering systems – records up to 1.2 million false readings of number plates every day. It should be subject to statutory regulation, says an independent watchdog Continue Reading

By

• Bill Goodwin, Computer Weekly

Check Point finds AdultSwine malware in Google Play apps

Security researchers have discovered new malware code hidden in game apps, mainly aimed at youngsters Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Intel makes security-first pledge

As it scrambles to deal with the Meltdown and Spectre processor exploits, Intel has made a series of security commitments Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

F-Secure highlights another critical Intel security issue

As Intel scrambles to issue security updates to address the Meltdown and Spectre exploits, researchers have highlighted another, unrelated, critical security issue that could affect millions of corporate laptops Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst