Endpoint security

Microsoft appears to reverse VBA macro-blocking

Microsoft quietly reverses VBA macro-blocking across its Office portfolio in a move that has left security experts puzzled Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Amid NSO lawsuit, Apple expands spyware protections

Apple previews a new feature called Lockdown Mode to protect iPhone and iPad users from ‘mercenary spyware’ Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Plexal seeks new scaleups for next phase of Cyber Runway

Established security startups looking to grow and scale their operations are being invited to join the next phase of Plexal’s Cyber Runway programme Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

How to get the right level of cyber insurance

In this week’s Computer Weekly, we look at how the market for cyber insurance is evolving and how to avoid buying the wrong level of cover. We find out what role hydrogen technologies could play in reducing datacentre carbon emissions. And we hear how a 125-year-old bicycle maker is embracing digital innovation. Read the issue now. Continue Reading

Commercial cyber products must be used responsibly, says NCSC CEO

NCSC’s Lindy Cameron is to speak out on responsible regulation of cyber capabilities at an event in Tel Aviv, Israel Continue Reading

By

• 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

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

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

By

• Aaron Tan, TechTarget

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

By

• Aaron Tan, TechTarget

Dundee security research centre opens with support from SBRC

An £18m hub at Abertay University in Dundee forms the centrepiece of Scotland’s first security research cluster Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security 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

By

• 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

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Managing Apple Macs in the enterprise

In this week’s Computer Weekly, with more people working remotely, the use of Apple Macs in the enterprise is growing – we look at how to manage them securely. Our latest buyer’s guide examines security in the supply chain. And 10 years on from the London Olympics, we find out how data innovation is revitalising its legacy. Read the issue now. Continue Reading

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

By

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

Researchers find eight CVEs in single building access system

A series of eight vulnerabilities in Carrier LenelS2 building access panels could enable malicious actors to obtain physical access to their targets Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

CW Europe: Russia escalates cyber war on Ukraine

Microsoft has given details of cyber attacks on Ukrainian civilian communications, nuclear safety authorities, and the exploitation of the destruction of Mariupol in a phishing campaign. Also read about a report on the European Artificial Intelligence Act that suggests a limited ban on predictive policing systems. Continue Reading

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

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Executive interview: Jeetu Patel, general manager of collaboration and security, Cisco

Anyone with an idea can help solve a problem if geography and distance don’t matter when bringing in talent, says Cisco’s collaboration and security chief Continue Reading

By

• Melisa Osores, Managing Editor para América Latina

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

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

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

Singapore doubles down on quantum technology

The city-state is shoring up its quantum talent and quantum device manufacturing capabilities in a bid to advance its knowhow in the emerging technology Continue Reading

By

• Aaron Tan, TechTarget

Rubrik charts data security path

Backup and recovery software provider Rubrik now sees itself as a cyber security company that helps organisations recover from ransomware and other data security threats Continue Reading

By

• Aaron Tan, TechTarget

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

By

• Aaron Tan, TechTarget

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

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Chinese cyber spooks exploit western sanctions on Russia

The actor behind an ongoing Chinese espionage campaign targeting Russian defence research bodies is taking advantage of the Ukraine war in their phishing lures Continue Reading

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

By

• Kim Loohuis

Singapore opens security testing centre

Joint centre set up by the Cyber Security Agency of Singapore and a local university will facilitate security testing and train security evaluation talent Continue Reading

By

• Aaron Tan, TechTarget

Mastercard biometric programme will allow payment authentication by smile

Mastercard is inviting banks and merchants to join a programme to set standards for biometric payments technology Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

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

By

• Aaron Tan, TechTarget

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

By

• Aaron Tan, TechTarget

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

By

• 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

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

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security 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

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

UK government puts pressure on IT sector to clean up app security

Apps can be exploited to carry malicious payloads that steal personal information and cause financial loss – and not enough is being done to secure them Continue Reading

By

• Cliff Saran, Managing 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

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

Coralogix makes foray into cyber security with Snowbit

Observability platform supplier Coralogix has set up a cyber security venture and a global security resource centre in India to tap the growth opportunities in the subcontinent Continue Reading

By

• Pratima Harigunani

The latest salary trends for IT professionals

In this week’s Computer Weekly, the results of our annual salary survey show pay returning to pre-pandemic levels and work-life balance a growing consideration. As sustainability becomes a critical issue, we look at how datacentres can meet emissions targets. And we find out how IT leaders can help protect children online. Read the issue now. Continue Reading

Mimecast makes deeper push into ASEAN

Mimecast opens regional office in Singapore and is looking at setting up a datacentre in Southeast Asia as it makes a deeper push into the region Continue Reading

By

• Aaron Tan, TechTarget

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

By

• Aaron Tan, TechTarget

UAE bolsters cyber security

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

By

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

Zoom adds new round of cyber security enhancements

Videoconferencing platform Zoom adds multiple third-party security certifications and service enhancements Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

How to mitigate edge security threat

The move to the edge expands an organisation’s attack surface. Aaron Tan highlights some measures that organisations can take to minimise their edge security risks 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

Hammers sign Acronis as backup and security in one

West Ham United set to replace separate backup from Veeam and a variety of security products with Acronis Cyber Protect to have backup, data protection and file share on a single platform Continue Reading

By

• Antony Adshead, Storage Editor

Windows 7 and XP still more popular than Windows 11

Lansweeper audit of Windows devices finds more people are running unsupported Windows operating systems than the newest release Continue Reading

By

• Cliff Saran, Managing 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

By

• 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

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Singapore to start licensing cyber security service providers

Those providing penetration testing and SOC services will need to apply for a licence under a new licensing regime that is expected to safeguard consumer interests and improve service standards Continue Reading

By

• Aaron Tan, TechTarget

Raspberry Pi Foundation ditches default username policy

Raspberry Pi owners will no longer be able to use the default ‘pi’ username, as the Raspberry Pi Foundation clamps down on insecure practices Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Apple criticised over unpatched CVEs in Catalina, Big Sur

Apple patched two zero-days in macOS Monterey last week, but did not address the same issue in Catalina or Big Sur, raising questions Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Scoop: Zero Trust Network Access Becomes Your Flexible Friend!

In my last blog, I highlighted the ongoing debate within IT security that is zero trust or, to use the full acronym, ZTNA (Zero Trust Network Access) and that – in theory, at least – it is kind of ... Continue Reading

By

• Steve Broadhead, Broadband Testing

Does Anyone Trust Zero Trust?

Has there been a more over-used term within IT security over the past few years than “zero trust”? Answers in the virtual black box at the back of the virtual room (in the virtual universe). I ... Continue Reading

By

• Steve Broadhead, Broadband Testing

Triple-threat Borat malware no joke for victims

Unlike its namesake, the newly discovered Borat malware won’t raise a smile for IT security pros Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

How remote browser isolation can mitigate cyber threats

Remote browser isolation can help to mitigate browser-based attacks by separating a user’s browsing activity from the device Continue Reading

By

• Aaron Tan, TechTarget

Apple drops emergency patches for two zero-days

Apple has fixed two zero-day vulnerabilities that appear to have been actively exploited in the wild Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Bank fraud prevention scheme blocked £60m in fraud last year

Scheme to catch fraudsters, including online scammers, before they commit their crimes has reported a significant increase in crimes prevented Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Australia to spend A$9.9bn on intelligence and cyber capabilities

The Morrison government is investing in a landmark package of measures to shore up the intelligence and cyber security capabilities of the Australian Signals Directorate Continue Reading

By

• Stephen Withers

Singapore rolls out cyber security certification scheme

Two new cyber security marks are expected to provide an edge for Singapore businesses with good cyber security practices Continue Reading

By

• Aaron Tan, TechTarget

European Commission proposes new cyber security regulations

New cyber and information security regulations have been proposed by the European Commission to create a minimum set of standards in both areas Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

How Lapsus$ exploited the failings of multifactor authentication

Attacks on Nvidia and Okta highlight weak MFA and the risk of employees being bribed or falling victim to social engineering Continue Reading

By

• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor

How India organisations can mitigate cyber threats

Organisations in India will need to invest more in cloud security, gain more visibility into their systems and improve security awareness among employees to fend off cyber attacks Continue Reading

By

• Pratima Harigunani

Biden issues warning about Russian cyber attacks

President Biden has said that US companies running critical infrastructure should immediately harden their defences in anticipation of potential cyber attacks from Russia Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

Details of Conti ransomware affiliate released

Information about a new Conti affiliate has been released by eSentire and BreakPoint Lab after a joint investigation into the group’s indicators of compromise Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

Kaspersky CEO: Ukraine war must end through diplomacy

Eugene Kaspersky speaks out on the war in Ukraine, and rebuffs Germany’s BSI, branding its warnings over his company’s trustworthiness as insulting Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Value of contactless transactions doubles in two years

Almost £166bn was spent in the UK last year using contactless technology, compared with £80.5bn in 2019 Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

How the tech sector is supporting Ukraine

In this week’s Computer Weekly, we examine the global tech sector response to the invasion of Ukraine, and how hackers are responding to calls for an IT army to target Russia. Our latest buyer’s guide looks at cloud-based ERP and other business applications. And IBM’s UK chief tells us how Big Blue is reinventing itself. Read the issue now. Continue Reading

Government to force tech firms to stop fraudsters using their platforms for scams

Changes to legislation will make social media and search engine firms responsible for preventing fraudsters using their platforms to commit crimes Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Microsoft serves up three zero-days on March Patch Tuesday

Three zero-days pop up in Microsoft’s March update, along with a number of other noteworthy concerns for defenders Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

How APAC organisations can mitigate edge security threats

The move to the edge expands an organisation’s attack surface. Here are some measures that organisations can take to minimise their edge security risks Continue Reading

By

• Aaron Tan, TechTarget

Universities need better protection from email-based cyber attacks

The need to educate university staff and students on avoiding email-based cyber attacks is more acute than ever, says Proofpoint’s Adenike Cosgrove Continue Reading

By

• Adenike Cosgrove

Cyber companies step up support for Ukraine

Security companies Bitdefender and Vectra AI are both to offer products and services in support of Ukraine Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

SunSeed malware hits those involved in Ukraine refugee relief

European governments involved in managing the logistics of hundreds of thousands of people fleeing Ukraine have been targeted by a suspected state-backed actor Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

BBC blasted with millions of malicious emails

Responding to an FoI request, the BBC has revealed it receives more than 300,000 malicious email attacks every day Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

ESET details new IsaacWiper malware used on Ukraine

Having been among the first to report on the HermeticWiper malware used against Ukraine last week, ESET has now identified another destructive malware called IsaacWiper Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Cloudflare: Our network is our product

Cloudflare’s chief product officer explains why its network is its product and how it protects organisations against cyber threats Continue Reading

By

• Aaron Tan, TechTarget

The UK’s cyber security sector is thriving, but our work has only just begun

The government’s Annual Cyber Sector Report painted a positive picture of the UK security industry. CIISec’s Amanda Finch thinks we can go further in developing cyber talent and opening up the sector Continue Reading

By

• Amanda Finch, Institute of Information Security Professionals

KnowBe4 cyber drama tackles Colonial Pipeline in fourth season

KnowBe4’s ongoing cyber security training drama, The Inside Man, reaches its fourth season with a plot drawing inspiration from one of the most impactful cyber attacks of 2021 Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

New cyber guidelines to safeguard construction sector

NCSC launches sector-specific security guidance for organisations in the construction industry, with input from the Chartered Institute of Building Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Russia behind dangerous Cyclops Blink malware

Joint NCSC CISA advisory attributes a dangerous malware, dubbed Cyclops Blink, to Russia’s Sandworm APT, likely a GRU unit, with WatchGuard users at particular risk Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

IBM opens cyber security hub in India

Big Blue’s new cyber security hub, comprising a cyber range, software development facilities and a security operations centre, will serve enterprises across the Asia-Pacific region Continue Reading

By

• Aaron Tan, TechTarget

Think nation-state cyber attacks won’t hit you? Think again…

In this week’s Computer Weekly, with Russian state cyber attacks in the news, we find out why security professionals in every organisation need to remain alert. Our buyer’s guide looks at the tools and programmes helping improve IT training. And we look at how the traditional sport of golf is undergoing a digital transformation. Read the issue now. Continue Reading

Zoom gains NCSC Cyber Essentials Plus and NHS security badges

Video platform Zoom has added a number of UK-specific cyber certifications to help it demonstrate its platform is safeguarded against common threats Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Storage and 5G: Big impacts likely as wide-area topologies evolve

Enterprise 5G will boost the need for storage generally. It will also push capacity needs closer to the edge and create new locations for processing and storage Continue Reading

By

• Antony Adshead, Storage Editor

Lawyers say ‘unprecedented’ secrecy deprived EncroChat defendants of fair trials

Lawyers from seven countries say it is impossible for their clients to challenge the accuracy, authenticity, reliability and legality of the evidence against them Continue Reading

By

• Bill Goodwin, Computer Weekly

Red Cross cyber attack the work of nation-state actors

The International Committee of the Red Cross now believes the January 2022 attack on its systems to have been the work of an undisclosed nation state Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

2021 another record year for UK cyber investment

Total revenue generated by the UK’s cyber sector was up 14% last year, and UK-registered security firms raised over £1bn in investment Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Retrospect Backup refines anomaly detection in ransomware battle

StorCentric backup software brand allows customer fine-tuning of anomaly detection in struggle against ransomware, and adds immutable copies via object locking in Azure Continue Reading

By

• Antony Adshead, Storage Editor

Lack of knowledge disastrous for effective security strategy within Dutch companies

Most Dutch companies still haven’t realised that security is an integral part of their IT and company strategy Continue Reading

By

• Kim Loohuis

Microsoft to start blocking macros to thwart malware

Microsoft is making changes to web macro permissions across multiple Office apps to help improve user security Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

The Security Interviews: Building the UK’s future cyber ecosystem

As the government lays out the next iteration of its Cyber Security Strategy, we speak to Plexal and Lorca’s Saj Huq about his work building a cyber ecosystem to support the UK’s future ambitions Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Security Accounts Manager

The Security Accounts Manager (SAM) is a database file in the Microsoft Windows operating system that contains usernames and passwords. Continue Reading

By

• Katie Terrell Hanna

Check Point looks to plug ASEAN’s cyber security gap

Check Point is shoring up its sales force and partner ecosystem to address the cyber security needs of small and mid-sized businesses in a region that is highly targeted by threat actors Continue Reading

By

• Aaron Tan, TechTarget

BlackCat crew supposedly behind OilTanking ransomware heist

Preliminary reports from Germany’s national cyber authority indicate the recent OilTanking ransomware attack may have been the work of the BlackCat group Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Zero-trust to soar in 2022, but dogged by implementation challenges

IT leaders are keen to invest in zero-trust, but face issues around a lack of expertise, and selling the concept into the C-suite Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

What neurodivergent people really think of working in cyber security

Many firms are filling cyber security skills gaps by hiring neurodivergent talent – but more support is needed for neurodivergent cyber security professionals, writes autistic tech journalist Nicholas Fearn Continue Reading

By

• Nicholas Fearn

Korean researchers invent silk-based security device

Experts from the Gwangju Institute of Science have built a digital security device based on natural silk fibres that they claim is practically unbreachable Continue Reading

By

• Aaron Tan, TechTarget

MPs to debate landmark IoT security law

Proposed bill mandates tighter protections for connected products, and adds new rules for broadband roll-out into the bargain Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Cyber Essentials programme gets biggest update since launch

NCSC implements a thorough revision of its Cyber Essentials scheme to reflect the changing security landscape Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Digital surveillance of remote workers may increase enterprise risk

From productivity tools to security threats, we explore how digital surveillance is forcing remote workers towards shadow IT. Continue Reading