Hackers and cybercrime prevention

Alert over spate of Iran-linked BitLocker attacks

A joint advisory from western cyber agencies warns of a campaign of ‘ongoing malicious activity’ by an Iran-linked APT group exploiting BitLocker to extort its targets Continue Reading

Sky ECC provided free cryptophones to a Canadian police force

Internal emails disclosed in a US court show how Sky Global supplied sample encrypted phones to a Canadian police force before its phone users became subject to an international police investigation Continue Reading

Cryptophone supplier Sky Global takes legal action over US government website seizures

Canadian tech company Sky Global has filed a legal motion claiming that the US government unlawfully seized the company’s internet sites following police investigations into the use of its cryptophones by organised crime Continue Reading

Security startups line up on Cyber Runway

Some 108 cyber security startups representing the UK’s most cutting-edge innovators are to join Plexal’s Cyber Runway accelerator Continue Reading

Zero-days: The next element of the service-based cyber economy?

Digital Shadows researchers have reported on the emergence of zero-days as a service, which could be the next big thing in the cyber criminal underworld Continue Reading

Out of the shadows: The rise of ethical hackers in 2021

Ethical hackers working on the Bugcrowd platform have saved organisations almost $30bn in risk during the Covid-19 pandemic, as the community sheds old stereotypes Continue Reading

One-fifth of NCSC-supported cyber incidents linked to Covid-19

National Cyber Security Centre has helped to thwart multiple cyber incidents that could have seriously disrupted the UK’s response to the pandemic Continue Reading

UK government proposes new rules for digital supply chain security

Proposals could see IT service providers legally required to adhere to the NCSC’s Cyber Assessment Framework, among other things Continue Reading

BT applies Covid-19 R number modelling to threat response

A prototype cyber security tool developed at BT uses epidemiological principles to detect and respond to cyber threats Continue Reading

IT Priorities 2022: APAC enterprises invest in digital future

Nearly two-thirds of enterprises in Asia-Pacific plan to increase their IT budgets next year in areas such as cloud computing and cyber security to secure their digital future Continue Reading

HPE’s Aruba networking unit hit by cyber attack

Undisclosed threat actor compromised data buckets used to run the Aruba Central cloud environment using a stolen access key Continue Reading

Finance ombudsman overturns more than three-quarters of bank decisions on APP fraud

The financial services ombudsman is siding with customers in over 75% of complaints against banks that refuse to repay losses to authorised push payment fraud Continue Reading

Scale of crime-as-a-service economy a growing concern, say researchers

The cyber criminal underground continues its evolution towards a service-based economy Continue Reading

CW Benelux: Dutch IT company rips up the HR rule book for better work-life balance

One Dutch tech firm has used learnings from the pandemic to rip up its HR rule book and implement an official work-from-home policy. In fact, Infolearn has gone further than hybrid working, with a personal mobility budget for staff and a four-day working week, all with retention of full-time salary. Also in this issue, read how Dutch education administrators appear to be underestimating the threat of cyber crime. Continue Reading

Bank of England loses 161 computing devices in three years

Bank cannot account for phones, laptops and tablets that have gone missing over the past three years Continue Reading

The Netherlands still lacks digital resilience, says report

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The Secret IR Insider’s Diary – this is not a fashion show

In the latest pages taken from their diary, the Secret IR Insider reveals why organisations should be worried about every threat, not just the latest and greatest Continue Reading

US seeks to extradite REvil affiliate who attacked Kaseya

US Department of Justice unseals charges against a Ukrainian national accused of being behind the summer 2021 REvil ransomware attack on Kaseya Continue Reading

How a cloud-first strategy helped save animals in the pandemic

In this week’s Computer Weekly, we talk to the RSPCA about how its cloud-first strategy helped to save animals throughout the pandemic. Data warehouses have been part of the IT landscape for 30 years – but are they now old technology, and what’s next? And we assess how Brexit has affected risk and resilience in the datacentre. Read the issue now. Continue Reading

REvil associates arrested in international ransomware crackdown

Two individuals suspected of conducting 5,000 REvil ransomware attacks were arrested by Romanian police last week as an international crackdown on the crime gang gathers pace Continue Reading

Shock horror... Humans used for security validation instead of AI/M-L!

As a judge on the Tech Trailblazers awards, I can assure you of two security-related actuality wotsits: The onslaught of security start-ups is anything but slowing down; this year has seen a record ... Continue Reading

Splunk’s cloud shift is paying off in APAC

Splunk’s Asia-Pacific business is growing faster than the rest of the company, but it’s not resting on its laurels Continue Reading

Immutable snapshots aim to neutralise ransomware

Snapshots – usually immutable anyway – get functionality to stop ransomware intruders moving or deleting snapshots, so customers know they have clean copies of data to restore from Continue Reading

US offers $10m reward for intel on DarkSide ransomware gang

US government puts up a $10m reward for information on the DarkSide ransomware gang, the group that attacked Colonial Pipeline six months ago Continue Reading

The Netherlands works on resilience with large-scale national cyber exercise

For the Netherlands, the biggest challenge in a large-scale cyber crisis is to maintain speed while exercising due care Continue Reading

Spyware firm NSO and others added to US banned Entity List

US government bans target Israeli spyware makers and cyber firms in Russia and Singapore Continue Reading

UK’s Labour Party hit by third-party data breach

Data on Labour Party members was recently compromised in an apparent cyber attack on a third-party data processor Continue Reading

BlackMatter ransomware crew shuts down, leaves victims in a bind

The BlackMatter ransomware gang appears to be winding down its activities, possibly due to pressure from law enforcement Continue Reading

Convicted Silk Road admin stripped of £500k in crypto earnings

Jailed Silk Road administrator Thomas White, aka Cthulhu, has been ordered to hand over more than £490,000 of illicit earnings Continue Reading

What the Budget means for UK technology

In this week’s Computer Weekly, we look through the Chancellor’s Autumn Budget and Spending Review to find what it means for the UK tech sector. As COP26 starts, we assess the green credentials of the IT industry. And we hear one CTO’s experiences of learning the privacy lessons of GDPR. Read the issue now. Continue Reading

Businesses and governments urged to take action over Trojan Source supply chain attacks

Businesses and governments have been put on alert to guard against Trojan Source hacking attacks Continue Reading

Online Safety Bill puts user protection onus on platform providers

The Online Safety Bill will place new duties and responsibilities on online platforms accessible from the UK, but as it currently stands, it contains several grey areas Continue Reading

Changing the rules against cyber attacks

UKRI’s John Goodacre reveals how projects supported by the Digital Security by Design Challenge aim to improve cyber security resilience, beginning with the very fundamentals of computing Continue Reading

CIA sought revenge against Julian Assange over hacking tool leaks, court hears

The CIA discussed kidnapping Julian Assange after WikiLeaks published thousands of documents revealing its arsenal of hacking tools, defence lawyers tell a London court Continue Reading

How ransomware crews pile on the pressure to get victims to pay

Sophos researchers share some of the more common tactics ransomware gangs use to pressurise their victims into paying up Continue Reading

‘No-one extradited from UK to US has committed suicide,’ US tells court in Assange appeal

US government claims that a district judge has given WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange a ‘trump card’ to avoid extradition   Continue Reading

Cyber sector growth exacerbating skills shortage

Data from security association (ISC)² shows demand for cyber pros is still outpacing supply as the sector continues an upward growth trajectory Continue Reading

DarkMarket takedown results in 150 arrests

A coordinated operation by law enforcement has seen 150 taken into custody amid allegations of buying or selling illicit goods on the dark web Continue Reading

Cyber experts on how to nobble a Nobelium attack

A recent spate of attempted Nobelium cyber attacks were mostly unsuccessful, but serve as a reminder to pay attention to some more fundamental aspects of security Continue Reading

Managing cyber risk by integrating supply chains

In this week’s Computer Weekly, our latest Buyer’s Guide examines the security and IT integration challenges of modern supply chains, especially post-pandemic – while we also talk to the CEO of software provider SolarWinds about how the company overcame its huge supply chain attack. And we look at how a small town in Lancashire was chosen as the HQ for the UK’s new National Cyber Force. Read the issue now. Continue Reading

Attempted hack causes Tesco website outage

Retailer’s website and app back after attempted hack caused problems over the weekend Continue Reading

Multi-government operation targets REvil ransomware group

REvil has been forced offline by a multi-government hacking operation, marking the second time in 2021 that the group has gone dark Continue Reading

Airport operator MAG boosts threat visibility with hybrid SOC

With budget concerns weighing heavy during the pandemic, Manchester Airports Group ditched an impending capex-heavy cyber investment in favour of a hybrid managed/in-house approach. Learn more about its experience Continue Reading

APAC organisations warm to zero trust

Two-thirds of APAC organisations have a zero-trust strategy even as they grapple with the lack of skills and other organisational challenges, study finds Continue Reading

US intelligence agencies issue advisory on BlackMatter gang

Joint advisory on ransomware gang warns about potential of further attacks on critical infrastructure providers Continue Reading

LightBasin hackers breach 13 telcos in two years

Hackers have obtained an undisclosed volume of subscriber information and call metadata in a sustained campaign against telecommunications firms Continue Reading

How Samlesbury, Lancashire became the home of the National Cyber Force

The National Cyber Force, a new branch of the military, is gearing up to fight battles in cyber space from the fields of Lancashire. Its presence is expected to bring a high-tech renaissance to the region Continue Reading

No easy fix for vulnerability exploitation, so be prepared

Vulnerability management and disclosure is a tricky business with ethical and business ramifications for software vendors, CISOs and ethical hackers alike – and CISOs sit right in the middle of this Continue Reading

Doing the right thing: How CISOs should approach responsible disclosure

Owen Wright, responsible for penetration testing and adversary simulation at Context, part of Accenture Security, advises how CISOs should approach responsible disclosure Continue Reading

Apple scheme to detect child abuse creates serious privacy and security risks, say scientists

Apple’s plan to automatically scan photos to detect child abuse would unduly risk the privacy and security of law-abiding citizens and could open up the way to surveillance, say the world’s top cryptographic experts Continue Reading

CW APAC, October 2021: Tech Career Guide

Despite marked improvements, tech still faces a diversity problem. In this handbook, focused on cyber security’s gender gap in the Asia-Pacific region, Computer Weekly looks at the mentoring programmes aiming to combat the issue, the career path of IAG’s Elaine Muir, how hacking won Claudean Zheng a job and what else needs to be done to tackle the ongoing gender imbalance Continue Reading

NHS Digital enhances in-house cyber awareness drive

Keep IT Confidential campaign aims to help NHS staff understand more about security threats and learn how to reduce risk Continue Reading

FCA warns over future hybrid working security risks

Earlier this week, the Financial Conduct Authority issued fresh guidance to regulated organisations on keeping hybrid workers safe and secure Continue Reading

Microsoft warns of MysterySnail on October Patch Tuesday

Microsoft has fixed a zero-day that is being actively exploited to deliver a new remote access trojan dubbed MysterySnail to targets Continue Reading

Former signals intel leader named godfather of UK security

Sixth annual Security Serious Unsung Heroes Awards honours former Royal Corps of Signals colonel and infosec pioneer John Doody Continue Reading

Australia unveils ransomware action plan

The Australian government has established a task force to address the ransomware menace and is proposing legislation to mandate reporting of ransomware incidents by businesses Continue Reading

Microsoft thwarts mega-DDoS attack on Azure platform

2.4Tbps DDoS attack on an undisclosed Microsoft Azure customer may have been the largest ever attempted against a single target Continue Reading

Malaysia’s highway authority improves DR capabilities

The Malaysian Highway Authority is now more resilient against cyber attacks through a local disaster-recovery-as-a-service offering powered by Veeam software Continue Reading

Covid-19 will loom over cyber strategy for years to come

In remarks delivered to a Chatham House conference, NCSC head Lindy Cameron reflects on the security challenges facing the UK, and sets out some plans for the future Continue Reading

Singapore refreshes cyber security strategy

The city-state updates its national cyber security strategy to shore up the security of critical infrastructure and enterprises while growing its cyber security industry, among other goals Continue Reading

Fast-moving Ryuk campaign targets healthcare organisations

Newly designated FIN12 gang leverages the work of the cyber criminal ecosystem to conduct lightning-fast ransomware attacks Continue Reading

Addressing the backup dilemma to ransomware recovery

Everyone knows good backups are essential if one is to recover from a ransomware attack, but using them effectively poses challenges that IT teams need to know about Continue Reading

Twitch data breach investigations continue

Investigations are ongoing into a 125GB data breach that hit livestreaming platform Twitch, apparently the work of hacktivists Continue Reading

US lawmakers propose ransomware reporting rules

Former presidential candidate Elizabeth Warren lends her support to a bill that would require corporate ransomware victims to disclose more information about their attacks to the authorities Continue Reading

Gaming service Twitch hacked, data leaked

Users of livestreaming platform Twitch may be at risk after a 125GB torrent of data was leaked Continue Reading

Apache web server users urged to patch immediately

New zero-day in Apache HTTP Server is already being actively exploited and must be addressed immediately Continue Reading

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 Continue Reading

Top women in UK tech, AI on puffin island – Computer Weekly Downtime Upload podcast

In this episode, Caroline Donnelly, Clare McDonald and Brian McKenna discuss CW’s annual programme to choose the most influential women in UK tech, as well as Newham Sparks, and puffin-counting AI Continue Reading

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 Continue Reading

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 Continue Reading

Two arrests made in European ransomware investigation

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

Security Think Tank: Embracing vulnerability management for the greater good

When it comes to vulnerability management, CISOs should define a responsible disclosure policy so that they can receive and manage identified vulnerabilities transparently, practically and collaboratively, says Paul Watts of the ISF Continue Reading

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 Continue Reading

JVCKenwood hit by Conti ransomware attack

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

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 Continue Reading

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 Continue Reading

Russia arrests prominent cyber security executive

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

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 Continue Reading

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 Continue Reading

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 Continue Reading

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 Continue Reading

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 Continue Reading

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 Continue Reading

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 Continue Reading

Empowering APAC women on the frontlines of cyber security

In this webinar, we discuss the issues facing women in cyber security, the challenges of breaking into the field and why it’s important to close the gender gap Continue Reading

Facial recognition cannot be a standalone authentication method

As more organisations look to facial recognition to improve their digital identity practices, they must remember that it cannot stand in isolation Continue Reading

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 Continue Reading

Fresh alert over Conti ransomware surge

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

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 Continue Reading

Threat actors target VMware vCenter Server users

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

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 Continue Reading

US sanctions Suex crypto exchange over ransomware links

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

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 Continue Reading

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 Continue Reading

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 Continue Reading

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 Continue Reading

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 Continue Reading

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 Continue Reading

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 Continue Reading

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 Continue Reading