Hackers and cybercrime prevention

Chinese Silkloader cyber attack tool falls into Russian hands

A loader tool used by Chinese cyber criminals seems to have been enthusiastically taken up in recent weeks by Russian ransomware operators Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Microsoft patches Outlook zero-day for March Patch Tuesday

A highly dangerous privilege escalation bug in Outlook is among 80 different vulnerabilities patched in Microsoft’s March Patch Tuesday update Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

NatWest introduces limits on crypto trading to prevent fraud

UK bank says its retail customers will benefit from daily and monthly limits on the amount they can pay into cryptocurrency exchanges Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

NCSC warns over AI language models but rejects cyber alarmism

The UK's NCSC has issued advice for those using the technology underpinning AI tools such as ChatGPT, but says some of the security doomsday scenarios being proposed right now are not necessarily realistic Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

MI5 to oversee new National Protective Security Authority

The new National Protective Security Authority will address various national security threats including state-sponsored cyber espionage against UK targets Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

How ForgeRock is tackling identity management

ForgeRock CEO Fran Rosch has set the identity and access management software supplier on a path to deliver a frictionless identity experience without compromising security or privacy Continue Reading

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• Aaron Tan, Informa TechTarget

Nine in 10 enterprises fell victim to successful phishing in 2022

Egress annual email security risk report breaks down impacts of email-based phishing attacks and data loss, and the effect these can have on organisations in terms of staff retention and morale Continue Reading

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• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

Dutch hospitals underestimate impact of cyber attack

IT failures in acute care organisations in the Netherlands have increased considerably since 2010, affecting patient care and stressing the need to improve IT security in hospitals Continue Reading

By

• Kim Loohuis

What can security teams learn from a year of cyber warfare?

With the passing of the first anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, we reflect on the ongoing cyber war, and ask what security leaders can learn from the past 12 months Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

APAC IT leaders bullish on tech spending

Over half of respondents in this year’s IT Priorities study have bigger IT budgets as they continue to make strategic investments in cyber security, cloud and automation, among other areas Continue Reading

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• Aaron Tan, Informa TechTarget

Flipper Zero explained: What to know about the viral hacker tool

The hacking tool blew up on TikTok. Unlike other TikTok trends, it is a powerful tool that can be used by serious pen testers and a learning device for new hackers. Continue Reading

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• Ben Lutkevich, Site Editor

WH Smith staff data accessed in cyber attack

The retailer has said that customer data has not been affected by the incident as it is held in different systems, and that investigations into the attack are ongoing Continue Reading

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• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

Salt Labs identifies OAuth security flaw within Booking.com

Security flaw in Booking.com OAuth implementation could be used to launch account takeovers, but researchers discovered and flagged the issue before it could be exploited in the wild Continue Reading

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• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

Data breaches in Australia on the rise, says OAIC

Cyber security incidents were the cause of most data breaches, which rose by 26% in the second half of 2022, according to the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner Continue Reading

By

• Stephen Withers

LastPass attack saw employee’s home computer hacked

The ongoing investigation into a series of linked security incidents at LastPass has found that the attacker was successfully able to compromise a developer’s home PC using a vulnerability in a media software package Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

How Dell is future-proofing its business

Dell Technologies is building a more resilient supply chain, investing in growth areas like edge and multicloud, and responding to shifts in consumption models to position itself for long-term growth Continue Reading

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• Aaron Tan, Informa TechTarget

Royal Mail stands firm as LockBit leaks data and renews ransom demand

The LockBit ransomware gang has made good on its threat to leak data exfiltrated from Royal Mail’s systems, but the postal service is not entertaining the possibility of giving in Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

WithSecure proposes ‘undo’ button for ransomware

WithSecure’s Activity Monitor technology supposedly overcomes the shortcomings of sandbox test environments, and may be able to stop ransomware attacks from ever happening Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

ANZ CIOs flag priorities amid inflation concerns

CIOs in Australia and New Zealand are concerned about inflation and plan to adjust their technology priorities to optimise resources and combat cyber threats Continue Reading

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• Stephen Withers

UK forces lead live-fire cyber war exercise

The seven-day Defence Cyber Marvel 2 exercise put cyber responders from 11 countries through their paces Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Researchers find new bug ‘class’ in Apple devices

