Security policy and user awareness

Black Basta ransomware crew aiming for ‘big leagues’

Emergent Black Basta ransomware gang has hit more than 50 countries since bursting onto the scene earlier this year, says Cybereason Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

US cyber agency in fresh warning over Log4Shell risk to VMware

Many VMware Horizon and UAG servers remain defenceless against Log4Shell, and organisations continue to fall victim to the vulnerability Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Assessment and knowledge: Your key tools to secure suppliers

There is no silver bullet that will resolve all the issues arising from today’s interconnected businesses and complex supply chains, but there are some key tools at your disposal Continue Reading

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• Andrew Morris, Turnkey Consulting

Developers grapple with open source software security

Software developers are taking longer to fix vulnerabilities and many do not know about the dependencies of open source software components they are using, study finds Continue Reading

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• Aaron Tan, TechTarget

Finding the balance between innovation and data security in healthcare

As the government launches its data strategy for health and social care, a fine line must be trodden between innovating through privacy-enhancing technologies, and retaining data security for patients Continue Reading

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• Kevin Curran, IEEE

What the world can learn from Saudi Arabia’s fight against industrial control system attacks

Iran learned from attacks on its infrastructure and unleashed similar malware on Saudi Arabia. The world has now gained valuable lessons from the Saudi response Continue Reading

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• Pat Brans, Pat Brans Associates/Grenoble Ecole de Management

How TDCX is building a people-centric business

Every digital tool deployed by the Singapore-based services firm is aimed at augmenting the performance and experience of its employees, says TDCX’s group CIO, Byron Fernandez Continue Reading

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• Aaron Tan, TechTarget

Security Think Tank: Balanced approach can detangle supply chain complexity

Achieving an appropriate balance between people, processes and technology can help to detangle the complexities of the supply chain and create better security practices Continue Reading

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• Francesca Williamson, Information Security Forum

Government won’t regulate on professional cyber standards

The government has elected not to proceed with regulatory intervention to embed standards and pathways across the cyber profession Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Microsoft Office 365 has ability to ‘spy’ on workers

Microsoft faces calls for ‘transparency’ over tools in Office 365 that allow employers to read staff emails and monitor their computer use at work Continue Reading

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• Bill Goodwin, Computer Weekly

Supply chain security goes deep – forget this at your peril

It may have hit the headlines as an IT issue, but supply chain security goes far deeper into an organisation than just technology Continue Reading

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• Mike Gillespie

Lords move to protect cyber researchers from prosecution

A cross-party group in the House of Lords has proposed an amendment to the Product Security and Telecommunications Infrastructure Bill that would address concerns about security researchers or ethical hackers being prosecuted in the course of their work Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Complex Russian cyber threat requires we go back to basics

The situation in Russia is anything but simple, but it is the fundamentals of cyber security hygiene that pose the best defence against the country’s digital threat, as Mandiant’s Jamie Collier explains Continue Reading

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• Matthew Staff

Aussie mobile users most vulnerable to security threats

Australia has the highest percentage of mobile app threats detected on a per-device basis, with iPhone users more likely to download a risky app than an Android user, study finds Continue Reading

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• Aaron Tan, TechTarget

What the EU’s content-filtering rules could mean for UK tech

EU proposals to clamp down on child sexual abuse material will have a material impact on the UK’s technology sector Continue Reading

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• Peter Ray Allison

Consider governance, coordination and risk to secure supply chain

A recent ISACA study found myriad factors that give good reason to be concerned about supply chain security. Cyber adviser Brian Fletcher recommends three areas to zero in on Continue Reading

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• Brian Fletcher

MoD sets out strategy to develop military AI with private sector

The UK Ministry of Defence has outlined its intention to work closely with the private sector to develop and deploy a range of artificial intelligence-powered technologies, committing to ‘lawful and ethical AI use’ Continue Reading

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• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

Office 365 loophole may give ransomware an easy shot at your files

Researchers at Proofpoint have discovered potentially dangerous Microsoft Office 365 functionality that they believe may give ransomware a clear shot at files stored on SharePoint and OneDrive Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Security Think Tank: Best practices for boosting supply chain security

In a highly connected world, managing the supply chain landscape requires an adaptation of the ‘traditional’ approach to managing cyber risk Continue Reading

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• Carl Nightingale

Interpol arrests thousands in global cyber fraud crackdown

A two-month operation saw law enforcement agencies in 76 countries crack down on organised cyber fraud Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Patch Tuesday dogged by concerns over Microsoft vulnerability response

The last Patch Tuesday in its current form is overshadowed by persistent concerns about how Microsoft deals with vulnerability disclosure Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Security Think Tank: Basic steps to secure your supply chain

When it comes to supply chain security, there are some core things you should be doing – but remember, the devil is in the detail Continue Reading

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• Petra Wenham

MS Azure Synapse vulnerability fixed after six-month slog

Microsoft patched a critical Azure Synapse vulnerability twice, but each time the researcher who discovered it was able to bypass it with ease, leading to a lengthy saga Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Government recommits to UK’s cyber future in Digital Strategy

New strategy leans heavily on cyber security but stops short of announcing any initiatives that have not already been launched or heavily trailed Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

New warning over tech suppliers in thrall to hostile governments

Ukraine war could lead to shakeup of dual-use tech exports, says former UK intelligence officer Continue Reading

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• Joe Fay

Qatar bolsters cyber security in preparation for World Cup

With hackers honing their cyber weapons to target the upcoming football World Cup, Qatar is busy developing countermeasures and raising awareness Continue Reading

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• Pat Brans, Pat Brans Associates/Grenoble Ecole de Management

Security Think Tank: Don’t trust the weakest link? Don’t trust any link

Your security model shouldn’t fall apart just because a part of your business, or a partner, has weak security. This is why information-centric security is a must Continue Reading

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• Tim Holman, 2-sec

Snake Keylogger climbing malware charts, says Check Point

Cyber criminals behind Snake Keylogger campaigns have been switching up their tactics in the past few weeks, say researchers Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

SolarWinds CEO offers to commit staffers to government cyber agencies

A new proposal from SolarWinds’ outspoken CEO, Sudhakar Ramakrishna, could see software companies commit key staff to work with government cyber agencies to improve cooperation and incident response Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Cyber researchers step in to fill Patch Tuesday’s shoes

Afraid you’ll miss Patch Tuesday when it’s gone? You’re not alone, but security analysts at Recorded Future are taking action to help the community come to terms with its loss Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

China using top consumer routers to hack Western comms networks

An advisory from US cyber authorities shares details of multiple vulnerabilities exploited by Chinese state actors to hack into Western telecoms networks Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

How has the UK response to ransomware worked?

Ransomware gangs begin with their own due diligence - to calculate how much the victim (or insurer) will pay before reporting. They are likely to move on and find a victim who will not report, ... Continue Reading

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• Philip Virgo, Winsafe Ltd

What does the EU’s NIS 2 cyber directive cover?

We run the rule over the European Union’s updated NIS2 security directive Continue Reading

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• Will Dixon

The importance of making information security more accessible

Robin Smith, CSO of Aston Martin Lagonda, talks about how an accessible approach to cyber is helping him to keep the organisation secure Continue Reading

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• Robin Smith, chief security officer, Aston Martin Lagonda

Researchers discover zero-day Microsoft vulnerability in Office

Malicious Word documents have been used to invoke a previously undisclosed vulnerability in Microsoft Office without user interaction through Windows utility functions Continue Reading

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• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

Attack of the clones: the rise of identity theft on social media

The proliferation of social media has resulted in the rise of identity theft on these platforms, with accounts copied for fraudulent or malicious purposes. What can be done to mitigate it? Continue Reading

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• Peter Ray Allison

Industrial systems not safe for the future, say Dutch ethical hackers

Ethical hackers in the Netherlands say operational technology and IT networks need to be integrated to prevent cyber attacks penetrating their operations Continue Reading

By

• Kim Loohuis

Strong internal foundations are key to withstanding external threats

The modern-day abundance of platforms, apps and IT tools presents malicious actors with a web of interconnection that is easily exploited to move rapidly through the network to compromise critical assets. Security teams need to understand these attack pathways better in order to fight back Continue Reading

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• Steve Forbes

Security Think Tank: Core security processes must adapt in a complex landscape

The modern-day abundance of platforms, apps and IT tools presents malicious actors with a web of interconnection that is easily exploited to move rapidly through the network to compromise critical assets. Security teams need to understand these attack pathways better in order to fight back Continue Reading

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• Andrew Morris, Turnkey Consulting

Two-thirds of UK organisations defrauded since start of pandemic

Nearly two out of three UK companies say they have experienced some form of fraud or economic crime in the past two years, according to a report Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Most CFOs being left out of ransomware conversations

Barely a tenth of CFOs are actively involved in planning for cyber attacks, according to a report Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Ransomware volumes grew faster than ever in 2021

Verizon’s annual DBIR assessment of the security landscape highlights an unprecedented boom in ransomware volumes, to the surprise of nobody Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Did the Conti ransomware crew orchestrate its own demise?

Analysts examining the shutdown of the Conti ransomware syndicate suggest the cyber crime collective orchestrated its own demise Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Security Think Tank: Understanding attack paths is a question of training

The modern-day abundance of platforms, apps and IT tools presents malicious actors with a web of interconnection that is easily exploited to move rapidly through the network to compromise critical assets. Security teams need to understand these attack pathways better in order to fight back Continue Reading

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• Mike Gillespie

How Ivanti views patch management with a security lens

Bringing development, operations and security teams together will help organisations to improve their visibility of IT assets and vulnerabilities while keeping threat actors at bay Continue Reading

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• Aaron Tan, TechTarget

Applying international law to cyber will be a tall order

Many in the security community have voiced their support for the UK government’s ambitions to work towards agreement with other countries on the application of international law to cyber space, but not without some reservations Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Microsoft drops emergency patch after Patch Tuesday screw up

Microsoft fixed a certificate mapping issue that caused server authentication failures on domain controllers for users that had installed the most recent Patch Tuesday updates Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Former Welsh steelworks becomes ‘living’ cyber lab

ResilientWorks security centre in Ebbw Vale provides an education hub for students and a testbed for industry Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Defensive cyber attacks may be justified, says attorney general

Speaking ahead of a speech at the Chatham House think tank, the UK’s attorney general has suggested defensive cyber attacks against hostile countries may be legally justifiable Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Top cyber criminal earnings outpace those of business leaders

Cyber crime can pay significantly better than leading a FTSE 100 organisation, according to a report Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Red teaming will be standard in Dutch governmental organisations by 2025

The Dutch government wants to include the testing of the digital security of systems, processes and people – also known as red teaming – in all of its governmental organisations’ test planning and budgeting by 2025 at the latest Continue Reading

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• Kim Loohuis

Security Think Tank: Yes, zero trust can help you understand attack paths

The modern-day abundance of platforms, apps and IT tools presents malicious actors with a web of interconnection that is easily exploited to move rapidly through the network to compromise critical assets. Security teams need to understand these attack pathways better in order to fight back Continue Reading

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• Paul Holland, Information Security Forum

Security Think Tank: To follow a path, you need a good map

The modern-day abundance of platforms, apps and IT tools presents malicious actors with a web of interconnection that is easily exploited to move rapidly through the network to compromise critical assets. Security teams need to understand these attack pathways better in order to fight back Continue Reading

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• Petra Wenham

(ISC)² to train 100,000 cyber pros in UK

Security association (ISC)² unveils ambitious UK training programme Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Australian CISOs least prepared for cyber attacks

Australian CISOs are under pressure and feel the least prepared globally to deal with the consequences of a cyber attack, study finds Continue Reading

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• Aaron Tan, TechTarget

Keeping Singapore’s critical systems secure

Tracy Thng offers a glimpse into her work in strengthening the cyber resilience of 11 essential service sectors in Singapore Continue Reading

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• Aaron Tan, TechTarget

Open source community sets out path to secure software

A 10-point plan to improve the security and resilience of open source software was presented this week at a summit in the US Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Mind the gap: public and private sector disparity in cybersecurity

Amidst increasingly sophisticated cyber attacks and a constantly shifting threat landscape, cyber security partnerships across the private and public sector are essential in tackling these threats. ... Continue Reading

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• Louella Fernandes, Quocirca

GPDPR data scrape a ‘mistake’, says leading scientist

Giving evidence to the Science and Technology Committee, academic, physician and science writer Ben Goldacre has expressed serious misgivings about the on-hold GPDPR NHS data scrape Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

CW Benelux: Meta shelves hyperscale datacentre plan in Netherlands

Meta’s plan for a hyperscale datacentre in the Netherlands which was to serve the metaverse world has been halted following a campaign by environmentalists and the Dutch parliament’s call for the government to do everything in its power to stop the facility being built. Also read how the Dutch arm of customer services supplier Teleperformance has led the entire organisation to adopt robotic process automation software. Continue Reading

Security Think Tank: Your path to understanding attack paths

The modern-day abundance of platforms, apps and IT tools presents malicious actors with a web of interconnection that is easily exploited to move rapidly through the network to compromise critical assets. Security teams need to understand these attack pathways better in order to fight back Continue Reading

By

• Paddy Francis

APAC career guide: Becoming a cyber security pro

The region’s burgeoning cyber security industry has attracted more talent last year, but it takes more than just technical knowhow to succeed in the field Continue Reading

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• Aaron Tan, TechTarget

Nerbian RAT enjoys using Covid-19 phishing lures

The world is slowly coming to terms with Covid-19, but fear of the coronavirus is no less useful to cyber criminals because of it, as Proofpoint researchers have discovered Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Emotet has commanding lead on Check Point monthly threat chart

Emotet remains by some margin the most prevalent malware, according to Check Point’s latest monthly statistics Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

CyberUK 22: Five Eyes focuses on MSP security

The western intelligence community has set out practical steps IT service providers and their customers can take to protect themselves Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

CyberUK 22: Data-sharing service to protect public from scams

A new data-sharing service set up by the NCSC and industry partners will give ISPs access to real-time threat data that they can use to block fraudulent websites Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Cyber accreditation body Crest forges new training partnerships

Crest says partnerships with Hack The Box and Immersive Labs will enhance its members’ defensive and offensive security skills Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Microsoft fixes three zero-days on May Patch Tuesday

It’s the second-to-last Patch Tuesday as we know it, and Microsoft has fixed a total of 75 bugs, including three zero-days Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

‘Spy cops’ inquiry delves into police relationship with MI5

There was ‘no filter’ on the information that undercover police officers were collecting on activists throughout the 1970s, despite senior managers and officials involved in directing the surveillance questioning the appropriateness of the information gathering and sharing Continue Reading

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• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

CyberUK 22: Cyber leaders affirm UK’s whole-of-society strategy

On the opening day of CyberUK 2022, GCHQ director Jeremy Fleming and NCSC CEO Lindy Cameron have spoken of their commitment to the government’s ambition for a whole-of-society cyber strategy Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

CyberUK 22: NCSC refreshes cloud security guidance

The National Cyber Security Centre is revising its cloud guidance as increasing uptake of potentially vulnerable cloud services puts more organisations at risk of compromise Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

CyberUK 22: Wales splashes £9.5m on cyber innovation hub

A new innovation hub hopes to spur on cyber security innovation in Wales Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

CyberUK 22: NCSC’s ACD programme blocks 2.7 million scams

On the opening day of its annual CyberUK event, the NCSC reveals how organisations around the country have used its Active Cyber Defence programme to their advantage Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

How to retain cyber talent in the Great Resignation

The cyber security industry is experiencing alarming rates of resignations, leaving organisations vulnerable to cyber attacks. How can we better retain cyber talent? Continue Reading

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• Nicholas Fearn

Security Think Tank: Identify, assess and monitor to understand attack paths

The modern-day abundance of platforms, apps and IT tools presents malicious actors with a web of interconnection that is easily exploited to move rapidly through the network to compromise critical assets. Security teams need to understand these attack pathways better in order to fight back Continue Reading

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• Rob McElvanney

NHS email accounts hijacked for phishing campaign

Microsoft credentials targeted in phishing operation using hijacked NHSMail accounts Continue Reading

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• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

Intellectual property theft operation attributed to Winnti group

Winnti conducted a prolonged cyber espionage campaign that went undetected for years, allowing it to exfiltrate massive amounts of corporate data and intellectual property Continue Reading

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• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

Security Think Tank: Defenders must get out ahead of complexity

The modern-day abundance of platforms, apps and IT tools presents malicious actors with a web of interconnection that is easily exploited to move rapidly through the network to compromise critical assets. Security teams need to better understand these attack pathways to fight back Continue Reading

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• Jack Chapman

Five TLS comms vulnerabilities hit Aruba, Avaya switching kit

Five new vulnerabilities in the implementation of transport layer security communications leave several popular switches vulnerable to remote code execution Continue Reading

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• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

Ransomware recovery costs dwarf actual ransoms

The cost of recovering from a ransomware attack far outweighs the ransoms now being demanded by cyber criminals, according to recent data Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Manufacturer sues JPMorgan after cyber criminals stole $272m

Manufacturer files lawsuit alleging that US bank failed to inform it of suspicious transaction activity Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Russia plumbs new depths in cyber war on Ukraine

Microsoft details cyber attacks on Ukrainian civilian communications, nuclear safety authorities, and the exploitation of the destruction of Mariupol in a phishing campaign Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Log4Shell, ProxyLogon, ProxyShell among most exploited bugs of 2021

These 15 CVEs were the most commonly exploited last year, and if you haven’t mitigated against them, now is the time Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Leeds Beckett’s ethical hacking platform wins Innovate UK backing

An ethical hacking and cyber education platform developed at Leeds Beckett University has received a major funding boost to help it launch commercially Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

BT, Toshiba team on first commercial trial of quantum secured network with EY

Revolutionary computer infrastructure to be used in trial of management consultancy’s aim to connect quantum secure data transmission between its major London offices Continue Reading

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• Joe O’Halloran, Computer Weekly

Emotet tests new tricks to thwart enhanced security

The operators of the Emotet botnet seem to be trying to find a way to get around recent changes made by Microsoft to better protect its users Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

How Adnovum is leveraging its Swiss roots

Software company Adnovum is leveraging its strengths in identity and access management and its Swiss heritage as it expands into new markets and areas such as zero-trust security Continue Reading

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• Aaron Tan, TechTarget

UAE bolsters cyber security

The United Arab Emirates has successfully improved its security posture amid mounting cyber threats Continue Reading

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• Pat Brans, Pat Brans Associates/Grenoble Ecole de Management

Five Eyes in new Russia cyber warning

Latest cross-body alert warns of Russian threat to utilities and other core elements of national infrastructure Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

CW APAC: Trend Watch: Cyber security

Protection from malicious actors has become a critical consideration for organisations in recent years. In this handbook, focused on cyber security in the Asia-Pacific region, Computer Weekly looks at how to minimise edge security risks, India’s rise in cyber security revenues, Check Point’s sales force and partner ecosystem processes, and Trellix’s decision to democratise XDR access Continue Reading

One-third of scams that hit TSB are impersonation fraud

TSB reports an increase in fraudsters impersonating trusted organisations to trick consumers into making payments to them Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

AWS fixes vulnerabilities in Log4Shell hot patch

AWS issues fixes for a series of Log4Shell hot patches after they turned out to leave its services vulnerable to further exploitation Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Median threat actor ‘dwell time’ dropped during 2021

Security teams appear to be getting better at detecting attackers within their networks, according to a report Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Lack of expertise hurting UK government’s cyber preparedness

UK government bodies and critical infrastructure owners cite a lack of staff resources, and internal and external expertise, as hampering factors when it comes to cyber readiness, according to a report Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

WatchGuard firewall users urged to patch Cyclops Blink vulnerability

The US authorities have seen fit to add the WatchGuard vulnerability used by Sandworm to build the Cyclops Blink botnet to its list of must-patch vulnerabilities Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Microsoft patches two zero-days, 10 critical bugs

Patch Tuesday is here once again. This month, security teams must fix two privilege escalation zero-days in the Windows Common Log File System Driver and the Windows User Profile Service Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Criminals researched hacking TTPs post-breach in ‘messy’ cyber attack

Sophos shares details of a cyber attack that saw attackers hang out in their victim environment for five months while they prepared to sow further mischief Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Universal IAM policy failings put cloud environments at risk

Almost all organisations lack appropriate IAM policy controls to effectively secure their data in the cloud, according to a damning study Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Open source CMS platform Directus patches XSS bug

A stored cross-site scripting vulnerability in the Directus platform could have enabled malicious actors to gain access to valuable data Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

We must target a broad church to fill vacant cyber roles

The security industry focuses a lot on cyber-specific specialisms and technical skills, but it could really benefit from widening its search. Take it from a social anthropologist Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor