Security policy and user awareness

Adventures in AI at Tripadvisor

In this week’s Computer Weekly, we find out how travel site Tripadvisor is embracing AI to offer new products and services to its users. Gartner says the chance of a successful digital project is like ‘flipping a coin’ – we went to its annual IT leadership symposium to ask why. And we examine what companies must do to comply with the EU’s new NIS2 cyber security rules. Read the issue now. Continue Reading

AWS widening scope of MFA programme after early success

AWS reports strong take-up of multi-factor authentication among customers since making it compulsory for root users earlier this year, and plans to expand the scope of its IAM programme in spring 2025 Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

UK consumers losing more than ever to holiday scams

Last Christmas, UK consumers lost over £11m to cyber criminals. This year, to save them from tears, the NCSC and Action Fraud are teaming up to launch an anti-fraud campaign Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

CW APAC – Trend Watch: Modernising security operations

Organisations everywhere know the risks of cyber security complacency. In this handbook, focused on modernising security operations in the Asia-Pacific region, Computer Weekly looks at how Australia is bolstering its defences, Splunk and Cisco’s integration, and Palo Alto Networks’ ‘precision AI’. Continue Reading

Williams Racing F1 team supports kids cyber campaign

A multi-region campaign will teach pre-teen children cyber security basics – with a little help from Formula 1 star Alex Albon Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Ping CEO on ForgeRock integration and future of identity

Ping Identity CEO Andre Durand discusses the company’s unified roadmap, commitment to customer stability and growth plans in the evolving identity landscape following the merger with ForgeRock Continue Reading

By

• Aaron Tan, TechTarget

Microsoft fixes 89 CVEs on penultimate Patch Tuesday of 2024

High-profile vulns in NTLM, Windows Task Scheduler, Active Directory Certificate Services and Microsoft Exchange Server should be prioritised from November’s Patch Tuesday update Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Zero-day exploits increasingly sought out by attackers

Threat actors increasingly favour zero-day exploits to attack their victims before patches become available, according to the NCSC and CISA, which have just published a list of the most widely used vulnerabilities of 2023 Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Strengthening cyber: Best IAM practices to combat threats

The Security Think Tank considers best practices in identity and access management and how can they be deployed to enable IT departments to combat cyber-attacks, phishing attacks and ransomware Continue Reading

By

• Andrew Peel, Scott Swalling, PA Consulting

What are the security risks of bring your own AI?

The rise of generative AI has led to a plethora of publicly accessible artificial intelligence tools, but what are the risks when external AI tools are used with corporate data? Continue Reading

By

• Peter Ray Allison

Google Cloud MFA enforcement meets with approval

Latest Google Cloud policy to enforce multifactor authentication across its user base is welcomed by security professionals Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

AI a force multiplier for the bad guys, say cyber pros

CIISec’s annual report on the security profession finds evidence of growing concern that artificial intelligence will ultimately prove more useful to threat actors than defenders Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

User-centric security should be core to cloud IAM practice

The Security Think Tank considers best practices in identity and access management and how can they be deployed to enable IT departments to combat cyber-attacks, phishing attacks and ransomware Continue Reading

By

• Mike Gillespie

CISA looks to global collaboration as fraught US election begins

The US' CISA cyber agency has unveiled a two-year International Strategic Plan to advance collaboration and improve resilience against shared risks and threats Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

EMEA businesses siphoning budgets to hit NIS2 goals

With NIS2 now in effect, European business leaders are having to divert budget from elsewhere to achieve compliance Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Russian Linux kernel maintainers blocked

To ensure compliance, the Linux kernel will no longer allow Russian software developers to work on maintaining the codebase Continue Reading

By

• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor

UK launches cyber guidance package for tech startups

The NCSC and NPSA, alongside agencies from the Five Eyes alliance, have issued guidance for startups on how to secure themselves against common cyber threats and targeted industrial espionage Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Dutch critical infrastructure at risk despite high leadership confidence

Stark paradox in Dutch cyber security landscape has business leaders expressing high confidence in their IT infrastructure as cyber attacks rise Continue Reading

By

• Kim Loohuis

Danish government reboots cyber security council amid AI expansion

Denmark’s government relaunches digital security initiative to protect business sectors and society at large Continue Reading

By

• Gerard O'Dwyer

Can AI be secure? Experts discuss emerging threats and AI safety

International cyber security experts call for global cooperation and proactive strategies to address the security challenges posed by artificial intelligence Continue Reading

By

• Aaron Tan, TechTarget

EU cyber security bill NIS2 hits compliance deadline

The EU’s NIS2 bill will harmonise how companies and member states approach cyber security, but its success will depend on how well it is implemented and enforced Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

NCSC expands school cyber service to academies and private schools

The National Cyber Security Centre is expanding its PDNS for Schools service to encompass a wider variety of institutions up and down the UK Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Reinventing security operations for the modern threat landscape

The growing pace of digital transformation has opened new avenues for attackers, making traditional security measures obsolete. Organisations must modernise their security operations to fortify their defences and navigate the evolving threat landscape Continue Reading

By

• Aaron Tan, TechTarget

Robust cloud IAM should align to zero-trust principles

The Security Think Tank considers best practices in identity and access management and how can they be deployed to enable IT departments to combat cyber-attacks, phishing attacks and ransomware. Continue Reading

By

• Ricky Simpson, Quorum Cyber

NCSC issues fresh alert over wave of Cozy Bear activity

The NCSC, FBI and NSA publish updated warning about Cozy Bear’s activities, highlighting a range of vulnerabilities the threat actor is using to set up its cyber attacks Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Government launches cyber standard for local authorities

Local government bodies are being invited to take advantage of a new NCSC-derived Cyber Assessment Framework to help enhance their resilience and ward off cyber attacks Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

MoneyGram customer data breached in attack

MoneyGram confirms that customer data has been stolen in an incident that appears to have started with a social engineering attack on its IT helpdesk staff Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Five zero-days to be fixed on October Patch Tuesday

Stand-out vulnerabilities in Microsoft’s latest Patch Tuesday drop include problems in Microsoft Management Console and the Windows MSHTML Platform Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

What is OPSEC (operations security)?

OPSEC (operations security) is an analytical process that military, law enforcement, government and private organizations use to prevent sensitive or proprietary information from being accessed inappropriately. Continue Reading

By

• Robert Sheldon
• Linda Rosencrance
• Ben Cole, Executive Editor

UK Cyber Team seeks future security professionals

Young people from across the UK have a chance to represent the country in international competitions and advance their future careers in cyber security Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Secureworks: Ransomware takedowns didn’t put off cyber criminals

The number of active cyber criminal ransomware gangs has surged by almost a third in the space of 12 months, according to the latest intelligence from Secureworks Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

NCSC celebrates eight years as Horne blows in

Outgoing NCSC interim leader Felicity Oswald shares her thoughts on the body’s work over the past eight years as she hands over the reins to incoming CEO Richard Horne Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Microsoft files lawsuit to seize domains used by Russian spooks

Microsoft has been given permission to seize multiple domains used by the Russian state threat actor Star Blizzard as part of a coordinated disruption effort undertaken ahead of the US elections Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Rise of the cyber clones: When seeing isn’t believing

It is frighteningly easy to clone someone else's identity using readily-available artificial intelligence tools Continue Reading

By

• Jake Moore, ESET

UK and Singapore to collaborate on supporting ransomware victims

At the fourth Counter Ransomware Initiative Summit in the US, both the UK and Singapore have committed to working on new guidance designed to better support victims and undermine cyber criminal business models Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Cyber UK’s quickest growing tech field, but skills gap remains

More people than ever are joining the cyber security profession in the UK, according to a report, but there is still a serious shortage even with a doubling in numbers Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Unmasked: The Evil Corp cyber gangster who worked for LockBit

The NCA has named and shamed a prominent member of the Evil Corp cyber crime collective who also worked as an affiliate of the LockBit ransomware gang as the UK unveils new sanctions against 16 Russian cyber criminals Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Cyber teams say they can’t keep up with attack volumes

Over 60% of European security pros say their teams are understaffed, and over 50% don’t have enough budget, according to data from ISACA Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

UK on high alert over Iranian spear phishing attacks, says NCSC

The NCSC and counterpart agencies in the US have issued a warning over enhanced Iranian spear phishing activity targeting politicians, journalists, activists and others with an interest in Middle Eastern affairs Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Defaulting to open: Decoding the (very public) CrowdStrike event

The Computer Weekly Security Think Tank panel considers incident response in the wake of the July CrowdStrike incident, sharing their views on what CrowdStrike got wrong, what it did right, and next steps Continue Reading

By

• Elliott Wilkes, ACDS

Cyber companies need a best practice approach to major incidents.

The Computer Weekly Security Think Tank panel considers incident response in the wake of the July CrowdStrike incident, sharing their views on what CrowdStrike got wrong, what it did right, and next steps Continue Reading

By

• Andy Bridden and Ashley Barker, PA Consulting

Closing the curtain on cyber security theatre

Leaders must redefine expectations, rethink responsibility and eliminate unproductive practices to move towards real security, says Gartner vice-president analyst Richard Addiscott Continue Reading

By

• Richard Addiscott

Racist Network Rail Wi-Fi hack was work of malicious insider

Police have revealed that this week’s racist cyber attack on public Wi-Fi networks at stations across the UK appears to have been the work of a malicious insider, after arresting an employee of one of the service providers Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Unique malware sample volumes seen surging

BlackBerry’s latest ‘Global threat intelligence’ report details a surge in unique malware samples as threat actors ramp up the pace of targeted attacks Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

How to respond when your cyber company becomes the story

The Computer Weekly Security Think Tank panel considers incident response in the wake of the July CrowdStrike incident, sharing their views on what CrowdStrike got wrong, what it did right, and next steps Continue Reading

By

• Stephen McDermid

Microsoft shares progress on Secure Future Initiative

Microsoft has published a progress report on its Secure Future Initiative, launched last year in the wake of multiple security incidents, and made a series of commitments to improve its internal cyber culture Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Security Think Tank: Win back lost trust by working smarter

The Computer Weekly Security Think Tank panel considers incident response in the wake of the July CrowdStrike incident, sharing their views on what CrowdStrike got wrong, what it did right, and next steps Continue Reading

By

• Vladimir Jirasek, Foresight Cyber

Gartner: Mitigating security threats in AI agents

Agents represent a step-change in the use of artificial intelligence in the enterprise - as attendees at Salesforce's annual conference saw first hand this month - but do not come without their risks Continue Reading

By

• Avivah Litan, Gartner

CrowdStrike incident shows we need to rethink cyber

The Computer Weekly Security Think Tank panel considers incident response in the wake of the July CrowdStrike incident, sharing their views on what CrowdStrike got wrong, what it did right, and next steps Continue Reading

By

• Mike Gillespie

NCSC exposes Chinese company running malicious Mirai botnet

The NCSC and its Five Eyes allies have published details of the activities of a China-based cyber security company that is operating a Mirai IoT botnet in the service of government-backed intrusions Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

What is email spam and how to fight it?

Email spam, also known as 'junk email,' refers to unsolicited email messages, usually sent in bulk to a large list of recipients. Humans send spam, but more often, botnets are responsible for sending it. Continue Reading

By

• Paul Kirvan
• Rahul Awati
• Taina Teravainen

Cyber workforce must almost double to meet global talent need

Research from ISC2 finds global cyber workforce needs additional 4.8 million people to fully secure businesses Continue Reading

By

• Clare McDonald, Business Editor

How Sonar is elevating code quality in the age of AI

Sonar’s code quality platform helps developers maintain secure, high-quality code amid the rise of artificial intelligence-based coding assistants, now expanding into the Asian market Continue Reading

By

• Aaron Tan, TechTarget

ICO and NCA sign MoU to provide joint support for cyber crime victims

UK data protection watchdog joins forces with law enforcement agency to provide more support for organisations that fall victim to cyber crime and ransomware attacks Continue Reading

By

• Caroline Donnelly, Senior Editor, UK

JFrog and GitHub unveil open source security integrations

Secure software specialist JFrog is working with code development service GitHub to integrate the onboard capabilities of its Software Supply Chain Platform service into GitHub’s platform Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

NCSC and allies call out Russia's Unit 29155 over cyber warfare

The NCSC and counterpart agencies from the US and other countries have exposed a long-running campaign of Russian cyber espionage and warfare conducted by GRU Unit 29155 Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Fog ransomware crew evolving into wide-ranging threat

The emergent Fog ransomware gang appears to be changing up its victimology in search of more cash-rich victims Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Resetting our relationship with data

We need to have an open and honest debate about data, data collection and, just as important, the timely disposal of the information when it is no longer needed.While there are many good reasons ... Continue Reading

By

• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor

Canadian arrested by France after cooperating with US on Sky ECC cryptophone investigation

Thomas Herdman, who faces charges in France over his involvement in distributing Sky ECC encrypted phones, was arrested by French police despite agreeing to cooperate with US law enforcement Continue Reading

By

• Bill Goodwin & Morgan Ayre

Fraud and scam complaints hit highest ever level in UK

The Financial Ombudsman Service says it recorded almost 9,000 complaints about fraud and scams from April to June, the most ever recorded Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Cyber firms need to centre their own resilience

The Computer Weekly Security Think Tank panel considers incident response in the wake of the July CrowdStrike incident, sharing their views on what CrowdStrike got wrong, what it did right, and next steps Continue Reading

By

• Niel Harper

Check Point secured for annual Security Serious cyber awards

The annual Security Serious Unsung Heroes awards, recognising the champions of the UK cyber security industry, are back once again, with a new headline sponsor joining the party Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Iranian APT caught acting as access broker for ransomware crews

Members of Iran-backed Pioneer Kitten APT appear to be trying to supplement their pay packets by helping Russian-speaking ransomware gangs to access their victims in exchange for a cut of the profits Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Cyber law reform should be top of Labour's policy list

With Labour returning to 10 Downing Street after 14 years, the Computer Weekly Security Think Tank panellists share advice and wish lists for the new government Continue Reading

By

• Craig Watt

A coherent Labour cyber strategy depends on consistency

With Labour returning to 10 Downing Street after 14 years, the Computer Weekly Security Think Tank panellists share advice and wish lists for the new government Continue Reading

By

• Aled Lloyd Owen

Iranian APT Peach Sandstorm teases new Tickler malware

Peach Sandstorm, an Iranian state threat actor, has developed a dangerous new malware strain that forms a key element of a rapidly evolving attack sequence Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Global cyber spend to rise 15% in 2025, pushed along by AI

Security spending will increase at pace in 2025, with artificial intelligence, cloud and consultancy services all pushing outlay to new highs, according to Gartner Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Extending zero-trust principles to endpoints

By combining zero-trust principles with other security strategies and continuously monitoring and improving their security posture, organisations can effectively mitigate risks and protect their resources, says Gartner's Nikul Patel Continue Reading

By

• Nikul Patel

The US courts may have thrown a wrench into cyber regulation

A recent decision by the US Supreme Court to overrule the longstanding Chevron Deference has serious implications for global cyber security regulation Continue Reading

By

• Brian Arnold

Public education on security must be a top priority for Labour

With Labour returning to 10 Downing Street after 14 years, the Computer Weekly Security Think Tank panellists share advice and wish lists for the new government Continue Reading

By

• Petra Wenham

New Qilin tactics a ‘bonus multiplier’ for ransomware chaos

Sophos X-Ops caught the Qilin ransomware gang stealing credentials stored by victims' employees in Google Chrome, heralding further cyber attacks and breaches down the line. Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Pakistani national arrested over Southport ‘cyber terrorism’

Authorities in Pakistan have arrested a man on suspicion of cyber terrorism over his role in the spread of online misinformation in the wake of the Southport knife attack Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

From manifesto to material: What No. 10 needs to make reality

With Labour returning to 10 Downing Street after 14 years, the Computer Weekly Security Think Tank panellists share advice and wish lists for the new government Continue Reading

By

• Paul Lewis, Nominet

Phishing links becoming bigger threat than email attachments

Phishing techniques are evolving away from malicious email attachments, according to a report Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Challenges of deploying PQC globally

Quantum computers will eventually be powerful and reliable enough to crack strong encryption. PQC is the answer, but it could take years to deploy Continue Reading

By

• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor

How might the UK's cyber landscape change under Labour?

With Labour returning to 10 Downing Street after 14 years, the Computer Weekly Security Think Tank panellists share advice and wish lists for the new government Continue Reading

By

• Dhairya Mehta and Cate Pye

Thousands of NetSuite customers accidentally exposing their data

Misconfigured permissions across live websites are leaving thousands of NetSuite users open to having their valuable customer data stolen, researchers say Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Google's cookie conundrum: What comes next?

Google's revised approach to third-party cookies shouldn't come as a surprise, and may also be welcome Continue Reading

By

• Christian Ward

With the right tools and strategy, public cloud should be safe to use

Despite the complexity and evolving nature of threats, with the right strategy, tools, and constant vigilance, businesses can safely and securely leverage public cloud services Continue Reading

By

• Jason Lau

August Patch Tuesday proves busy with six zero-days to fix

Microsoft patches six actively exploited zero-days among over 100 issues during its regular monthly update Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Labour's first cyber priority must be the NHS

With Labour returning to 10 Downing Street after 14 years, the Computer Weekly Security Think Tank panellists share advice and wish lists for the new government Continue Reading

By

• Adam Button

Cyberfirst needs more than a change of gear

Instead of establishing a new organisation, Cyberfirst should be restructured to work locally and nationally through the Cyber Security Council and existing mainstream on-line safety, safeguarding ... Continue Reading

By

• Philip Virgo, Winsafe Ltd

Deep dive into quantum-resistant cryptography for email security

Quantum computers have the potential to crack many of the encryption methods we currently rely on to keep our digital communications safe. Quantum-resistant cryptography may be the answer Continue Reading

By

• Isla Sibanda

Royal ransomware crew puts on a BlackSuit in rebrand

The Royal ransomware gang is back, with a new name and refreshed capabilities, including an apparently unique ‘partial encryption’ gambit, according to CISA Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

US lawmakers seek to brand ransomware gangs as terrorists

Proposals from legislators in Washington DC could shake up the global ransomware ecosystem and give law enforcement sweeping new powers Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Cyber security adoption is vital to Scotland’s space race

Scotland has a golden opportunity to capitalise on space technology to make itself a global leader, but to maximise its potential in the new space race, more attention must be paid to cyber security risk Continue Reading

By

• David Ferguson

Advanced faces fine over LockBit attack that crippled NHS 111

Advanced Software faces a multimillion pound fine for a series of failings which directly led to a 2022 LockBit ransomware attack that disrupted NHS and social care services across the UK Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

2024 seeing more CVEs than ever before, but few are weaponised

The number of disclosed CVEs soared by 30% in the first seven-and-a-half months of the year, but a tiny fraction of these have been exploited by threat actors, a reminder of the importance of focused security strategies Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Chinese cyber attack sparks alert over six-year-old MS vuln

After a proof-of-concept for a six-year-old Microsoft vulnerability emerged in a Chinese APT attack chain, defenders should be on the look-out for exploitation of CVE-2018-0824 Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

World’s largest companies at near-universal risk of supply chain breach

Data from SecurityScorecard once again focuses on the interconnected nature of business supply chains and the risk posed to operational resilience by unexpected IT problems and cyber threats Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Russia’s luxury car phish continues to prove effective

Government organisations and other bodies operating in Ukraine continue to be targeted by a relatively unsophisticated phishing campaign that has proven so effective for Russia’s cyber spooks that there are now multiple agencies involved Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Cyber lessons, and priorities for the UK's new government

With Labour returning to 10 Downing Street after 14 years, the Computer Weekly Security Think Tank panellists share advice and wish lists for the new government Continue Reading

By

• Ameet Jugnauth and Mark Pearce

Labour should focus on talent to improve UK's cyber posture

With Labour returning to 10 Downing Street after 14 years, the Computer Weekly Security Think Tank panellists share advice and wish lists for the new government Continue Reading

By

• Elliott Wilkes

Police hunt scammers after takedown of Russian Coms fraud platform

The National Crime Agency has arrested four people after taking down a phone number spoofing platform used by criminals to defraud hundreds of thousands of people in the UK with more arrests to follow Continue Reading

By

• Bill Goodwin, Computer Weekly

Is it time to refresh the UK's cyber strategy?

With Labour returning to 10 Downing Street after 14 years, the Computer Weekly Security Think Tank panellists share advice and wish lists for the new government Continue Reading

By

• Jon Carpenter

Banks, telcos call for more data sharing to fight fraud

A Which?-led coalition of banks and telecoms operators is calling on the UK's new government to take the lead on enabling data sharing to help fight digital fraud Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

When critical cyber response becomes second nature

When alerts and headlines blare out warnings of critical vulnerabilities in widely-used software, the cyber security community needs to adopt a more decisive and clear-cut approach, says Huntress' Chris Henderson Continue Reading

By

• Chris Henderson, Huntress

Campaigners call for evidence to reform UK cyber laws

The CyberUp Campaign for reform of the 1990 Computer Misuse Act launches an industry survey inviting cyber experts to share their views on how the outdated law hinders legitimate work Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

What is cyber attribution?

Cyber attribution is the process of tracking and identifying the perpetrator of a cyberattack or other cyber operation. Continue Reading

By

• Robert Sheldon

CISO mentoring – who to turn to when the worst happens

Those who get the role of a CISO may have overcome some professional hurdles, but are they ready to face what comes as part of the job? And who do they ask for advice? We look at the mentoring dilemma Continue Reading

By

• Dan Raywood