News

IT security

• August 11, 2025 11 Aug'25

  McCullough Review into PSNI spying on journalists and lawyers delayed

  Angus McCullough KC is to present findings of an independent review of police spying on phone data of lawyers, journalists and NGOs in Northern Ireland in October  

• August 11, 2025 11 Aug'25

  Watching the watchers: Is the Technical Advisory Panel a match for MI5, MI6 and GCHQ?

  Dame Muffy Calder is chair of the Technical Advisory Panel (TAP), a small group of experts that advises the Investigatory Powers Commissioner on surveillance technology. Do they have what it takes to oversee the intelligence community?

• August 08, 2025 08 Aug'25

  OpenAI closes gap to artificial general intelligence with GPT-5

  As OpenAI’s latest large language model delivers smarter AI, experts are wary of the risks GPT-5 poses to human creativity

• August 06, 2025 06 Aug'25

  Black Hat USA: Startup breaks secrets management tools

  Researchers at Cyata, an agentic identity specialist that has just emerged from stealth, found 14 CVEs in the widely used CyberArk Conjur and HashiCorp Vault enterprise secrets management platforms

• August 06, 2025 06 Aug'25

  Cyber criminals would prefer businesses don’t use Okta

  Okta details a phishing campaign in which the threat actor demonstrated some unusually strong opinions on what authentication methods they would like their targets to use

• August 06, 2025 06 Aug'25

  Companies House ID verification to start in November 2025

  Companies House plans to start vetting director identities from mid-November, but its reliance on the troubled One Login digital identity service may be cause for concern

• August 06, 2025 06 Aug'25

  NCSC updates CNI Cyber Assessment Framework

  Updates to the NCSC’s Cyber Assessment Framework are designed to help providers of critical services better manage their risk profiles

• August 06, 2025 06 Aug'25

  Australian scaleup to bring AI-led data protection to the MoD

  The UK’s Ministry of Defence is embracing AI-led data protection in the wake of a major privacy breach, enlisting Australian cyber firm Castlepoint Systems to oversee sensitive records

• August 05, 2025 05 Aug'25

  Attacker could defeat Dell firmware flaws with a vegetable

  Cisco Talos discloses five vulnerabilities in cyber security firmware used on Dell Latitude and Precision devices, including one that could enable an attacker to log on with a spring onion

• August 04, 2025 04 Aug'25

  Black Hat USA: Halcyon and Sophos tag-team ransomware fightback

  Ransomware experts Halcyon and Sophos are to pool their expertise in ransomware, working together to enhance data- and intelligence-sharing and bringing more comprehensive protection to customers

• August 04, 2025 04 Aug'25

  Proliferation of on-premise GenAI platforms is widening security risks

  Research finds increased adoption of unsanctioned generative artificial intelligence platforms is magnifying risk and causing a headache for security teams

• August 04, 2025 04 Aug'25

  Agentic AI a target-rich zone for cyber attackers in 2025

  At Black Hat USA 2025, CrowdStrike warns that cyber criminals and nation-states are weaponising GenAI to scale attacks and target AI agents, turning autonomous systems against their makers

• August 01, 2025 01 Aug'25

  Met Police to double facial recognition use amid budget cuts

  The UK’s largest police force is massively expanding its use of live facial recognition technology as it prepares to lose 1,700 officers and staff

• August 01, 2025 01 Aug'25

  Securing agentic identities focus of Palo Alto’s CyberArk buy

  Palo Alto Networks is entering the identity security space with a multibillion-dollar acquisition, and plans to address growing concerns around protecting identities associated with AI agents

• July 31, 2025 31 Jul'25

  Palo Alto Networks to acquire CyberArk for $25bn

  The deal marks Palo Alto Networks’ entry into the identity and access management space amid the growing need to secure human, machine and emerging AI agent identities

• July 30, 2025 30 Jul'25

  Scattered Spider tactics continue to evolve, warn cyber cops

  CISA, the FBI, NCSC and others have clubbed together to update previous guidance on Scattered Spider's playbook, warning of new social engineering tactics and exploitation of legitimate tools, among other things

• July 30, 2025 30 Jul'25

  Apple pushes almost 30 security fixes in mobile update

  Apple pushes what will likely be the last major security update to its current iPhone and iPad operating systems, fixing 29 vulnerabilities in its mobile ecosystem

• July 30, 2025 30 Jul'25

  MS Authenticator users face passkey crunch time

  The deadline for moving to passkeys in Microsoft Authenticator is rapidly approaching, and users are advised to take action now

• July 30, 2025 30 Jul'25

  AI-enabled security pushes down breach costs for UK organisations

  Organisations that are incorporating AI and automation into their cyber security practice are seeing improved outcomes when incidents occur, according to an IBM study

• July 30, 2025 30 Jul'25

  Industry experts warn crypto infrastructure is ‘creaking’

  A report from experts at HSBC, Thales and InfoSec Global claims decades-old cryptographic systems are failing, putting businesses at risk from current vulnerabilities and the threat from quantum computing

• July 30, 2025 30 Jul'25

  International AI Alignment effort tackles unpredictability

  Given AI systems are probabilistic, a group of international experts are collaborating to ensure such systems operate in the best interest of society

• July 29, 2025 29 Jul'25

  Senator warns of new UK surveillance risks to US citizens following Apple ‘backdoor’ row

  US lawmaker calls for the US to publish an assessment of the risks posed by UK surveillance laws to US citizens in the wake of disclosures that the UK has ordered Apple to introduce ‘backdoors’ in Apple encryption

• July 29, 2025 29 Jul'25

  Austrian government faces likely legal challenge over state spyware

  Civil society groups are talking to opposition MPs about bringing a legal challenge to the Austrian constitutional court over ‘state trojan’ law

• July 29, 2025 29 Jul'25

  European Commission ignores calls to reassess Israel data adequacy

  The European Commission is ignoring calls to reassess Israel’s data adequacy status in spite of concerns raised about its data protection framework and use of personal data in ‘repressive practices’

• July 29, 2025 29 Jul'25

  Global cyber spend will top $200bn this year, says Gartner

  Worldwide spending on cyber security will hit another record high in 2025, and will go higher still next year

• July 28, 2025 28 Jul'25

  Data resilience critical as ransomware attacks target backups

  With more threat actors targeting backup repositories to ensure a payday, Veeam urges organisations to treat data resilience as a competitive advantage, not just an insurance policy

• July 25, 2025 25 Jul'25

  Interview: Cambridge Consultants CEO Monty Barlow scans for tech surprises

  Cambridge Consultants is a technology and consulting business unit of Capgemini. Its chief executive, Monty Barlow, talks about its heritage and vision for the future of digital technology

• July 24, 2025 24 Jul'25

  US seeks ‘unquestioned’ AI dominance

  US AI action plan sets out aims to expand American dominance in the world of artificial intelligence

• July 24, 2025 24 Jul'25

  SharePoint users hit by Warlock ransomware, says Microsoft

  Microsoft’s security analysts confirm a number of cyber attacks on on-premise SharePoint Server users involve ransomware

• July 24, 2025 24 Jul'25

  Scattered Spider victim Clorox sues helpdesk provider

  Cleaning products manufacturer Clorox fell victim to a Scattered Spider social engineering attack two years ago – it blames its IT helpdesk provider, Cognizant

• July 24, 2025 24 Jul'25

  Dutch researchers use heartbeat detection to unmask deepfakes

  Dutch method to counter deepfakes analyses blood flow patterns in faces that current deepfake generation tools cannot yet replicate

• July 24, 2025 24 Jul'25

  Monzo’s £21m fine highlights banks’ cyber security failures

  Monzo’s recent fine over failings in its customer verification processes highlights wider security and privacy shortcomings in the personal finance world

• July 23, 2025 23 Jul'25

  WhatsApp is refused right to intervene in Apple legal action on encryption ‘backdoors’

  Investigatory Powers Tribunal to hear arguments in public over lawfulness of secret UK order requiring Apple to give UK law enforcement access to users’ encrypted data stored on the Apple iCloud

• July 23, 2025 23 Jul'25

  Interview: Is there an easier way to refactor applications?

  We speak to the inventor of OpenRewrite about how enterprise IT can manage code across thousands of source code repros

• July 22, 2025 22 Jul'25

  Microsoft confirms China link to SharePoint hacks

  Microsoft confirms two known China-nexus threat actors, and one other suspected state-backed hacking group, are exploiting vulnerabilities in SharePoint Server

• July 22, 2025 22 Jul'25

  Chinese cyber spies among those linked to SharePoint attacks

  Exploitation of the ToolShell RCE zero-day in Microsoft SharePoint continues to gather pace, with evidence emerging of exploitation by nation state-backed threat actors

• July 22, 2025 22 Jul'25

  UK government to bring in ransomware payment ban

  Critical infrastructure operators, hospitals, local councils and schools will be among those banned from giving in to cyber criminal demands as the UK moves forward with proposals to address the scourge of ransomware

• July 22, 2025 22 Jul'25

  UK government signs partnership with OpenAI

  Deal sees firm behind ChatGPT collaborate with government on AI security research to explore investment opportunities

• July 22, 2025 22 Jul'25

  Interview: How OpenAI is making ChatGPT public and private sector-ready

  We speak to OpenAI’s solution engineering lead, Matt Weaver, about enterprise adoption and making ChatGPT secure

• July 21, 2025 21 Jul'25

  UK may be seeking to pull back from Apple encryption row with US

  UK government officials say that attempts by the Home Office to require Apple to introduce ‘backdoors’ to its secure encrypted storage service will cross US red lines

• July 21, 2025 21 Jul'25

  Darktrace buys network visibility specialist Mira

  AI cyber giant Darktrace buys network security firm Mira for an undisclosed sum, seeking to enhance the tech stack it offers to highly regulated sectors

• July 21, 2025 21 Jul'25

  Patch ToolShell SharePoint zero-day immediately, says Microsoft

  The active exploitation of a dangerous zero-day vulnerability chain in Microsoft SharePoint – which was disclosed over the weekend – is underway. Immediate action is advised

• July 21, 2025 21 Jul'25

  The Security Interviews: Jason Nurse, University of Kent

  Jason Nurse, reader in cyber security at the University of Kent, discusses the psychological side of cyber and online safety, why placing blame on users as ‘the weakest link’ is wrong – and why security pros should think about user needs more

• July 21, 2025 21 Jul'25

  Singapore under ongoing cyber attack from APT group

  Nation-state actor UNC3886 is actively targeting Singapore’s critical national infrastructure in a sophisticated espionage and disruption campaign, with the country mounting a whole-of-government response

• July 21, 2025 21 Jul'25

  Netherlands calls for European shift to post-tracking internet as privacy laws fail

  Dutch research institute argues decade of regulation hasn’t curbed surveillance capitalism, proposes fundamental business model change

• July 18, 2025 18 Jul'25

  NCSC exposes Fancy Bear's Authentic Antics malware attacks

  Amid a new round of UK government sanctions targeting Moscow's intelligence apparatus, the NCSC has formally attributed attacks orchestrated with a cleverly-designed malware to the GRU's Fancy Bear cyber unit

• July 18, 2025 18 Jul'25

  DWP accused of shielding AI deployments from public scrutiny

  Amnesty International and Big Brother Watch say Department for Work and Pensions’ ‘unchecked’ and opaque use of AI in the UK benefits system treats claimants as suspicious and is shielded from public scrutiny

• July 17, 2025 17 Jul'25

  European cyber cops target NoName057(16) DDoS network

  A Europol operation has succeeded in disrupting a pro-Russian hacktivist network accused of conducting DDoS cyber attacks on targets in Ukraine and Europe

• July 17, 2025 17 Jul'25

  Estimated 96% of EMEA financial services sector not ready for DORA

  Research from data backup provider Veeam indicates that vast majority of European financial services firms do not feel ready to meet the resiliency requirements of the EU’s DORA act

• July 17, 2025 17 Jul'25

  Terrorist potential of generative AI ‘purely theoretical’

  UK terror legislation advisor takes stock of the potential for generative artificial intelligence systems to be adopted by terrorists, particularly for propaganda and attack planning purposes, but acknowledges the impact may be limited