Hackers and cybercrime prevention

Security Think Tank: Facing the challenge of zero trust

In theory, the elimination of trust on the network simplifies IT security, but zero trust also brings new complications and new challenges. How should CISOs go about moving their organisations from traditional network security to a zero-trust architecture? Continue Reading

By

• Eoin Keary

Ethics and the internet – how to build a web we can trust

In this week’s Computer Weekly, we examine the steps being taken to ensure the future development of the web is ethical and open. We discuss the UK’s cyber security skills gap and ask what more the government should be doing. And we find out how cloud technology could help people stop smoking. Read the issue now. Continue Reading

Can the UK government’s efforts solve the cyber skills gap?

There has been an active effort by the UK government to tackle the lack of skills in the cyber security space – but is it enough? Continue Reading

NHS adds supplier security audits to procurement platform

A new feature in the NHS’s Edge4Health procurement platform will help NHS suppliers improve their cyber security posture and NHS organisations make better buying decisions Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Security Think Tank: Zero trust – just another name for the basics?

In theory, the elimination of trust on the network simplifies IT security, but zero trust also brings new complications and new challenges. How should CISOs go about moving their organisations from traditional network security to a zero-trust architecture? Continue Reading

By

• Tim Holman, 2-sec

Davos: The clock is ticking on climate change but cyber crime and emerging technologies add to risks

Climate change, natural disasters, extreme weather and loss of biodiversity are the greatest risks we face. With cyber conflicts, state-sponsored hacking and internet fragmentation, doing nothing is not an option, says the World Economic Forum Continue Reading

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• Bill Goodwin, Computer Weekly

UK police arrest three over Maltese cyber bank robbery

The NCA has made three arrests in Belfast and London following an investigation into money laundering linked to a cyber heist on a bank in Malta Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

NCSC launches study on cyber security diversity

The UK’s National Cyber Security Centre wants to improve the diversity of the cyber security sector Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

First coronavirus cyber threats seen in the wild

Kaspersky has reported the first incidences of cyber security threats playing on fears of the emerging coronavirus Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

UK cyber security sector worth more than £8bn

The UK’s cyber security industry employs 43,000 full-time workers, and contributed nearly £4bn to the UK economy in 2019, according to DCMS Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

NHS suffers fewer ransomware attacks, but threat persists

Ransomware attacks against the NHS have tapered off dramatically, according to statistics obtained under FoI legislation, but this does not mean the threat has diminished Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Fintechs fear deepfake fraud

New research reveals the majority of CISOs working in the financial services sector are increasingly concerned about the potential use of deepfakes Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Interpol uncovers cyber crime operation in Indonesia

An Interpol-coordinated cyber operation leads to the arrest of three people in Indonesia who allegedly used a JavaScript-sniffer malware to steal payment card details of online shoppers Continue Reading

By

• Aaron Tan, TechTarget

UK in catch-22 decision over Huawei security

The UK’s final decision on whether to permit mobile operators to use Huawei equipment is expected imminently, and its decision will have ramifications far beyond the technology sphere Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Government tightens law around IoT cyber security

New legislation developed by DCMS and the NCSC may help guarantee the security and privacy of users of consumer IoT devices Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Security Think Tank: Bug bounties are changing the image of hackers

The traditional picture of a hacker is of a script kiddie in a hoodie hunched over a computer keyboard, but this stereotype is stale and outdated. Is it time to move away from a fear-based approach to security? Continue Reading

By

• Paul Holland, Information Security Forum

SANS Institute calls on Manchester security pros

Manchester will play host to a week-long cyber security training event during February Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Cyber gangsters publish staff passwords following ‘Sodinokibi’ attack on car parts group Gedia

Sodinokibi hacking group steps up pressure on German automotive manufacturer by publishing information, including the CEO’s computer password and sensitive details of its IT systems, on the internet Continue Reading

By

• Bill Goodwin, Computer Weekly

NHS alerted to severe vulnerabilities in GE health equipment

A series of vulnerabilities in patient monitoring equipment manufactured by General Electric could have left patient data exposed in hospitals around the world, including the UK Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Milan hosts Cisco’s first European security innovation unit

Cisco has cut the ribbon on its first Cyber Security Co-Innovation Centre in Europe, at Milan’s Leonardo da Vinci Science and Technology Museum Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Travelex hackers shut down German car parts company Gedia in massive ‘cyber attack’

Car parts manufacturer says cyber attack will have far-reaching consequences for its business, and it has put emergency plans in place to continue deliveries Continue Reading

By

• Bill Goodwin, Computer Weekly

CISOs fear becoming the next Travelex

Poll of security professionals by the organisers of the Infosecurity Europe trade fair highlights huge gaps in incident response capabilities Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Seven projects funded to explore CAV security

The winners of the Cyber Securities Feasibility Studies contest, exploring cyber security for self-driving cars, have been revealed Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Six disaster recovery pitfalls and how to avoid them

We look at some key pitfalls in disaster recovery, such as failing to plan, not testing the plan, not protecting backups, poor communication and neglecting the human element Continue Reading

By

• Stephen Pritchard

Citrix releases IoC scanner for ADC and Gateway vulnerabilities

As patches for its compromised NetScaler ADC and Gateway products begin to roll out, Citrix enlists FireEye Mandiant to develop an indicator of compromise scanner for end-users Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Internal error left Microsoft customer service data exposed

Customer service and support records of nearly 250 million Microsoft customers left exposed after database misconfiguration Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Computer Misuse Act ‘crying out for reform’

Group of campaigners says the Computer Misuse Act of 1990 risks criminalising cyber security professionals and needs reforming Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

ICO code sets out digital privacy standards for children

The Information Commissioner’s Office has published its Age Appropriate Design Code, a set of 15 standards that online platforms must meet to protect the privacy of younger users Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

5G builders test vulnerabilities in Finnish hackathon

University hackathon puts 5G security to the test as new wireless technology’s roll-out nears Continue Reading

By

• Gerard O'Dwyer

High-street banks face disruption three weeks after Travelex hack

Foreign exchange services still disrupted, three weeks after Travelex received a $6m ransom demand from cyber gangsters Continue Reading

By

• Bill Goodwin, Computer Weekly

Don’t become the next Travelex: Get ready for ransomware

With Travelex’s IT still in disarray and banks and travellers left without access to funds more than a week after it was hit by a ransomware attack, we ask what others can learn from the foreign exchange services company’s response to the incident. Continue Reading

How to avoid becoming the next Travelex

In this week’s Computer Weekly, we look at the lessons learned from the ransomware attack on Travelex and how other firms can avoid the same fate. As Microsoft ends support for Windows 7, we examine the issues for the many remaining users of the operating system. And healthcare CIOs explain the tech challenges facing the NHS. Read the issue now. Continue Reading

Security Think Tank: Teens in basements don’t represent a positive security culture

The traditional picture of a hacker is of a script kiddie in a hoodie hunched over a computer keyboard, but this stereotype is stale and outdated. Is it time to move away from a fear-based approach to security? Continue Reading

By

• Maxine Holt, Omdia

App developers sue Facebook over ‘anti-competitive conduct’

Lawsuit is based on leaked internal Facebook documents obtained and published by Computer Weekly and NBC last year Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

NCSC makes final call for entries to CyberFirst Girls contest

Entry to the National Cyber Security Centre’s CyberFirst Girls 2020 competition is about to close Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Emotet reinvigorated after Christmas break

The high-volume Emotet campaign is back in action after the Christmas holidays, and is just as dangerous as ever Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Cops take down data wholesale operation

The Police Service of Northern Ireland and the Dutch cyber crime unit have made two arrests in an operation targeting a website that provided criminals with access to billions of personal credentials Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

A quarter of users will fall for basic phishing attacks

Phishing emails that appear to be security alerts are the most effective method of compromise, says KnowBe4 Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Lorca announces new cohort of 20 security scaleups

20 scaleups will focus their attention on automation, zero trust and supply chain security Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Travelex warns customers to be alert to phone scams

Under-fire forex provider warns that criminals may try to take advantage of its predicament to scam customers Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

LGBTQ+ social app Grindr accused of breaching GDPR

Norwegian Consumer Council files complaints about LGBTQ+ social networking app, alleging it is in breach of the General Data Protection Regulation Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

NSA Windows 10 security disclosure raises questions

In an unprecedented move, the NSA has got out in front of a critical cryptographic flaw in Windows 10, but in doing so has raised multiple questions Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Threat landscape grew in complexity in 2019, no respite in sight

Check Point’s annual state of security report shares some 2019 trends and looks ahead to 2020 Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Two-thirds of UK healthcare organisations breached last year

The majority of healthcare organisations in the UK experienced a cyber security incident during 2019, with almost half the result of viruses and malware introduced on third party devices Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Researchers find cryptojacker hiding in Wav audio file

Victim network was compromised by obfuscated malware hiding a Monero cryptominer, lurking inside a Wav audio file Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Podcast: The Computer Weekly Downtime Upload – Episode 42

In this week’s episode of the Computer Weekly Downtime Upload podcast, Caroline Donnelly, Clare McDonald and Brian McKenna greet the new decade with reflections on the Travelex ransomware attack and Dominic Cummings’ call for data science to rejuvenate Whitehall. And they take stock of the retail sector’s grim 2019, while remembering to mention the big story of the moment: Harry and Meghan Continue Reading

By

• Caroline Donnelly, Senior Editor, UK
• Clare McDonald, Business Editor
• Brian McKenna, Enterprise Applications Editor

Cyber criminals spend three months lurking in target networks

Cyber criminals are spending longer hiding in target networks before launching their attacks, as more organised groups turn to business disruption to achieve their objectives Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Turn the end of Windows 7 support into a security advantage

CISOs can take advantage of the end of support for Microsoft Windows 7 by making the case for more investment in cyber security Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Citrix NetScaler vulnerabilities won’t be patched until end of January

Some vulnerabilities identified in Citrix products will not be fully patched until the end of January 2020 Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Sextortion campaign hits Nest home security cameras

Owners of Google’s Nest home security cameras are being targeted in a sextortion scam by criminals playing on fears over IoT security Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Travelex to begin restoring foreign exchange services two weeks after ‘Sodinokibi’ attack

Travelex says it is making “good progress” in its recovery and is to begin restoring electronic foreign exchange services, but is silent about whether it has agreed to pay hackers a $6m ransom to decrypt computer files Continue Reading

By

• Bill Goodwin, Computer Weekly

National Lottery hacker jailed for nine months

Small-time cyber criminal jailed for his role in a cyber attack on lottery operator Camelot that netted him just £5 Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Learning from the Travelex cyber attack: Failing to prepare is preparing to fail

The key lesson to take from the Travelex breach is that an effective response to a breach is a critical business function and no longer the sole province of the IT department Continue Reading

By

• Brian Honan, BH Consulting

Security Think Tank: Hooded hackers? More like ruthless competitors

The traditional picture of a hacker is of a script kiddie in a hoodie hunched over a computer keyboard, but this stereotype is stale and outdated. Is it time to move away from a fear-based approach to security? Continue Reading

By

• Vladimir Jirasek, Foresight Cyber

Travelex hackers threaten to sell credit card data on dark web

Sodinokibi cyber gangsters have threatened to sell Travelex customers’ private data on a Russian underground cyber crime forum if it fails to pay a $6m ransom Continue Reading

By

• Bill Goodwin, Computer Weekly

Retail group Dixons Carphone fined £500,000 over data breach

Dixons Carphone receives maximum possible pre-GDPR fine from the ICO following a 2018 data breach Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Don’t become the next Travelex: Get ready for ransomware

With Travelex’s IT still in disarray and banks and travellers left without access to funds more than a week after it was hit by a ransomware attack, we ask what others can learn from the foreign exchange services company’s response to the incident Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

PowerTrick backdoor used to target high-value businesses

Threat actors are exploiting a PowerShell-based backdoor called PowerTrick to go after high-value targets, warns SentinelLabs Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Whisper it… but could a cyber attack be good for your career?

All too often it’s the CISO who carries the can for an enterprise security failure, but this might not be a bad thing. There’s lots of evidence to suggest that falling victim to a cyber attack may actually enhance your CV Continue Reading

By

• Sooraj Shah

Security Think Tank: Changing attitudes to cyber is a team sport

The traditional picture of a hacker is of a script kiddie in a hoodie hunched over a computer keyboard, but this stereotype is stale and outdated. Is it time to move away from a fear-based approach to security? Continue Reading

By

• Petra Wenham

Why the banking industry needs an IT makeover

UK banks face huge challenges keeping their service availability levels at 99.99% Continue Reading

By

• Sascha Giese

TikTok video-sharing app left user data exposed

Check Point uncovered serious vulnerabilities in the TikTok video-sharing app that left users exposed Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Security Think Tank: Hero or villain? Creating a no-blame culture

The traditional picture of a hacker is of a script kiddie in a hoodie hunched over a computer keyboard, but this stereotype is stale and outdated. Is it time to move away from a fear-based approach to security? Continue Reading

By

• Paddy Francis

Facebook to ban deepfake videos

New policy closes some loopholes around misinformation, but seems to leave others wide open Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Broadcom flogs Symantec enterprise security unit to Accenture

Acquisition is set to make Accenture a global leader in managed cyber security services Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Security Think Tank: Get your users to take pride in security

The traditional picture of a hacker is of a script kiddie in a hoodie hunched over a computer keyboard, but this stereotype is stale and outdated. Is it time to move away from a fear-based approach to security? Continue Reading

By

• Cate Pye, PA Consulting

Cyber gangsters demand payment from Travelex after ‘Sodinokibi’ attack

Cyber criminals are demanding payment to decrypt Travelex’s computer files after a devastating malware attack. New questions have been raised about the security of Travelex’s computer network after it emerged the company waited eight months to patch vulnerable VPN servers Continue Reading

By

• Bill Goodwin, Computer Weekly

Iran likely to hit back with cyber attacks, security experts warn

The possibility of cyber attack by threat groups acting on behalf of the Iranian government has dramatically increased following US actions in Iraq Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

UK cyber security boss Ciaran Martin to step down

NCSC chief Ciaran Martin will leave his post in the summer of 2020 Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Security Think Tank: Let’s call time on inciting fear among users

The traditional picture of a hacker is of a script kiddie in a hoodie hunched over a computer keyboard, but this stereotype is stale and outdated. Is it time to move away from a fear-based approach to security? Continue Reading

By

• Andrew Morris, Turnkey Consulting

Supply chain vulnerabilities rear their ugly head – again

In yet another example of the risks of supply chain vulnerabilities, Singapore’s Ministry of Defence (Mindef) recently disclosed that the confidentiality of its personnel's personal data could have ... Continue Reading

By

• Aaron Tan, TechTarget

Suspected ransomware attack causes worldwide disruption for Travelex

Travelex switches off computer systems and resorts to cash-only currency sales after malware attack. Insiders claim the currency exchange chain has been hit by ransomware which has left critical files containing customer data encrypted Continue Reading

By

• Bill Goodwin, Computer Weekly

How Darktrace is riding the AI boom

Cyber security firm known for its artificial intelligence smarts doubled its headcount across Asia-Pacific last year in key markets including Australia and South Korea Continue Reading

By

• Aaron Tan, TechTarget

California’s CCPA an opportunity for security industry to do better

California’s consumer protection and data privacy laws came into effect on 1 January 2020, and present a golden opportunity for the cyber security practitioners Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Top 10 ASEAN IT stories of 2019

Here are Computer Weekly’s top 10 ASEAN IT stories of 2019 Continue Reading

By

• Aaron Tan, TechTarget

Can the UK government’s efforts solve the cyber skills gap?

There has been an active effort by the UK government to tackle the lack of skills in the cyber security space – but is it enough? Continue Reading

By

• Cath Everett

Top 10 enterprise IT in the Benelux region stories of 2019

Here are Computer Weekly’s top enterprise IT stories from the Benelux region over the past year Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Top 10 cyber crime stories of 2019

Here are Computer Weekly’s top 10 cyber crime stories of 2019 Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Top 10 cyber security stories of 2019

Here are Computer Weekly’s top 10 cyber security stories of 2019 Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Finnish government supports local authorities in cyber security initiative

The Finnish government has committed resources to a cyber security project aimed at local authorities Continue Reading

By

• Gerard O'Dwyer

Group-IB CEO talks up global threat landscape

Public attribution of cyber attacks could backfire while a global cyber norms framework won’t emerge until a catastrophic incident occurs, says the head of Singapore-based Group-IB Continue Reading

By

• Aaron Tan, TechTarget

Barco fixes ClickShare wireless flaw, but users still at risk

Supplier patches a major vulnerability in its popular ClickShare wireless presentation system with a firmware upgrade, but experts warn that users are not out of the woods yet Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

We can’t allow fake news and disinformation to upend our democracy

Fake news, misinformation and cyber attacks are part of our political process – now is the time to act Continue Reading

By

• Andrew Roughan, Plexal

Alarm bells ring, the IoT is listening

With Christmas bearing down on us, a series of vulnerability disclosures has drawn attention to the parlous state of IoT security, and serves as a timely warning to people planning to buy smart devices as gifts Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Jailed hacker ordered to pay back £270k

An Essex man jailed in April over malware offences dating back years has been ordered to pay back the profits of his crime spree, and sell valuable assets Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

How commodities firm ED&F Man solved its threat detection challenges

After a minor server breach, leading commodities trader turned to Vectra’s Cognito service to expose hidden threats, spot privilege misuse, and conduct conclusive investigations Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Dutch government must facilitate and coordinate a broad eID system

The Dutch government should push for an electronic ID system for its citizens that works across the public and private sectors, according to a report Continue Reading

By

• Kim Loohuis

Cyber security takes its place alongside UK’s armed services

Head of armed services says cyber security will take its place alongside the army, navy and air force as a key pillar of the UK’s defence strategy Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Security Think Tank: Is data more or less secure in the cloud?

Misconfigured cloud environments are increasingly identified as the source of damaging data breaches and leaks, raising serious questions for enterprises. Where does responsibility for data security in the cloud lie, and how can security professionals best work with their teams and cloud providers to resolve the problem? Continue Reading

By

• Benoit Heynderickx, Information Security Forum

Great Cannon DDoS operation fires on Hong Kong protesters

AT&T’s security unit has evidence that China is pressing its Great Cannon DDoS tool into service once again, specifically to target pro-democracy protests in Hong Kong Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Two Russians indicted over Dridex and Zeus malware

The US Department of Justice has indicted two Russian citizens over their alleged role in the distribution of the virulent Bugat, or Dridex, and Zeus banking trojans Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Cyber Girls First volunteers encourage girls to think high-tech

More than 80 schoolgirls spent a day learning about computer hackers and rocket science – Cyber Girls First hopes they will become the next generation of technologists Continue Reading

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• Bill Goodwin, Computer Weekly

Aviatrix VPN vulnerability left user endpoints wide open

Immersive Labs has disclosed a serious vulnerability in VPN supplier Aviatrix’s enterprise client that could have granted hackers elevated user privileges across enterprise targets Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Hackers primed to exploit 5G to Wi-Fi handover flaws

Warning that attackers will find new vulnerabilities to access voice and data on 5G mobile phones as carriers hand off calls and data to Wi-Fi networks to save bandwidth Continue Reading

By

• Joe O’Halloran, Computer Weekly

RMIT to tackle cyber security challenges

Australia’s Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology has teamed up with Amazon Web Services to launch a Cloud Innovation Centre to solve cyber security challenges Continue Reading

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• Aaron Tan, TechTarget

Black Hat Europe: Red teams and blue teams must evolve in the 2020s

The red team versus blue team dichotomy is somewhat arbitrary and risks pigeonholing skilled security professionals into certain roles, says Facebook’s Amanda Rousseau Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Tenable buys Indegy to integrate IT and OT security

Acquisition of industrial security specialist Indegy will create a unified, risk-based platform spanning both IT and OT security for Tenable Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Chinese web users take more risks than Brits or Americans

A research paper published by the University of Birmingham seems to show that differences in cultural values have an impact both on risky behaviour online and legal regulation Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Top Android apps at risk from StrandHogg vulnerability

Researchers at Promon say all of the 500 most-downloaded Android apps are at risk from a newly discovered vulnerability Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Cyber criminal RAT busted by cops

Police forces around the UK have arrested nine people as part of an international operation targeting users of a remote access trojan Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor