News
Privacy and data protection
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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
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August 27, 2021
27
Aug'21
Are proposed data protection changes a threat to UK citizens’ privacy?
Though changes are as-yet undefined pending an upcoming consultation, concerns are already being expressed over the government’s plan to liberalise data protection laws in the service of innovation and growth
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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
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August 26, 2021
26
Aug'21
Government unveils post-Brexit data flow proposals
The government will pursue data partnerships with countries including Australia, South Korea and the US as part of a post-Brexit data regime that may also see substantial changes to the UK’s data protection law
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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
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August 24, 2021
24
Aug'21
Over a million opt out of NHS data-sharing
Failure to communicate benefits of data-sharing proposals and privacy concerns are prompting large numbers of people to opt out of a proposed NHS Digital scheme
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August 24, 2021
24
Aug'21
Campaign groups claim police have bypassed Parliament with plans for live facial-recognition tech
Civil society groups call for Parliament to scrutinise the use of live facial-recognition cameras
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August 24, 2021
24
Aug'21
More data breaches in Australia arising from ransomware
The number of data breaches in Australia arising out of ransomware attacks grew by 24% during the first half of 2021, according to OAIC’s latest data breach report
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August 23, 2021
23
Aug'21
Flexxon and Lenovo tie up on AI-infused SSDs
Singapore-based Flexxon teams up with Lenovo to make its solid-state drive that uses artificial intelligence to fend off cyber threats available on ThinkPad-based laptops
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August 19, 2021
19
Aug'21
Pub apps harvesting swathes of customer data unnecessarily
Some pub and restaurant chain apps demand data such as gender and marital status, raising eyebrows among privacy campaigners
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August 18, 2021
18
Aug'21
Global VPN downloads soar in first half of 2021
Song remains the same with VPNs as repressive regimes’ continued regulatory demands and remote working see virtual private network usage rocket over the first six months of the year
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August 17, 2021
17
Aug'21
Educational publisher Pearson fined for data breach cover-up
Securities and Exchange Commission says publisher misled its investors over the extent of a 2018 data breach
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August 17, 2021
17
Aug'21
Security Think Tank: Building privacy-preserving apps and platforms
ISACA’s Gaurav Deep Singh Johar explores how to embed privacy practices into digital platform architecture
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August 16, 2021
16
Aug'21
ICO consults public on personal data in employment practices
The ICO has launched a public consultation on employers’ use of personal data to help it provide practical guidance for both businesses and workers
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August 16, 2021
16
Aug'21
Nearly half of retailers hit by ransomware in 2020
In the face of increasingly prevalent and sophisticated ransomware attacks, retail organisations need to develop alternative ways of restoring lost or encrypted data, as paying the ransom does not guarantee its return in almost a third of cases
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August 13, 2021
13
Aug'21
UN special rapporteurs call for surveillance tech moratorium
In the wake of revelations about NSO Groups Pegasus spyware, a number of special rapporteurs from the United Nations are re-igniting calls for a global moratorium on the sale and transfer of surveillance technologies
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August 13, 2021
13
Aug'21
Cyber Runway programme supports new security businesses
The Cyber Runway programme is a government-backed scheme to support entrepreneurs, startups and scaleups in launching and growing new security businesses
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August 13, 2021
13
Aug'21
Hospitals see cyber security investment as a low priority
Almost half of hospitals have experienced an IT shutdown as a result of a cyber attack in the past six months, but just over one in 10 hospital executives see cyber security investment as a high priority
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August 12, 2021
12
Aug'21
ICO consults on new international data transfer agreement
Information Commissioner’s Office to consult on its draft international data transfer agreement and guidance, which will replace standard contractual clauses to protect personal data during overseas transfers
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August 11, 2021
11
Aug'21
US wins bid to widen grounds of appeal in Julian Assange extradition case
The US government accused medical expert professor Michael Kopelman of misleading the court by failing to disclose details of Assange’s relationship
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August 11, 2021
11
Aug'21
Microsoft fixes seven critical bugs on light Patch Tuesday
All seven critical vulnerabilities in Microsoft’s August Patch Tuesday were related to remote code execution, and there was one zero-day related to Windows Update Medic Service
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August 11, 2021
11
Aug'21
The Netherlands still lacks digital resilience, says report
Report by National Coordinator for Counterterrorism and Security says the Netherlands’ digital resilience has improved, but is still insufficient
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August 10, 2021
10
Aug'21
Ransomware demands and payments hit new records
Ransomware groups continue to intensify their operations as ransom demands and payments increase alongside use of “quadruple extortion” tactics during first half of 2021
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August 10, 2021
10
Aug'21
Dutch lead the way in protecting themselves against internet risks
Dutch citizens come top in a study on awareness of internet risks in Europe, which showed major differences across the continent
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August 10, 2021
10
Aug'21
Researchers uncover database with 126 million unsecured records
Business-to-business marketing firm OneMoreLead was storing tens of millions of records in an unsecured database, exposing at least 63 million people to fraud, identify theft and phishing campaigns
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August 09, 2021
09
Aug'21
Possible ransomware attack hits Italian vaccine booking system
It is still unclear who is behind the attack that caused Covid-19 vaccine bookings in Lazio, Italy, to grind to a halt, as despite masses of files being encrypted no specific ransom demands have been made for the decryptor
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August 06, 2021
06
Aug'21
Apple unveils plans to scan US iPhones for child sex abuse images
Apple will introduce child sexual abuse material detection for US users later this year, but some experts are worried that the technology could be repurposed to scan phones for other kinds of content
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August 05, 2021
05
Aug'21
BlackMatter goes on the record about DarkSide and REvil links
BlackMatter gives details of its ransomware-as-a-service operation and distinguishes itself from now-defunct ransomware gangs in interview with cyber security analysts from Recorded Future
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August 04, 2021
04
Aug'21
Six Isle of Wight schools hit by ransomware attack
Authorities are still working to manage the fallout from the attack, which has already forced at least one school to delay the start of the new term in September
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August 04, 2021
04
Aug'21
Leading venture capital firms are failing to protect human rights
Venture capital firms and high-profile tech accelerators are not conducting human rights due diligence on their investments, which means they cannot be sure the companies they invest in are not causing, or contributing to, human rights abuses
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August 03, 2021
03
Aug'21
Destruction and integrity cyber attacks on the rise
Cyber security professionals have reported a sharp rise in debilitating attacks aimed at destroying or manipulating data
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August 02, 2021
02
Aug'21
Government publishes second version of digital identity trust framework
The second iteration of the framework, still in alpha version, sets out how organisations can become certified digital identity service providers
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July 29, 2021
29
Jul'21
Investigatory Powers Tribunal finds UK spy agencies unlawfully collected personal data
Campaign groups Privacy International and Liberty are gearing up to bring further legal action after a court found that UK spy agencies unlawfully collected phone and internet records
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July 28, 2021
28
Jul'21
Almost half unaware of GP data-sharing plans
Around half of adults in England – approximately 20 million people – remain unaware of the scope of the NHS GPDPR programme, prompting calls for a public education campaign
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July 27, 2021
27
Jul'21
ICO ends its involvement in dispute between NatWest Bank and data breach whistleblower
The Information Commissioner’s Office has ended its involvement in a dispute between a data breach whistleblower and NatWest bank
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July 27, 2021
27
Jul'21
US lawmakers call for probe into ‘arrogant’ spyware firm
US members of Congress have called for an investigation into NSO Group, the spyware supplier at the centre of a massive surveillance scandal
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July 27, 2021
27
Jul'21
TikTok sets up cyber security hub in Dublin
Dublin-based cyber centre will oversee the security of TikTok’s users across Europe
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July 27, 2021
27
Jul'21
How IBM is solving the data privacy problem
IBM’s fully homomorphic encryption technology lets enterprises apply analytics and machine learning to encrypted data without compromising data privacy
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July 26, 2021
26
Jul'21
No More Ransom initiative saves £850m over five years
Initiative’s free ransomware decryption tools have been used by more than six million people since 2016
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July 25, 2021
25
Jul'21
Tokyo 2020 hit by data breach
The user names and passwords of Tokyo 2020 ticket holders and event volunteers were reportedly compromised, but government official claims the data leak was not large
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July 25, 2021
25
Jul'21
OAIC: Uber failed to protect personal data of Australians
Uber did not take reasonable steps to protect Australians’ personal information from unauthorised access, says Australia’s national privacy watchdog
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July 21, 2021
21
Jul'21
France’s Macron among alleged Pegasus targets
Data relating to devices used by French president Emmanuel Macron and the head of the World Health Organization, among others, has been uncovered in a dataset linked to government use of spyware
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July 20, 2021
20
Jul'21
NCSC’s Cameron urges deeper cyber alliance-building
Speaking to an event in Israel, NCSC CEO Lindy Cameron has praised joint UK-Israeli efforts on security collaboration
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July 20, 2021
20
Jul'21
NHS Digital tightens rules for GPDPR data scrape
The proposed collection of patient data held by GPs will now only commence when three key criteria have been fulfilled, says NHS Digital
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July 19, 2021
19
Jul'21
UK, US confirm Chinese state backed MS Exchange Server attacks
UK and US governments, alongside the EU and Nato, have formally attributed the March 2021 Microsoft Exchange Server attacks to Chinese state-backed actors
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July 19, 2021
19
Jul'21
Pegasus mobile RAT abused to monitor journalists and activists
Israel-based surveillance specialist NSO Group is facing renewed pressure after it emerged its Pegasus mobile surveillance tool may be being widely abused by repressive regimes
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July 19, 2021
19
Jul'21
Privacy Shield: One year on and companies are still grappling for answers
Activist lawyer Max Schrems and Eduardo Ustaran, partner at Hogan Lovells, look for common ground in a problem with no easy answers
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July 15, 2021
15
Jul'21
Lawyers take EncroChat hacking operation to French supreme court
Lawyers head to French supreme court after appeals court finds EnroChat inception legal under French law
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July 15, 2021
15
Jul'21
Privacy Shield: US surveillance law reforms essential for EU-US data, says EU parliamentary study
EU Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs study calls for major reforms of US spying laws to enable an EU-US data-sharing agreement to replace Privacy Shield
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July 15, 2021
15
Jul'21
Singapore to invest S$50m in ‘digital trust’ capabilities
The Singapore government is pumping in S$50m to bolster research in technologies that will foster digital trust in areas such as privacy protection and identity management