News

Hackers and cybercrime prevention

• October 06, 2021 06 Oct'21

  Auto-enrolment begins for Google multi-factor authentication

  Google has started to turn on multi-factor authentication on consumer accounts by default, and aims to auto-enrol 150 million users by the end of 2021

• October 05, 2021 05 Oct'21

  New Python-based ransomware attacks unfold in record time

  Sophos researchers detail a new variety of Python-based ransomware attack targeting VMware ESXi-hosted VMs

• October 04, 2021 04 Oct'21

  Mandiant name returns to fore ahead of FireEye sale

  Mandiant has completed its corporate rebrand pending the imminent sale of the FireEye products business to a private equity group

• October 04, 2021 04 Oct'21

  Two arrests made in European ransomware investigation

  Unnamed ransomware operation was disrupted last week in Kiev, Ukraine, following a coordinated investigation

• October 01, 2021 01 Oct'21

  Amnesty International exploited in malware campaign

  According to new intelligence from Cisco Talos, Amnesty International’s branding and profile is being used as part of a new malware campaign that exploits people’s fears of the notorious Pegasus spyware app

• October 01, 2021 01 Oct'21

  JVCKenwood hit by Conti ransomware attack

  Nearly 2TB of data was stolen from Japanese electronics firm in a Conti ransomware hit

• October 01, 2021 01 Oct'21

  IR35: Giant Group cyber attack prompts renewed calls for statutory regulation of umbrella companies

  As details about the fallout from the cyber attack on the Giant Group umbrella company emerge, stakeholders say the incident should prompt the government to expedite regulating contractor payroll processing firms

• September 30, 2021 30 Sep'21

  UK consumers would collectively pay over £1bn a year for control of their data

  UK consumers are willing to pay a small fee per month to have control of the data they share with Google and Facebook

• September 29, 2021 29 Sep'21

  Russia arrests prominent cyber security executive

  Founder and CEO of cyber security firm Group-IB detained in Moscow on treason charges

• September 29, 2021 29 Sep'21

  FoggyWeb malware latest tool of dangerous Nobelium APT

  Microsoft’s threat intelligence team warns of a new strain of malware being used by the Russia-linked Nobelium APT

• September 29, 2021 29 Sep'21

  Dedicated number for victims of fraud launched amid national security threat

  Consumers that suspect they are being targeted by fraudsters can call 159 to be directly linked to their bank, as part of a 12-month pilot

• September 29, 2021 29 Sep'21

  The Security Interviews: How SolarWinds came through its darkest hour

  In his first major UK press interview, SolarWinds CEO Sudhakar Ramakrishna tells Computer Weekly how a relentless focus on transparency saw the company safely through a nightmare cyber breach scenario

• September 29, 2021 29 Sep'21

  UK consumer trust in banks, retailers and telcos declines as scams increase

  Consumers are blaming banks, retailers and social media for the huge increase in online scams, survey shows

• September 28, 2021 28 Sep'21

  How one red team exercise averted a new SolarWinds-style attack

  Palo Alto Networks shares details of how its red teamers found and sealed a customer vulnerability that could have led to another SolarWinds-style supply chain attack

• September 27, 2021 27 Sep'21

  Women and BAME people bear brunt of cyber crime impact

  Cyber crime has a disproportionate impact on women and BAME people, according to a new report

• September 26, 2021 26 Sep'21

  What it takes to attract and retain women in cyber security

  The narrowing gender gap may be a cause for cheer, but more needs to be done to curb discrimination, and attract and retain women for cyber security roles in Asia-Pacific

• September 24, 2021 24 Sep'21

  How Australia punches above its weight in cyber security

  Australia is playing to its strengths in niche areas such as governance and deep tech to punch above its weight in the cyber security industry

• September 23, 2021 23 Sep'21

  Fresh alert over Conti ransomware surge

  Conti ransomware crew appears increasingly active, prompting fresh warnings from the US authorities

• September 23, 2021 23 Sep'21

  MoD in second leak of Afghan citizens’ data

  A second breach of data relating to Afghan citizens at risk of Taliban reprisals has been reported by the Ministry of Defence

• September 23, 2021 23 Sep'21

  Threat actors target VMware vCenter Server users

  Users of VMware vCenter Server are advised to patch a series of vulnerabilities post haste

• September 23, 2021 23 Sep'21

  Authorised push payment fraud sees huge increase as criminals switch tactics

  Criminals tricking people into making payments through channels such as fake emails and websites have stolen more money than payment card fraudsters

• September 21, 2021 21 Sep'21

  US sanctions Suex crypto exchange over ransomware links

  US Treasury cracks down on cryptocurrency exchange that supposedly facilitated proceeds from multiple ransomware gangs

• September 21, 2021 21 Sep'21

  Spanish police bust Mafia-linked phishing gang

  A joint operation between European authorities has dismantled a cyber criminal gang with links to the Italian Mafia

• September 21, 2021 21 Sep'21

  BlackMatter gang ramps up attacks on multiple victims

  A wave of new BlackMatter ransomware attacks is hitting organisations around the world, even as the US authorities mull new sanctions on ransom payment infrastructure

• September 16, 2021 16 Sep'21

  Dutch education administrators underestimate threat of cyber crime

  Research shows educational establishments in the Netherlands are becoming favoured targets of cyber criminals and administrators are underestimating the risks

• September 16, 2021 16 Sep'21

  Bitdefender launches free REvil ransomware decryptor

  Working alongside law enforcement partners, Bitdefender has developed and released a tool to help REvil victims recover their data for free

• September 16, 2021 16 Sep'21

  Travel-themed phishing lures spiked this summer

  As people begin to take holidays again after more than a year of restrictions and lockdowns, opportunist cyber criminals have taken note, according to new data from Palo Alto’s Unit 42

• September 15, 2021 15 Sep'21

  Microsoft patches 66 vulnerabilities in September update

  Another lighter-than-usual Patch Tuesday update includes important fixes for recently disclosed vulnerabilities, including a dangerous zero-day, and an update in the PrintNightmare saga

• September 15, 2021 15 Sep'21

  Australia and Singapore have higher incidences of insecure databases

  Five-year longitudinal study by Imperva shows the proportion of databases with at least one known vulnerability in Australia and Singapore are among the world’s highest

• September 14, 2021 14 Sep'21

  Mass health tracker data breach has UK impact

  The leak of a database of 61 million users of health-tracking devices includes records on individuals located in the UK

• September 14, 2021 14 Sep'21

  Cost of ransomware attack in financial sector exceeds $2m

  Mid-sized financial services organisations worldwide spend an average of over $2m recovering from ransomware attacks

• September 14, 2021 14 Sep'21

  Apple patches ForcedEntry vulnerability used by spyware firm NSO

  Apple patches ForcedEntry vulnerability that was used to target political activists with spyware

• September 13, 2021 13 Sep'21

  Smishing attacks up sevenfold in six months

  Scam text messages are reaching pandemic proportions, thanks in part to the pandemic

• September 13, 2021 13 Sep'21

  Olympus likely victim of BlackMatter ransomware

  Key IT systems remain shut off at Olympus, five days after what seems to have been a BlackMatter ransomware attack

• September 09, 2021 09 Sep'21

  Latest Microsoft zero-day being actively exploited

  New Microsoft zero-day CVE-2021-40444 affects multiple versions of Windows and is probably being exploited through convincing phishing attacks

• September 08, 2021 08 Sep'21

  REvil reappearance may herald new ransom campaigns

  The re-emergence of the infamous REvil ransomware gang is a likely sign that more high-profile attacks will unfold over the coming weeks

• September 08, 2021 08 Sep'21

  Stolen credit card data worth about £13 on dark web, PayPal worth more

  The average price of a stolen credit card on a dark web marketplace comes in at around $17.40, or £12.60, according to new data – but the real money for cyber criminals is in hacked PayPal accounts

• September 07, 2021 07 Sep'21

  OT security in APAC remains work in progress

  Two operational technology security experts shed light on the state of OT security in the region, and what’s being done to address skills, competency and organisational challenges

• September 07, 2021 07 Sep'21

  Banking anti-fraud scheme blocks 65% more fraud

  Scheme designed to protect vulnerable people against banking fraud has been expanded to include online scams

• September 06, 2021 06 Sep'21

  How NZ schools are tapping managed network services

  Using managed network services has freed up time and resources for New Zealand school teachers and alleviated the pressure and challenges of maintaining technology infrastructure

• September 03, 2021 03 Sep'21

  Berlin court reverses ban on use of EncroChat evidence in criminal trials

  Berlin Superior Court allows use of EncroChat evidence in criminal trials but lawyers say the question will ultimately need to be decided by the German Supreme Court

• September 03, 2021 03 Sep'21

  Mandiant, Sophos detail dangerous ProxyShell attacks

  Threat researchers and incident responders continue to track threat activity around the dangerous ProxyShell Microsoft Exchange vulnerabilities, including impactful ransomware hits

• September 03, 2021 03 Sep'21

  China accused of cyber attacks on Norwegian IT systems

  China-based cyber attackers have been blamed for multiple assaults on IT systems in Norway

• September 02, 2021 02 Sep'21

  How high can the contactless card limit go without two-factor authentication?

  The spending limit for contactless cards has reached an eyebrow-raising triple-digit figure – £100 – raising questions about the need for user authentication

• September 02, 2021 02 Sep'21

  Twitter tests auto-block feature for accounts at risk of abuse

  Latest Twitter feature automatically blocks abusive users, and is intended to help victims regain control of their experience on the platform

• September 01, 2021 01 Sep'21

  Experts warn on Office 365 phishing attacks

  Newly observed campaign is particularly dangerous because it appears to neutralise one of the most widely known anti-phishing techniques

• August 31, 2021 31 Aug'21

  GovTech launches vulnerability rewards programme

  Vulnerability rewards programme will offer rewards ranging from $250 to $5,000 to white hat hackers who find vulnerabilities in critical government systems

• August 26, 2021 26 Aug'21

  Tech giants commit to Biden's cyber security action plan

  Some of the world’s most prominent tech giants have made a series of commitments to enhance the US’ national cyber security posture following a high-profile meeting with president Biden

• August 26, 2021 26 Aug'21

  NZ privacy lead John Edwards named new information commissioner

  DCMS has named John Edwards, currently New Zealand privacy commissioner, to succeed Elizabeth Denham as UK information commissioner

• August 25, 2021 25 Aug'21

  Calling the cops for ransomware attacks doesn’t help, say cyber pros

  A new study for the #Ransomaware campaign reveals some insight into why so few victims report ransomware attacks