A group of vulnerabilities in Apple products that stem from the ForcedEntry exploit used by spyware firm NSO constitutes a whole new class of bug, say researchers at Trellix Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Dutch cyber security professionals experience stress akin to soldiers in war zone, claims expert

Cyber attacks are taking a heavy toll on Dutch IT professionals, with over a third reporting that their mental health suffers as a result Continue Reading

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• Kim Loohuis

Royal Mail resumes full export service after cyber attack

Royal Mail resumes the last of its international services as it recovers from a ransomware attack, while the Post Office offers postmasters compensation for their lost business Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

US government Strike Force aims to prevent adversaries from accessing disruptive tech

The US Strike Force law enforcement initiative will target rogue nation-states that pose a national security threat Continue Reading

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• Simone Bateson

Singapore organisations struggle to operationalise threat intelligence

Organisations in the city-state were satisfied with the quality of their threat intelligence, but they struggled to operationalise the information due to talent shortages and other challenges Continue Reading

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• Aaron Tan, Informa TechTarget

Twitter 2FA changes bring more risks than benefits

Twitter’s approach to nudging users away from insecure SMS-based 2FA is being questioned over its logic Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Financial advisory firm Succession Wealth probes cyber attack

Aviva-owned wealth consultancy and financial advisory practice Succession Wealth was hit by an undisclosed security incident on 8 February Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Security Think Tank: New trends and drivers in cyber security training

Self-paced, interactive, bite-sized learning is becoming the optimum path for cyber security training in the workplace, says John Tolbert of KuppingerCole Continue Reading

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• John Tolbert, KuppingerCole

Multi-purpose malwares can use more than 20 MITRE ATT&CK TTPs

Report warns of the development of increasingly sophisticated, multi-purpose malwares, and calls on defenders to play close attention to the MITRE ATT&CK framework to ward them off Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

What charities should know about ransomware and reputational threats

The NCSC recently called for charities to elevate their cyber security practice. Find out why charities are a soft target for cyber criminals, and what they can do to fight back Continue Reading

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• Rob Shapland and Adam Monks

Royal Mail refused to pay £66m LockBit ransom demand, logs reveal

Leaked chat logs reveal Royal Mail has supposedly refused to pay a £66m ransom demand from the LockBit ransomware gang Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Vidar, nJRAT re-emerge as prominent malware threats in January

Trojans and infostealers once again dominate the list of most commonly observed threats, according to Check Point’s latest telemetry Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

UK authorities clamp down on illegal crypto ATMs

The Financial Conduct Authority and West Yorkshire Police have disrupted a number of illegal crypto ATMs Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Researcher exposes crypto scam network exploiting YouTube

A massive network of fake YouTube videos promoted by automated sock puppet accounts is reeling in hundreds of cryptocurrency enthusiasts and persuading them to hand over their money, WithSecure researchers found Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Where next for NHS IT?

In this week’s Computer Weekly, as NHS Digital is folded into NHS England, we consider what the merger could mean for the future of NHS IT. We find out how data science and analytics has become an increasingly important function for the John Lewis Partnership. And we examine the importance of building empathy into metaverse applications. Read the issue now. Continue Reading

How to protect your business from fraud during a recession

This winter, the chilly winds of a global recession have fraudsters turning up the heat. PJ Rohall of SEON Fraud Fighters shares some guidance on how to bundle up against fraud Continue Reading

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• PJ Rohall

Russian spear phishing campaign escalates efforts toward critical UK, US and European targets

Russian hacking group Seaborgium refines its tactics in a continuation of attacks against targets including not-for-profit organisations with geopolitical affiliations Continue Reading

By

• Simone Bateson

Security buyers lack insight into threats, attackers, report finds

The majority of cyber security purchasing decisions are made without proper insight into the attackers organisations are facing, according to a Mandiant report Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Killnet DDoS attacks disrupt Nato websites

A series of distributed denial of service attacks on various public websites belonging to the Nato alliance were largely repelled but some resources remain unavailable Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Cyber security training: How to be as secure as is practicably possible

If you cannot secure all the people all the time, how should a business approach cyber security training and awareness programmes? Continue Reading

By

• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor

Social media platform Reddit breached in phishing attack

An unspecified threat actor obtained access to internal documents, code and business systems at Reddit after stealing employee credentials in a phishing attack Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

UK imposes sanctions on Conti ransomware gang leaders

Seven Russian nationals associated with the Conti and Ryuk ransomware operations have been sanctioned by the UK Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Banking regulatory body wants a ‘tripwire’ to flag APP fraud

Banking code of practice organisation wants banks to monitor where authorised push payment scammers are sending stolen money Continue Reading

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• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

How Check Point is keeping pace with the cyber security landscape

Check Point Software CEO Gil Shwed talks up the company’s growth areas, its approach to cloud security and the impact of generative AI on cyber security Continue Reading

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• Aaron Tan, Informa TechTarget

Security Think Tank: Poor training is worse than no training at all

Bad security training is a betrayal of users, a security risk, and ultimately a waste of money, but there are some reasons to be optimistic about the future, say Mike Gillespie and Ellie Hurst of Advent IM Continue Reading

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• Ellie Hurst, Advent IM
• Mike Gillespie

Russian hacking group Seaborgium targets SNP MP Stewart McDonald

Scottish National Party MP Stewart McDonald says his personal emails have been hacked by a group linked to the Russian state in a targeted phishing attack Continue Reading

By

• Bill Goodwin, Computer Weekly

Prolific social media fraudster jailed for three years

Ramzan Abubakarov of Hendon will serve three-year prison sentence after using Telegram to coordinate series of frauds which netted almost £2m Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Campaigners lament lack of movement on Computer Misuse Act reform

Westminster has opened a new consultation on proposed reforms to the Computer Misuse Act of 1990, but campaigners who want the law changed to protect cyber professionals have been left disappointed Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

LockBit cartel finally claims Royal Mail ransomware attack

The LockBit ransomware gang claims it has stolen sensitive data from Royal Mail and will leak it later this week if its demands go unmet Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

APP fraud reimbursement proposal is ‘fundamentally flawed’, say MPs

MPs claim the involvement of a bank-sponsored organisation in reimbursing victims of APP fraud would be a conflict of interest Continue Reading

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• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Cops make arrests and seize drugs after hacking Exclu encrypted messaging app

Police in the Netherlands, Belgium and Poland raided 80 addresses after covertly intercepting messages from the Exclu encrypted messaging app Continue Reading

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• Bill Goodwin, Computer Weekly

Online banks still riddled with cyber security flaws, report says

Online bank Virgin Money was found to have the weakest online and application security measures in a Which? study but Nationwide, TSB and The Co-Operative Bank all failed on multiple points, too. Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Making IT security training stick

In this week’s Computer Weekly, our latest buyer’s guide looks at IT security training, and asks whether gamification could be the secret to making it stick. We examine how the metaverse might change the way we work in real life. And we find out how job cuts across the tech sector affect employment opportunities for IT contractors in 2023. Read the issue now. Continue Reading

Estonian anti-money laundering platform used to fight APP fraud

A real-time data-sharing platform originally built to identify money laundering is also being applied to the fight against authorised push payment fraud Continue Reading

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• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Post Office branches struggling after Royal Mail cyber attack

Royal Mail has restored almost all of its international services to some extent, but remains unable to accept parcels bought over the counter in a Post Office branch Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Executive interview, Eric Muntz, Mailchimp

We speak to Intuit Mailchimp’s former CTO about how the company manages IT engineering and supports different ways of working Continue Reading

By

• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor

Ransomware operator turns their fire on two-year-old VMware bug

A vulnerability in VMware ESXi servers that users should have patched in 2021 is now being exploited to spread ransomware Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Australian organisations underinvesting in cyber security

Over half of Australian organisations failed to invest enough in cyber security over past three years, though awareness is improving in aftermath of high-profile data breaches Continue Reading

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• Aaron Tan, Informa TechTarget

LockBit gang confirms Ion cyber attack as disruption continues

The LockBit ransomware cartel has taken responsibility for this week’s attack on financial software firm Ion, and is threatening to leak stolen data on Saturday 4 February Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor
• Valéry Rieß-Marchive, Rédacteur en chef

Security Think Tank: In 2023, we need a new way to cultivate better habits

Regular, small adjustments to behaviour offer a better way to keep employees on track and cultivate a corporate culture of cyber awareness, writes Elastic’s Mandy Andress Continue Reading

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• Mandy Andress, Elastic

Security Think Tank: Getting the training and development mix right

Rob Dartnall, CEO at SecAlliance and chair of Crest’s UK Council, describes the need for formal, varied and continuous development in the cyber security sector Continue Reading

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• Rob Dartnall, SecAlliance

North Korea’s Lazarus gang exposes itself in opsec failure

WithSecure researchers linked a campaign of cyber attacks targeting medical research and energy firms to North Korea’s infamous Lazarus APT after a group member accidentally screwed up Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Suspected LockBit ransomware attack causes havoc in City of London

A suspected LockBit ransomware attack on trading software firm Ion has caused chaos for City of London traders Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Arnold Clark customer data was stolen in Play ransomware attack

Arnold Clark confirms data leaked on dark web was stolen from its systems in ransomware attack Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Romance fraudsters stole £65m from Brits since 2020

Online romance fraudsters have scammed Brits out of £65m in the past three years, according to retail bank TSB Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

NCSC for Startups inducts four companies into programme

Four more startups are set to join the NCSC accelerator, which helps the UK government develop technology and approaches to pressing cyber security challenges Continue Reading

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• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

Cisco fixes two bugs that could have led to supply chain attacks on users

Two vulnerabilities uncovered in Cisco hardware could have opened the door to serious supply chain cyber attacks, according to the Trellix researchers who found them Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Cloud security top risk to enterprises in 2023, says study

A PwC study finds senior executives expect cyber attacks on cloud services to increase significantly this year Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

CryptoRom scam abuses Apple and Google app stores to claim victims

Sophos researchers report on two fake apps used by romance scammers to lure victims into parting with their money, both of which were able to escape the attention of Apple and Google app store safeguards Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Malware variant can block contactless payments

Kaspersky warns that the latest variant of the Prilex malware can block contactless payments to force people to insert cards, enabling criminals to steal money Continue Reading

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• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Russian DDoS hacktivists seen targeting western hospitals

A swathe of attacks by the Putin-supporting DDoS operation known as Killnet has targeted hospitals and other infrastructure in several Nato countries, with the UK thought to be at risk Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

GitHub warns Desktop, Atom users after code-signing certificates pinched

Threat actors stole encrypted code-signing certificates for GitHub’s Desktop and Atom applications in December 2022, prompting warnings for users Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Royal Mail recovers more International Tracked services

Royal Mail is making further progress in recovering IT systems hit by a ransomware attack, and has re-enabled another tranche of international export services Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

ATO renews major Macquarie deal

The contract renewal will enable the Australian Tax Office to tap Macquarie’s security operations centre, among other services, to secure its IT environment and protect sensitive data Continue Reading

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• Aaron Tan, Informa TechTarget

Data of 10 million JD Sports customers accessed in cyber attack

Data on 10 million people who shopped online at JD Sports over a two-year period was accessed and potentially stolen in a cyber attack Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Hive ransomware gang taken down after FBI hacks back

The FBI hacked into Hive’s servers, stole its decryption keys and then took down its servers in a major action that has successfully disrupted a prolific and dangerous ransomware operation Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Royal Mail resumes some international parcel services from UK

Royal Mail has successfully stood up its International Tracked and Signed, and International Signed, services as it continues to recover from a ransomware attack Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Zero-trust implementations remain work in progress

Just one in 10 large enterprises are expected to have mature and measurable zero-trust programmes in place by 2026, study finds Continue Reading

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• Aaron Tan, Informa TechTarget

NCSC exposes Iranian, Russian spear-phishing campaign targeting UK

Spear-phishing campaigns likely linked to Iranian and Russian espionage activity are targeting persons of interest in the UK, warns the NCSC Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

10 best cybersecurity podcasts to check out

Cybersecurity podcasts are an excellent way to raise cybersecurity awareness. Discover the top 10 cybersecurity podcasts and learn how to select the best ones for your playlist. Continue Reading

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• Kinza Yasar, Technical Writer

Arnold Clark cyber attack claimed by Play ransomware gang

A cyber attack that struck car dealer Arnold Clark prior to Christmas has been claimed as the work of the Play ransomware cartel Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Boards struggle to resolve cyber risk in digital supply chains

Accelerated digitisation of supply chains is introducing more cyber risk for which many organisations seem unprepared, according to the BSI’s annual report on supply chain risk Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Japan researchers develop new data encryption method

Researchers from Tokyo University of Science have combined the best of homomorphic encryption and secret sharing in a new method to handle encrypted data Continue Reading

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• Aaron Tan, Informa TechTarget

Chinese IoT suppliers expose UK businesses to espionage and data theft

Chinese companies supplying network components, known as IoT modules, post a greater long-term threat to UK security than the now banned 5G supplier Huawei, according to a study by a Chinese expert and former diplomat Continue Reading

By

• Bill Goodwin, Computer Weekly

UK insurers need to up their game on cyber gaps, says PRA

Gaps and limitations in how insurers respond to cyber risk need to be addressed, according to the Bank of England regulator, the Prudential Regulation Authority Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

SSRF attacks hit 100,000 businesses globally since November

There has been a dramatic increase in attacks exploiting the ProxyNotShell/OWASSRF exploit chains to target Microsoft Exchange servers Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

backdoor (computing)

A backdoor attack is a means to access a computer system or encrypted data that bypasses the system's customary security mechanisms. Continue Reading

By

• Ben Lutkevich, Site Editor
• Brien Posey

Fake online contest makes Yahoo! most phished brand of Q4 2022

Yahoo! was the most frequently phished brand during the last three months of 2022, according to a report Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

The rise of fraud in pop culture is impacting consumers’ digital trust

Shows such as The Tinder Swindler and Inventing Anna were big money-earners for Netflix in 2022, but Onfido’s Mike Tuchen says their popularity risks damaging consumer trust Continue Reading

By

• Mike Tuchen

NCSC warning over cyber risk to charity sector

Cash-strapped charities without the resource to tackle their resilience deficit are increasingly at risk from malicious actors, says the NCSC Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Royal Mail making limited progress on ransomware recovery

Royal Mail asks customers to hold back from sending post overseas as some services get back on track, while a report warns that disruptive attacks on critical infrastructure are set to become more common Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

International post resumes thanks to Royal Mail ‘workarounds’

Royal Mail has resumed limited international services after putting in place operational workarounds to bypass the impact of a ransomware attack Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

KFC, Pizza Hut parent shuts UK restaurants after cyber attack

A ransomware attack on Yum! Brands, the parent organisation of restaurants including KFC and Pizza Hut, was forced to shut approximately 300 outlets in the UK following a ransomware attack by an unspecified group Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Fraudsters and cyber criminals stole more than £4bn in the UK through 2022

The amount of money stolen by fraudsters and cybercriminals in the UK saw a huge increase in 2022 Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Mailchimp suffers third breach in 12 months

Email marketing service Mailchimp has suffered its third data breach in a year, but has been praised for being open about its latest attack Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Ukraine CERT leaders touch down in London for talks

The UK’s NCSC has been hosting Ukrainian cyber security leaders for a round of bilateral talks on improving resilience Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

David Anderson KC to review UK surveillance laws

Home Office commissions independent review of the Investigatory Powers Act, known as the snoopers’ charter. It will include a review of bulk datasets and government access to internet connection records held by phone and internet companies Continue Reading

By

• Bill Goodwin, Computer Weekly

Oracle and CBI: companies cautious, selective in 2023 IT, business investment

Oracle and the CBI are seeing much the same picture of cautious technology investment of UK businesses in 2023, in the context of long Covid and the energy price inflation crisis Continue Reading

By

• Brian McKenna, Enterprise Applications Editor

Ukraine cyber teams responded to more than 2,000 attacks in 2022

The Ukrainian authorities responded to more than 2,000 major cyber incidents during 2022, and are blocking thousands more potential attacks every day Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Cloudflare urged to clamp down on pirates, counterfeiters

A whitepaper produced by brand protection specialist Corsearch calls on Cloudflare to do more to stop online content piracy and sales of counterfeit goods Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor