Hackers and cybercrime prevention

QA launches cyber attack defence training facility in London

Training firm QA launches a cyber attack simulation facility in London to enable organisations to test and learn cyber defence skills Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Activist Lauri Love faces order to disclose encryption keys

The UK’s National Crime Agency takes an unusual legal step to force a former university student accused of hacking to disclose encryption keys Continue Reading

By

• Bill Goodwin, Computer Weekly

'Citizens will be stripped naked' by Turkey’s data law

Turkey's data protection law, introduced in March 2016, will make Turkey a near total surveillance state, yet the EU, apparently more concerned about securing Turkey's help in controlling immigration, is turning a blind eye Continue Reading

By

• Craig Shaw & Zeynep Sentek

UK campaign launched against location data security risks

UK consumers are unwittingly signing up to be location tracked and this data is being used and sold on for commercial benefit, warns privacy campaign Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

DDoS attacks on universities normally performed by “disgruntled” students or employees

The majority of distributed denial of service attacks on universities are made by students or employees, says the head of infrastructure services at the University of London Continue Reading

By

• Clare McDonald, Business Editor

Adwind at centre of cyber attack on Singapore bank

Kaspersky Lab has revealed that the Adwind malware-as-a-service platform was at the centre of an attack on a Singapore bank Continue Reading

By

• Zafar Anjum

CW@50: Fertile British breeding grounds for information security innovation

Computer Weekly is marking its 50th anniversary this year with a series of articles celebrating 50 years of British technology innovation. In this article, we look at the evolution of information security threats and some of the British innovation to counter those threats Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Security should be driven by business, says Corvid’s Andrew Nanson

Information security should be business-driven and investments assessed for their effectiveness and business value, according to Corvid CTO Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Cyber criminals use Microsoft PowerShell in ransomware attacks

A newly discovered family of ransomware, dubbed PowerWare, uses Microsoft PowerShell to target organisations through macro-enabled documents Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Hunters: a rare but essential breed of enterprise cyber defenders

They wait, they watch, they search the outer reaches of networks and the darkest corners of the web, setting traps, crafting tools, collecting evidence and going in pursuit: they are the hunters Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Government warned of smart meter security threat back in 2012

The government was warned four years ago that its plans for a nationwide smart meter roll-out represented a “potentially significant” security and privacy threat, Computer Weekly has learned Continue Reading

By

• Bryan Glick, Editor in chief

Businesses urged to update Apple software to dodge zero-day attacks

Security experts are urging Apple Mac, iPhone and iPad users to update their operating systems to avoid data-stealing attacks that exploit a new zero-day vulnerability Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

US hospital claims to have fought off a ransomware attack

A hospital in Kentucky claims to have regained control of its IT systems five days after cyber criminals hit it with a ransomware attack Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

National Cyber Security Centre to be UK authority on information security

The UK’s National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) is to be the UK's one-stop authority on infosec, based in London and led by GCHQ's Ciaran Martin Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Australian girls believe online harassment is endemic

There are clear signals that online threats against women and attempts to invade their privacy are becoming societal norms in Australia Continue Reading

By

• Beverley Head

Most students say cyber security is a growing threat

Some 70% of higher education students say they are aware that cyber crime and attacks are a threat, but less than half think security is their responsibility Continue Reading

By

• Clare McDonald, Business Editor

$1bn cyber bank heist thwarted by spelling error

Cyber thieves made 30 requests for the New York Federal Reserve to transfer nearly $1bn from the Bangladesh central bank’s account, but a typo and the volume of requests alerted banking officials Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Lack of security knowledge limiting business initiatives, survey shows

Security concerns are limiting the adoption of cloud and mobility throughout organisations, according to the first Dell Data Security Survey Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Security Think Tank: Many breaches down to poor access controls

In the modern business environment, what are the most common access control mistakes – and how best are these corrected? Continue Reading

By

• Paul Yung

Building datacentres under the sea

In this week’s Computer Weekly, we look at Microsoft’s trial of an underwater datacentre and assess the technology and environmental implications of running cloud services under the sea. As PC suppliers build new products around Windows 10, we ask if the desktop PC is set to be reinvented. And with ransomware on the rise, we examine the threat of cyber extortion. Read the issue now. Continue Reading

The problem with passwords: how to make it easier for employees to stay secure

An organisation’s IT security can be compromised if staff do not follow a strict policy of using strong passwords to access internal systems Continue Reading

By

• Jeremy Bergsman, CEB

RSAC16: Cyber criminals are hiding in plain sight, says RSA report

Cyber criminals are using social media as a communication and sales channel, not just for reconnaissance and phishing, an RSA study has revealed Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Security Think Tank: Top five access control mistakes

In the modern business environment, what are the most common access control mistakes and what is the best way to correct them? Continue Reading

By

• Tim Holman, 2-sec

RSAC16: RSA’s Amit Yoran comes out in support of strong encryption

A policy of weakened encryption would harm US economic interests and undermine those trying to defend digital environments, according to RSA president Amit Yoran Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

RSAC16: US works on data access agreement with UK

The US is negotiating with the UK to establish a new framework that will permit UK authorities to access electronic communications directly from US companies Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Protecting the UK from cyber attacks

In this week’s Computer Weekly, we talk to the National Crime Agency’s top cyber cop, Sarah Goodall, about how the police are tackling IT security threats against the country through global collaborations. We ask CIOs for their tips on building an IT strategy for the digital age. And we review the big six storage suppliers’ plans for all-flash arrays. Read the issue now. Continue Reading

Majority of Britons support government surveillance for national security

A survey reveals that a majority of UK citizens support government surveillance for national security as Apple attempts to rally public support in its row with the FBI over encryption Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Nissan acts on Leaf car app security flaw after researcher goes public

Nissan suspends its electric car app after a researcher went public about a security flaw that could enable attackers to take control of heating systems Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Cyber crime is fastest growing economic crime, says PwC report

More than half of UK organisations say they expect to be the victim of cyber crime in the next two years, suggesting it will become the UK’s largest economic crime, says a PwC report Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Surviving broadband failure

In this week’s Computer Weekly, after the recent BT broadband outage, we examine the options to keep your communications in place in the event of a failure, to ensure business continuity. We look at the prospects for the OpenStack open source cloud platform in the enterprise. And we see how Ireland is making progress on delivering a digital health service. Read the issue now. Continue Reading

Social engineering confirmed as top information security threat

Cyber attackers shifted away from automated exploits in 2015 and instead tricked people into doing the dirty work, Proofpoint researchers found Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

HSBC launches biometric security for mobile banking in the UK

Bank claims UK’s largest planned roll-out of voice biometric security technology, with more than 15 million customers in line for voice and fingerprint authentication services Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

EU managers need to up cyber security collaboration, study finds

There is still much work to be done in the area of collaboration and sharing responsibility when it comes to preventing data breaches, a study has found Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

US IT professionals overconfident in cyber attack detection, study finds

Most US IT professionals are confident in key security controls to detect cyber attacks – but unsure how long it would take automated tools to discover a breach Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Social engineering is top hacking method, survey shows

Social engineering tops the list of popular hacking methods, underlining the need for continuous monitoring, according to security firm Balabit Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Bulk data collection unnecessary for surveillance, says cyber expert

Opting for bulk data collection and other intrusive surveillance overlooks other means available that do not involve collateral damage to businesses and innocent people, says cyber expert Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Google’s Chrome to flag deceptive embedded content

Browser will warn of any embedded content such as ads that pretend to act like, and look and feel like, a trusted entity Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

DDoS is most common cyber attack on financial institutions

January’s attack on HSBC is typical for the financial sector, but no business should consider itself unlikely to be targeted in this way, say security experts Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

HSBC online services hit by DDoS attack

HSBC was hit by a distributed denial of service (DDoS) attack, which targeted its online personal banking services. Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

ICO launches data privacy assessment tool for SMEs

The ICO has launched an online self-assessment tool to help SMEs to comply with data protection laws and improve data handling procedures Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Business urged to take action on data privacy

Security professionals use Data Protection Day to encourage businesses to do more to protect personal data Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Keep data safe or risk financial impact, ICO warns business

The knock-on effect of a data breach can be devastating for a company, warns information commissioner Christopher Graham Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

New government plan to support cyber security startups

Government has announced a £250,000 programme to increase the rate of cyber security startup development in the UK Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Average DDoS attacks fatal to most businesses, report reveals

Criminal activity is top motivation for DDoS attacks as average attacks become strong enough to down most businesses, Arbor Networks report reveals Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Beyond India – the emerging outsourcing destinations

In this week’s Computer Weekly, we look at the growing number of offshore alternatives to the dominant outsourcing destination of India and assess their relative merits. We examine how to respond if your organisation is affected by a data breach. And we analyse how virtualisation technology can help improve your disaster recovery strategy. Read the issue now. Continue Reading

$54m cyber fraud hits aircraft supplier share price

Austrian aircraft industry supplier reports cyber fraud loss of $54m, way above the average cost of the worst breaches in the UK of up to $4.4m in 2015 Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

CW Europe - January 2016

This month, CW Europe looks in-depth at an issue that is set to affect people across all 28 European Union member states – the abolition of mobile roaming charges, set for mid-2017. Continue Reading

Candy Crush maker King secures mobile access through cloud

Candy Crush maker King.com uses cloud-based Duo Security authentication for access to cloud services, customised apps and remote VPNs Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Most Android devices running outdated versions

Nearly a third of Android devices in enterprises today are running version 4.0 or older of the operating system, leaving them highly susceptible to vulnerabilities, a study shows Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Australian prime minister Malcolm Turnbull calls for free, open and secure internet

International norms of behaviour should prohibit states from conducting cyber intellectual property theft, says Australian prime minister Malcolm Turnbull Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Chinese university targeted by Islamic State hacktivist

Beijing’s Tsinghua University is the latest organisation to be attacked by hackers with a social or political agenda Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Watchdog urges US nuclear agency to close cyber security gaps

An audit report has called on the US nuclear agency to revise its IT contracts to ensure better cyber security Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Police take action against cyber extortion gang DD4BC

Police have made one arrest and gathered evidence in searches of properties in an international operation aimed at cyber extortion gang DD4BC Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Upgrade to Internet Explorer 11 to reduce risk

Failure to update to the latest version of Internet Explorer by 12 January 2016 could put users at risk, Microsoft warns Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Interview: James Bamford on surveillance, Snowden and technology companies

Investigative journalist and documentary maker James Bamford was among the first to uncover the secrets of the US National Security Agency and its global surveillance Continue Reading

By

• Bill Goodwin, Computer Weekly

Top 10 internet of things stories of 2015

2015 was the year the internet of things began to move from theory to widespread practice, and the fledgling industry shook off the millstone of connected kitchen appliances Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Top 10 IT security stories of 2015

Computer Weekly looks back at the most significant stories on IT security in the past 12 months Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Top 10 cyber crime stories of 2015

Computer Weekly takes a look back at the top cyber crime stories of 2015 Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Bracknell man arrested over VTech toy hack

Police have arrested a 21-year-old man in connection with the hacking of Hong Kong-based toymaker VTech Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Eight startups selected for Cyber London security accelerator programme

Cyber London has selected startups from the UK, Finland, Hungary, Israel, Brazil and South Africa for its second cyber security accelerator programme Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

UK firms act quickly to fix payment card data encryption

Security firm found that 16 global companies had failed to effectively encrypt traffic to the payment portion of their websites and apps Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

How to deal with the aftermath of a data breach

Considering that a data breach could happen to any company, at any time, a plan of action is the best tactic Continue Reading

By

• Dan Raywood

The next stage in quantum key distribution

Authentication schemes based on quantum physics are emerging to address the growing number of ways to compromise data traffic Continue Reading

By

• Peter Ray Allison

Cyber attacks an increasing concern for Asean countries

Organisations in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations are increasingly the targets for cyber criminals, according to a report focused on the region Continue Reading

By

• Zafar Anjum

Essential guide to data breaches, the dark web and the hidden data economy

In this guide, we look at the aftermath of a data breach - what do cyber criminals use that stolen data for, and what can companies do to avoid becoming a victim? Continue Reading

Wetherspoon pub chain warns customers of data breach

Discovery of a data breach at JD Wetherspoons comes hard on the heels of a breach at TalkTalk, underlining the importance of keeping customer data safe Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Veracode finds most web apps fail Owasp security check list

The findings of a report on critical vulnerabilities in most web applications is raising concerns over potential security vulnerabilities in millions of websites Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

The US and China agree more steps to fight cyber crime

The US and China have made progress in expanding co-operation on cyber crime as China claims criminals and not state-backed hackers broke into the US Office of Personnel Management Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Workday ringfences support in Europe after Safe Harbour ruled unsafe

US cloud HR and financial services provider reponds to Safe Harbour failure by ringfencing European data Continue Reading

By

• Bill Goodwin, Computer Weekly

Security analytics needs practical approach, says Fico Ciso Vickie Miller

Analytics must form part of a comprehensive defence-in-depth strategy, according to chief information security officer (Ciso) Vickie Miller at software firm Fico Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Use legal protection to soften cyber attack impact, says Kemp Little

IT outsourcing provides an opportunity for businesses to transfer risk and recover losses from cyber attacks, says law firm Kemp Little Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Dridex banking Trojan regains strength to mount attacks on the UK

Fresh Dridex banking Trojan campaigns target the US, UK and France – despite a recent law enforcement takedown operation – warn security researchers Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Data breach hits Hilton Worldwide hotel chain

Hilton Worldwide says malware found its way onto point of sale (PoS) systems and enabled attackers to steal payment card information Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Defence review promises 1.2% of defence budget spend on technology

The government’s defence review highlights need for technology investment, innovative ideas and cyber security Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

Coalition of top tech firms opposes weakened encryption

Weakening security with the aim of advancing security simply does not make sense, a coalition of top tech firms tells US president Barack Obama Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Cyber security mindset needs to change, says report

Government organisations are prime targets for cyber attacks, leading to increased importance on robust information security, according to a report by Intel Security and the Digital Government Security Forum Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

Three men charged over JP Morgan hacking and fraud

Exploiting the Heartbleed bug was one of the methods used by three men charged in connection with the theft of more than 100 million customer data records from financial institutions to carry out "pump and dump" fraud Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Snoopers’ charter will force ISPs to raise broadband prices

The Science and Technology Select Committee hears that ISPs may be forced to put up their service charges to cover the cost of retaining communications data, should the Investigatory Powers Bill become law Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Germany is finalising legislation to shore up CNI cyber security

Germany is working to ensure digital sovereignty through IT security legislation and negotiations on IT security regulations and transatlantic trade at a European Union level Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

GCHQ and NCA join forces to police dark web

GCHQ and the National Crime Agency are to track down paedophiles and serious online criminals by using the techniques and expertise used to find terrorists Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

UAE recognises importance of cyber security, says official

Like the UK, the UAE federal government has identified the importance of creating an environment in which it is safe to do business online Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

000Webhost blames PHP exploit for breach of 13.5 million records

Unencrypted passwords for a free web hosting firm were on sale for five months before customers were notified their records had been leaked, according to a security researcher Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Law enforcement cracks down on DroidJack Android snooping malware users

A joint EU/US operation on the DroidJack malware is the latest example of international collaboration between law enforcement officers directed at cyber crime Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

TalkTalk warns customers about personal data breach

TalkTalk has warned customers their personal data may have been compromised in the second cyber attack on the firm in 2015, with some data left unencrypted Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Police and industry to tackle cyber crime together, says TechUK

A TechUK report calls for collaboration between police and industry to raise standards of reporting, recording and responding to cyber crime Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Infosec pros should start preparing for the future, say experts

Information security professionals need to grow their skills, engage with the business, increase security awareness, set business goals and tailor their messages, says a panel of experts Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Dow Jones denies it was target of insider trading hack

Dow Jones says there is no information to support reports that it was the target of hackers seeking information for insider trading Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Yahoo announces password-killing Account Key

Yahoo Account Key uses push notifications to provide a fast and secure way to access Yahoo accounts from a mobile device Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

The true cost of a cyber security breach in Australia

The costs of cyber security breaches can quickly add up with fines, reputational damage and overhauls to network security all hitting the coffers. The case of one Australian firm shows why paying a ransom to a hacker might be tempting. Continue Reading

By

• Beverley Head

Cyber security innovation is crucial, says security evangelist

Visibility and automation are key areas of cyber security innovation, but firms should concentrate first on the basics and not overlook the human element of security Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Encryption is a double-edged sword, says Blue Coat

Seven more security suppliers join Blue Coat encrypted traffic management programme amid fresh warnings of attackers using encryption to hide malicious activity Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

The security dangers of home networks

Most companies take reasonable steps to protect their networks from virus attacks, but one area of vulnerability that is often overlooked is infection from employees’ home networks Continue Reading

By

• Peter Ray Allison

How to ensure strong passwords and better authentication

Five steps to ensure stronger passwords and better authentication to reduce the threat of business data theft Continue Reading

By

• Peter Wood, First Base Technologies LLP

Apple removes more iOS apps over security concerns

Apple has blocked more apps over security concerns just weeks after ridding the App Store of XcodeGhost malware Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Samsung Pay isolated from LoopPay attack

Hackers who compromised LoopPay’s computer systems had no access to Samsung Pay’s user data or other core information, says Samsung Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Max Schrems: The man who broke Safe Harbour

Schrems has persuaded a high court judge to confirm that Edward Snowden’s evidence is acceptable in court and that the US is engaged in mass surveillance of European citizens Continue Reading

By

• Kevin Cahill

Researchers find credential-stealing webmail server APT attack

Security researchers have discovered a new and unique advanced persistent threat (APT) technique that involves a malicious module loaded onto a webmail server Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

CW Europe – October 2015

Access to vast amounts of educational resources via the cloud promises much for education. But like in the business world there are fears associated with the cloud. Read the issue now. Continue Reading

David Jones online customers hit by data breach

Hackers have accessed the personal details of an unknown number of David Jones online customers, but the retailer says payment details and passwords are not affected Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Medical devices must be secure by design, say industry experts

The information security industry is calling for medical device manufacturers to design and build cyber security into all internet-enabled devices after thousands are found to be hackable Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst