News

Hackers and cybercrime prevention

March 29, 2017 29 Mar'17
Thorn CEO on using machine learning and tech partnerships to tackle online child sex abuse

The CEO of US-based no-profit Thorn explains how cross-industry collaboration and machine learning is helping her organisation stay one step ahead of online child sex abusers
March 29, 2017 29 Mar'17
Girls across UK take part in cyber skills event to promote tech careers

Young women from across the UK took part in cyber security event CyberFirst Girls, designed to promote girls with cyber skills and encourage them to pursue careers in technology
March 29, 2017 29 Mar'17
Belfast Waterfront centre equipped with state of the art network

Belfast City Council has refitted its Waterfront conference and entertainment venue with new smart building connectivity to enhance the staff and visitor experience
March 29, 2017 29 Mar'17
Non-malware attacks pose bigger threat than malicious software

Malware-free cyber attacks are on the rise and artificial intelligence in cyber security is still far from replacing humans, according to most cyber security researchers

March 29, 2017 29 Mar'17
Cyber attacks cost financial firms up to £1.6m a time

The costs associated with cyber attacks on the financial sector are rising as organisations face increasingly sophisticated threats, research shows
March 29, 2017 29 Mar'17
In-flight electronics ban unsustainable, says IATA

The IATA calls on the American and British governments to urgently find alternatives to restricting the carry-on of laptops and tablets on Middle Eastern flights
March 28, 2017 28 Mar'17
Threats grow in Saudi Arabia’s cyber sector

Saudi Arabia's wealth makes it an attractive target for cyber criminals, but what have been the recent trends in cyber crime?
March 27, 2017 27 Mar'17
Emerging APAC markets more prone to malware

Indonesia, India and the Philippines are among the top 10 countries with the most number of malware infections, according to a Malwarebytes study
March 27, 2017 27 Mar'17
Nearly half of UK businesses lack a cyber security strategy

Commentators call on security industry to do more to help businesses understand the value of data and how best to protect it
March 27, 2017 27 Mar'17
UK business least likely to offer rewards to infosec professionals

UK firms need to rethink incentives to attract and retain people with cyber security skills, according to the findings of a recent global study

March 24, 2017 24 Mar'17
UK impersonation fraud up 39% in last quarter of 2016

Just ahead of the end of the UK tax year, a survey underlines the importance of guarding against business email compromise aimed at stealing data and money
March 24, 2017 24 Mar'17
FBI director reiterates call for action on encryption

The world is wasting time in resolving the conflict between privacy and public safety, and should consider an international framework on encrypted data access, says FBI director James Comey
March 23, 2017 23 Mar'17
LastPass releases fix browser extension security flaws

LastPass has been praised for its quick response in fixing flaws reported in browser extensions for its password manager
March 23, 2017 23 Mar'17
Apple denies hackers holding millions of iPhones, iCloud accounts ransom

Apple reassures customers that none of its systems have been breached, dismissing hackers' claims that millions of iPhones and iCloud accounts are at risk of being wiped
March 23, 2017 23 Mar'17
Palo Alto Networks expands APAC footprint with regional headquarters

Palo Alto Networks’ Singapore headquarters will house sales and support staff, as well as security analysts from Unit 42, the company’s threat intelligence team
March 22, 2017 22 Mar'17
Most UK businesses in the dark about crucial DNS infrastructure

Most UK businesses have little visibility or control over their DNS servers and services even though they are a key component of businesses’ infrastructure and security profile
March 21, 2017 21 Mar'17
Three fails to stop second data leak

Mobile operator Three should have done a thorough review and upgrade of security after its previous security breach to avoid another incident just months later, say security commentators
March 21, 2017 21 Mar'17
Lords call on ISPs, government to do more to safeguard children online

A House of Lords Select Committee report on online safety has called for internet service providers and the government to do more to protect the interests of children using the internet
March 21, 2017 21 Mar'17
Russian Citadel malware developer cuts deal with US authorities

US Justice Department set to sentence a second Russian hacker for helping to develop Citadel malware that netted $500m, but says investigations are continuing
March 20, 2017 20 Mar'17
Cardiff man Samata Ullah admits terrorist charges after posting encryption details on Islamic blog

Samata Ullah, a resident of Cardiff, pleaded guilty to five terrorism charges, including developing an encrypted version of an Islamic website and posting videos explaining how to use encryption
March 17, 2017 17 Mar'17
NCSC commits to greater diversity

GCHQ’s National Cyber Security Centre is planning several initiatives to ensure more women are attracted to and remain in technology roles, particularly cyber security
March 17, 2017 17 Mar'17
Cyber security is a huge opportunity for UK business, says NCSC

NCSC engagement director Alex Dewdney is leading government's new approach in working with UK industry to build a national cyber security community and capability
March 16, 2017 16 Mar'17
Government to ramp up help for UK cyber security industry

Government, in partnership with industry, is pursuing a range of initiatives aimed at establishing a UK cyber security ecosystem, developing skills and products and boosting exports, says DIT’s Conrad Prince
March 16, 2017 16 Mar'17
UK holidaymakers’ data breach highlights need to be proactive

Security experts say the data breach at travel industry association Abta underlines that no organisation is immune from cyber attack and that data holders and consumers should be more proactive about data protection
March 16, 2017 16 Mar'17
US accuses Russian spies of directing Yahoo breach

US authorities have arrested a man in Canada who has been charged alongside two Russian intelligence officers and a Russian hacker in connection with a 2014 data breach at Yahoo affecting 500 million accounts
March 15, 2017 15 Mar'17
APAC topped the world in number of cyber attacks in 2016

The prevalent use of pirated software is one of the possible reasons for the APAC region’s poor showing in Trend Micro’s annual study on the state of cyber security
March 15, 2017 15 Mar'17
Raising cyber security grasp is biggest challenge, says GCHQ chief

Everyone has a role to play in cyber security, and the NCSC has the right pedigree to co-ordinate and balance the efforts of government, industry and academia, says GCHQ director Robert Hannigan
March 15, 2017 15 Mar'17
The UK needs more women in cyber security, says GCHQ chief

The need to recruit more women into cyber security has come under the spotlight at CyberUK as a study shows the UK infosec industry has one of the lowest proportions of women and the highest gender pay gaps in the world
March 15, 2017 15 Mar'17
US set to charge four hackers for Yahoo breaches

Three Russians are reportedly among four hackers US authorities believe to be linked to data breaches at Yahoo affecting more than a billion accounts
March 15, 2017 15 Mar'17
UK identity fraud reaches record levels

The UK fraud prevention service is calling for better education about fraud and financial crime as identity fraud, which is often cyber-enabled, hits the highest levels ever recorded
March 14, 2017 14 Mar'17
Recruiting women key to closing cyber security skills gap, say experts

The European cyber security industry has one of the lowest proportions of women and the highest gender pay gaps in the world, the latest Global Information Security Workforce Study shows
March 14, 2017 14 Mar'17
NCSC chief calls for UK collaboration on cyber security

The National Cyber Security Centre is unashamedly ambitious in aiming to make the UK the safest place to do business online, which chief Ciaran Martin sees as an achievable goal
March 14, 2017 14 Mar'17
CIO interview: Simon McCalla, Nominet

Nominet, the registry for more than 10 million of the UK’s internet domains, is expanding into the internet of things and internet security services
March 14, 2017 14 Mar'17
Cyber threat to UK business significant and growing

The UK’s NCSC and NCA publish a joint report on the cyber threats facing UK businesses, outlining the best response strategies
March 13, 2017 13 Mar'17
NCC Group launches bounty for open source security flaw fixes

Firm hopes bounty scheme will inspire others to do the same to encourage security specialists to make open source software more secure
March 13, 2017 13 Mar'17
NCSC to educate UK politicians on the cyber threat

The National Cyber Security Centre is to deliver tailored seminars for politicians on how to protect their email communications and voters’ data to defend against cyber threats to the political system
March 13, 2017 13 Mar'17
Singapore’s Republic Polytechnic opens new labs to groom cyber security talent

New lab facilities have been established at Singapore’s Republic Polytechnic through partnerships with RSA Security, Palo Alto Networks, Trend Micro and Ixia
March 10, 2017 10 Mar'17
Paying ransomware attackers perpetuates attacks, says researcher

Continually evolving ransomware is among the threats organisations need to factor into their cyber defences in 2017, but only once they have taken care of the basics, says Kaspersky Lab researcher
March 10, 2017 10 Mar'17
Tech firms to get first look at CIA hacking tools

WikiLeaks has promised to show tech firms details of what it claims is a leaked arsenal of CIA hacking tools to enable them to prepare fixes before any more are made public
March 09, 2017 09 Mar'17
Huge demand for government cyber defence apprenticeships

A rush for cyber defence apprenticeships shows young people are looking to cyber security as a viable and interesting career option
March 09, 2017 09 Mar'17
Open Rights Group calls for control of spies’ use of zero-days

Wikileaks’ publication of documents detailing CIA hacking tools has prompted calls for government to control spy agencies’ use of vulnerabilities in widely used hardware and software
March 08, 2017 08 Mar'17
WhatsApp, Signal, ProtonMail safe from CIA hacking tools

Top secure messaging and email apps are said to be safe from CIA hacking tools, but organisations are urged to assess their own vulnerability if the tools were to fall into the hands of cyber criminals
March 07, 2017 07 Mar'17
New wiper malware hits Middle East and Europe

In the wake of the Shamoon and Shamoon 2.0 malware attacks, a new wiper called StoneDrill is targeting organisations in the Middle East and Europe
March 07, 2017 07 Mar'17
Accept everything is hackable, business told

Many companies are in denial about cyber attacks, but they need to accept that they are likely to be targets, that everything is hackable and that they need to act accordingly, says security expert Menny Barzilay
March 07, 2017 07 Mar'17
Retail industry steps up the fight against rising cyber threats

UK retail body BRC publishes the first of its kind step-by-step guide on how to manage cyber security threats
March 06, 2017 06 Mar'17
More than a million Gmail and Yahoo account credentials on sale

Usernames, email addresses and plaintext passwords of more than a million Yahoo and Gmail accounts are reportedly on sale on the dark web, posing a threat to corporate security
March 03, 2017 03 Mar'17
Cyber attack on Barts NHS trust exploited zero-day vulnerability

A cyber attack that forced parts of Barts NHS trust offline in January 2017 has been blamed on previously unknown malware that was able to bypass the antivirus systems, highlighting a common weakness in cyber defences
March 03, 2017 03 Mar'17
Businesses blame rivals for DDoS attacks

Industrial sabotage is considered to be the most likely reason behind a distributed denial of service attack, a study has revealed
March 02, 2017 02 Mar'17
China calls for mutually-beneficial global co-operation in cyber space

China is calling for greater international collaboration in cyber space, saying it is committed to working with other countries to combat cyber crime and cyber terrorism
March 02, 2017 02 Mar'17
Yahoo breaches underline executive role in cyber security

Yahoo's data breaches cost its top lawyer his job, CEO Marissa Mayer millions in bonuses, and $350m off its sale price, highlighting the importance of executive involvement
March 01, 2017 01 Mar'17
Cyber security need not cost a fortune, says researcher

Organisations can bolster their cyber security without incurring huge costs by tapping into free resources and following best practices, according to a security researcher
February 28, 2017 28 Feb'17
CloudPets’ data breach underlines need for secure cloud apps

More than two million voice recordings and e-mail addresses and password data for more than 800,000 accounts linked to an internet-connected toy have been leaked online
February 27, 2017 27 Feb'17
Singapore university taps Verizon’s cyber security knowhow

Nanyang Technological University will use the Veris Community Database in a research project to enable more accurate cyber risk assessment
February 27, 2017 27 Feb'17
Citizen Love: the story of an ordinary family's fight with the US government

Finnish documentary makers Raimo Uunila and Lauri Danska tell the behind-the-scenes story of activist Lauri Love’s battle with the US government – and the impact of the case on his family
February 27, 2017 27 Feb'17
Cyber criminals net £8bn from financial services in 2016

Organised cyber fraud gangs are turning their attention to online lenders and emerging financial services, potentially netting £8bn in 2016, a report reveals
February 27, 2017 27 Feb'17
Most businesses failing to train IT and security about users

Teaching IT and cyber security teams about psychology and sociology is key to enabling better cyber security practices in organisations, according to human behaviour specialist Jessica Barker
February 24, 2017 24 Feb'17
Number of people hit by professional financial cyber attack grows after lull

Kaspersky Labs reports that the number of people hit by financial cyber attack grew in 2016 after falling in the previous two years
February 24, 2017 24 Feb'17
Businesses urged to buy security according to their actual needs

Organisations must resist the temptation to buy a whole raft of security technologies without first assessing their real and specific security needs, says industry expert Michael Dieroff
February 24, 2017 24 Feb'17
Banking malware, DDoS, ransomware and CEO fraud top UK cyber threats

Businesses need to be aware of the value of their data, how that data is likely to be attacked, and how to defend against particular attacks, says leading UK cyber cop
February 23, 2017 23 Feb'17
Digitisation opens up security weakness in oil and gas

The oil and gas industry needs to address the security risks associated with operational technology and vulnerable IT systems, says Ponemon Institute report
February 23, 2017 23 Feb'17
Dutch banks and ISPs behind in domain security

Dutch banks are falling behind organisations in other sectors when it comes to securing domains.
February 23, 2017 23 Feb'17
Most hackers can steal data within 24 hours, study shows

Most hackers are able to access company systems and steal valuable data within 24 hours, according to the Nuix Black Report, which aims to show which security technologies are worth investing in
February 22, 2017 22 Feb'17
Beware printer helpline scam, warns NTS eCrime Team

National Trading Standards is warning consumers about a scam targeting those looking for help with printer problems
February 22, 2017 22 Feb'17
Microsoft issues critical patches but not for zero days

After missing the monthly security update for 14 February, Microsoft has issued some patches but not for zero-day vulnerabilities despite the availability of exploit code
February 21, 2017 21 Feb'17
Airborne cars to transform Dubai’s public transportation

Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority is readying the launch of autonomous aerial vehicles in July this year
February 21, 2017 21 Feb'17
Industrial control systems top threat to UK cyber security

Most organisations understand cyber security readiness, but lack response and resilience capabilities – especially regarding industrial control systems in the UK, says RSA cyber defence expert Azeem Aleem
February 21, 2017 21 Feb'17
Ransomware doubled in second half of 2016, says Check Point

Check Point identifies the most prevalent ransomware and other malware that organisations should be prioritising based on data from the second half of 2016
February 21, 2017 21 Feb'17
Why businesses need a more enlightened approach to phishing attacks

City firms often fire staff for accidently clicking on phishing emails, but there is a better approach, Intel Security’s Raj Samani tells Computer Weekly
February 20, 2017 20 Feb'17
Netherlands expertise unravels enterprise blockchain

Dutch hackathons, pilots and projects are building new applications based on blockchains
February 20, 2017 20 Feb'17
UK brokers search engine deal to demote pirate sites

The Google and Bing search engines are to demote piracy websites after signing a voluntary code of practice in talks with the entertainment industry led by the UK government
February 17, 2017 17 Feb'17
RSAC17: Former MI5 head calls on infosec community to make world safer

In a digital era, the information security community has a key role in helping to make the world a safer place, according to former MI5 boss Stella Rimington
February 17, 2017 17 Feb'17
RSAC17: Geopolitical changes driving encryption usage, survey shows

More organisations are planning to deploy encryption in response to geopolitical changes, but confidence in organisations’ ability to secure and protect encryption is low, a survey shows
February 17, 2017 17 Feb'17
Apac companies see cyber security as key to business growth

Cyber security has enabled Asia-Pacific organisations to enter new markets and deliver services in new ways
February 16, 2017 16 Feb'17
Security platforms to disrupt industry, predicts Palo Alto Networks

Collaborative security platforms will enable developers to focus on innovation and force the security industry to change business models, predicts Palo Alto Networks
February 16, 2017 16 Feb'17
RSAC17: More ransomware and IoT-enabled attacks on the way, warns expert

Security expert Ed Skoudis says that in 2017 organisations need to prepare for evolving ransomware and IoT-enabled attacks, as well as a combination of the two
February 15, 2017 15 Feb'17
RSAC17: AI could help in IoT security, says Eric Schmidt

Former Google chief says artificial intelligence could be applied in internet of things security, but the technology is still a long way from Hollywood scenarios
February 15, 2017 15 Feb'17
RSAC17: US politician calls for global collaboration on cyber defence

Without greater collaboration, information sharing and clear sanctions against attackers, defenders will continue to lose the war in cyber space, says US politician Michael McCaul
February 15, 2017 15 Feb'17
Euroclear automates firewall rule management with AlgoSec

Post-trade back-office process provider has made the management of firewalls more efficient through security management software
February 15, 2017 15 Feb'17
RSAC17: Infosec pros must help create business-driven security, says RSA CTO

The inability to draw connections between security details and business metrics is one of the biggest challenges facing most companies, according to RSA CTO Zulfikar Ramzan
February 15, 2017 15 Feb'17
APAC enterprises have fewer high-risk cloud apps

Cisco study shows enterprises in Asia-Pacific have fewer apps that pose a significant risk to network security than those in North America and Europe
February 15, 2017 15 Feb'17
RSA17: Data manipulation next on attackers’ agenda, warns Intel Security

Data manipulation a real threat and the next corporate attack vector could be found in the home, warns Intel Security head Chris Young
February 15, 2017 15 Feb'17
RSAC17: Cyber defence involves all levels of society, says Microsoft

Microsoft calls for a global convention on cyber security and an independent organisation to keep nation state attackers in check
February 14, 2017 14 Feb'17
Major DDoS attacks see huge increase, says Akamai

Akamai’s State of the Internet/Security Report for the fourth quarter of 2016 finds that distributed denial of service attacks larger than 100Gbps are rapidly increasing as more IoT devices are compromised
February 14, 2017 14 Feb'17
National Cyber Security Centre officially opens for business

The NCSC is at the forefront of the UK’s defence against cyber threats to critical national infrastructure and the digital economy
February 13, 2017 13 Feb'17
Middle East organisations urged to prioritise cyber defence

As the Middle East IT industry continues to transform and embrace digitisation, what are the greatest threats it faces today?
February 13, 2017 13 Feb'17
DCMS announces cyber clubs programme to teach 6,000 students cyber skills

The Cyber Schools Programme announced by the DCMS aims to train thousands of teenagers in cyber security skills
February 13, 2017 13 Feb'17
End complacency and help address cyber crime threat, NCA tells business

The NCA is calling on UK businesses to take the threat of cyber crime seriously and work with law enforcement and government to help turn the tables on cyber criminals
February 10, 2017 10 Feb'17
Data breaches affect all parts of business, Verizon report shows

Verizon’s second annual Data Breach Digest provides common scenarios to help organisations improve preparations for, and responses to, the most popular types of cyber attack
February 09, 2017 09 Feb'17
Cardiff University opens Twitter ‘cyberhate’ centre

Cardiff University researchers are to monitor Brexit-related hate crime on Twitter with funding from the Economic and Social Research Council
February 09, 2017 09 Feb'17
ASD recommends new cyber security measures to secure critical IT systems

Australia’s intelligence agency has made four more recommendations after reviewing information assets and systems that require greater protection
February 08, 2017 08 Feb'17
How a Dublin court case could derail EU-US data privacy agreements

The Irish Commercial Court will consider whether privacy protection offered by standard contractual clauses for data transfers to the US from Europe is legally valid
February 08, 2017 08 Feb'17
NHS websites defaced by Tunisian Islamist hacktivists

Another series of pro-Islamic State hacktivist attacks on NHS websites has underlined the need to harden websites and keep software up to date as attackers exploit a vulnerability in WordPress
February 08, 2017 08 Feb'17
Cyber resiliency of UK firms barely changed in a year, study shows

High performing UK companies with a high level of cyber security maturity are leading in cyber resiliency, but most have to work on operationalising incident response plans, Ponemon report shows
February 08, 2017 08 Feb'17
Interview: How security approaches are evolving in Southeast Asia and beyond

Bill Smith, senior vice-president of worldwide field operations at LogRhythm, talks to Computer Weekly about the big shift in cyber security from traditional security models to behavioural anomaly detection, continuous data monitoring and analytics
February 06, 2017 06 Feb'17
APAC businesses turn to DevOps to improve app quality, security

Security validation and metrics are some of the key trends in DevOps this year, according to CA Technologies
February 06, 2017 06 Feb'17
UK cyber security workforce up 163% in five years

Private and public sector step up efforts to close the cyber security skills gap in the face of a global skills shortage
February 06, 2017 06 Feb'17
Defence and finance sectors lead in making people cyber defenders

Organisations in the defence and finance sectors are leading the way in making people a key element of their cyber defences, says human behaviour specialist Jessica Barker
February 03, 2017 03 Feb'17
Security firm agrees many others use fear to propel sales

High-Tech Bridge agrees with the UK National Cyber Security Centre that some security firms are using fear, uncertainty and doubt to promote sales of their products
February 03, 2017 03 Feb'17
Lockheed Martin backs UK CyberFirst skills initiative

Global security and aeropace firm boosts government’s CyberFirst skills initiative as Cabinet Office comes under fire for efforts to secure public sector data and ensure cyber teams have right skills
February 03, 2017 03 Feb'17
UK government must improve cyber defence efforts, say MPs

Public Accounts Committee sets out six recommendations for the Cabinet Office to address shortcomings in protecting government data as UK defence secretary expresses concern over Russian cyber activity