IT for consulting and business services
Companies in the consulting and business services industries often have specialist needs that require effective use of IT. Law firms, consultancies, accountants, recruitment firms and other advisory services use innovative technology to deliver business benefits, and you can read our news and analysis of the key trends and what they mean to you
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News
03 Jan 2024
Artificial intelligence to the front in Sweden’s National Technology Strategy
Sweden focuses in on artificial intelligence in its latest far-reaching national IT strategy Continue Reading
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Feature
07 Sep 2023
Interview: Ashish Gupta, head of EMEA, HCLTech
It’s not just enterprises that changed their operating models during and after Covid, but also the suppliers that took them on the journey, HCLTech Europe’s head explains Continue Reading
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News
27 Sep 2013
Financial markets next big cyber target, says US expert
Manipulation of international financial markets will be the next evolution of cyber crime, says US Cyber Consequences Unit chief Continue Reading
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News
27 Sep 2013
Top 10 cyber crime stories of 2013
Cyber crime featured heavily in security news coverage in 2013, with cyber criminals and cyber law enforcers upping their games with each passing month Continue Reading
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News
27 Sep 2013
Software acquisition is risk acquisition, says industry panel
New software often means new security vulnerabilities, panel tells the (ISC)2 Security Congress 2013 Continue Reading
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News
19 Sep 2013
NSA reveals how Snowden accessed secret Prism files
Prism whistleblower Edward Snowden accessed secret documents through a file-share, the NSA has revealed Continue Reading
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News
16 Sep 2013
Risk assessment key to cloud adoption, says Isaca
There is mass confusion among small and medium businesses about cloud computing, says Amar Singh, chair of Isaca UK Continue Reading
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News
09 Sep 2013
Most websites could be targeted through PHP, warns Imperva
Hackers are focusing on vulnerabilities in PHP web application development platform, threatening most websites, warns Imperva Continue Reading
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News
09 Sep 2013
Lloyds website continuity hit as TSB launches
Lloyds Banking Group websites, including the new standalone TSB, have been hit by problems on TSB launch day Continue Reading
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News
03 Sep 2013
Disinfecting PCs false security, says security expert
Many companies proud of their ability to identify and clean malware infected machines are missing a trick, says veteran security expert Continue Reading
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News
22 Aug 2013
Charlie McMurdie joins PwC’s cyber practice
Charlie McMurdie, former head of the Metro Police central e-crime unit, is joining business consultancy firm PwC as its senior crime adviser Continue Reading
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Opinion
14 Aug 2013
How to appoint a new outsourcing supplier
Outsourcing can come with its own security risks if not managed appropriately, making due diligence and clear contractual arrangements key Continue Reading
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News
06 Aug 2013
Capita and Barnet deal to be completed after campaigner’s court appeal fails
Outsourcing contracts worth over £470m will be signed off by Barnet Council after a Court of Appeal ruled that the deal was lawful Continue Reading
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Opinion
30 Jul 2013
The ideology of hacking
Business leaders need to be educated on the true threats their firms face and IT security professionals have to arm their executives with that information Continue Reading
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News
30 Jul 2013
ICO to investigate sale of online dating profiles
The UK’s data protection watchdog is to investigate the sale of 10,000 online dating profiles to the BBC’s Panorama programme Continue Reading
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Feature
29 Jul 2013
An introduction to cyber liability insurance cover
Cyber liability insurance cover has been around for 10 years, but most security professionals seem to have not heard of it or know that it exists Continue Reading
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News
29 Jul 2013
Continual vigilance key to security, says Damballa
UK businesses must update their approach to cyber security to look for signs of compromise continually Continue Reading
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News
26 Jul 2013
FireEye partners with Phishme for multi-layered security
Security technology developer FireEye has partnered with phishing awareness training firm PhishMe to offer a multi-layered approach to securing information networks Continue Reading
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News
25 Jul 2013
MI5 and GCHQ call for FTSE 350 cyber health check
Intelligence agencies MI5 and GCHQ call on UK’s top listed companies to take part in a cyber governance health check Continue Reading
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News
23 Jul 2013
Cisco buys cyber security company Sourcefire for $2.7bn
Networking giant Cisco has reached an agreement to buy cyber security business Sourcefire in a $2.7bn deal Continue Reading
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News
22 Jul 2013
Insider threat: Balancing security with privacy
How can organisations increase security without affecting productivity or encroaching on employees’ right to privacy? Continue Reading
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News
22 Jul 2013
UK to block online porn by default
The UK is to block online pornography by default to all new internet users, David Cameron is to announce Continue Reading
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Opinion
19 Jul 2013
How to assess the security of a cloud service provider
As businesses continue to put more information online, understanding cloud suppliers and agreements has never been more important Continue Reading
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News
18 Jul 2013
Google competition proposals not good enough, says EC
Competition commissioner Joaquin Almunia wants Google to readdress fears that it is abusing its market domination for its own gain Continue Reading
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News
18 Jul 2013
Intel Q2 profits down, but in line with expectations
Chip maker Intel reported a second quarter profit of $2bn, down 29% from a year ago, roughly in line with analysts’ estimates Continue Reading
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News
17 Jul 2013
Tech firms target piracy profiting websites
Tech firms including Google, Yahoo and Microsoft join an initiative targeting websites that profit from piracy by cutting off advert revenue Continue Reading
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News
16 Jul 2013
More than one-fifth of UK firms hit by DDoS attacks in 2012
More than a fifth of UK firms experienced a disruptive distributed denial of service (DDoS) attack in 2012 Continue Reading
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News
15 Jul 2013
Black market for software security flaws reaches new highs
The black market in previously undiscovered vulnerabilities in commercial software is so established that the average flaw sells for up to $160,000 Continue Reading
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News
11 Jul 2013
OpenCorporates makes company data public
Company data is being made available as part of an initiative to place more government data in the public domain Continue Reading
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News
11 Jul 2013
Yahoo wants Fisa objections revealed
Yahoo is the latest company implicated in the Prism internet surveillance programme to call for more transparency around its involvement Continue Reading
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News
11 Jul 2013
Icahn wants judge to appraise Dell buyout offer
Billionaire US investor Carl Icahn says he will go to court to get a better price for his stake in the computer manufacturer Dell Continue Reading
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News
11 Jul 2013
Protecting against modern password cracking
This article in our Royal Holloway Security Thesis series explains just how insecure passwords are and offers advice on alternative methods of security. Continue Reading
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News
11 Jul 2013
Smart cards: security risks
This article in our Royal Holloway Information Security Thesis series assess the new features introduced in Java Card 3 Connected Edition smart card specification and their associated security risks. Continue Reading
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News
11 Jul 2013
Security visualisation
This article in our Royal Holloway Information Security Thesis series shows how to generate a visual representation of a dataset and use visualisation in the evaluation of known security vulnerabilities. Continue Reading
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News
10 Jul 2013
Microsoft notches up over 3,000 copyright cases
In its battle against piracy, Microsoft says it has settled 3,265 copyright cases in the past year and warns of links to malware distribution Continue Reading
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News
09 Jul 2013
Will cloud services follow the evolution of the banking industry?
Cloud service providers say security will become the very reason companies choose cloud services in future Continue Reading
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News
08 Jul 2013
UK takes cyber threats to infrastructure seriously
The UK is taking seriously potential cyber threats to critical national infrastructure, according to GCHQ head Iain Lobban Continue Reading
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News
05 Jul 2013
Tougher EU penalties for cyber crime not enough, say security experts
The European Parliament has adopted a draft directive to toughen up EU penalties for cyber crime, but security experts say this is not enough on its own Continue Reading
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News
05 Jul 2013
Security Think Tank: Prism unlikely to change much
Does the data collected by Prism put the US Government at risk from other state or non-state sponsored activists? Continue Reading
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News
05 Jul 2013
UK joins EU demands for Google to rewrite privacy policy
The UK’s privacy watchdog has joined data protection authorities in France, Spain, Germany and Italy in demanding changes to Google’s privacy policy Continue Reading
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News
05 Jul 2013
NSA Prism scandal could hit US cloud providers, says EC vice-president
EC vice-president Neelie Kroes says US cloud services providers could lose business because of fears over US Prism surveillance programme Continue Reading
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News
04 Jul 2013
FBI warns of increased spear phishing attacks
The FBI has issued a warning about an increase in spear-phishing attacks targeting multiple industry sectors Continue Reading
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News
02 Jul 2013
Security Think Tank: Prism – Sitting duck or elaborate honeypot?
Does the data collected by Prism put the US Government at risk from other state or non-state sponsored activists? Continue Reading
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News
02 Jul 2013
Senior MPs flout EU cookie law
Two years after the EU cookie regulation and UK law came into force, not all UK websites are compliant, including the sites of 13 senior MPs Continue Reading
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News
01 Jul 2013
Stuxnet leak investigation leads to project originator
The US government investigation into Stuxnet leak of classified information leads to retired general in the Marines, James Cartwright Continue Reading
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News
01 Jul 2013
Scottish police outsource system to Accenture
Scottish Police Authority and Police Scotland have chosen Accenture to maintain its i6 administration system after two-year tendering process Continue Reading
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News
26 Jun 2013
Encrypting enterprises miss out on cloud benefits
Enterprises sending encrypted data to the cloud are missing out on some of the greatest benefits of cloud computing, says Thales e-Security Continue Reading
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News
24 Jun 2013
Identity management key to browser-based IT strategy
A cloud-based identity management system is key to enabling a browser-based IT strategy at online recruitment firm Reed.co.uk Continue Reading
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News
21 Jun 2013
Most firms underestimate volume of malware, study shows
Most companies greatly underestimate the number of malicious programs appearing daily, a global survey of more than 2,000 IT professionals has revealed Continue Reading
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News
21 Jun 2013
UK businesses failing to secure virtual environments, study finds
Most UK businesses are failing to secure data in virtual environments, a survey of IT decision makers has revealed Continue Reading
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News
21 Jun 2013
Government launches cyber awareness campaign
UK government debuts the first stage of a £4m cyber awareness campaign as part of the National Cyber Security Programme Continue Reading
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News
13 Jun 2013
Serco outsources IT infrastructure and transformation
Business service provider Serco contracts SunGard for its UK IT infrastructure that will help Serco increase its cloud services Continue Reading
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News
12 Jun 2013
Senior judge hears Barnet Council outsourcing challenge
The second most senior judge in England and Wales will hear a legal challenge against Barnet Council’s outsourcing programme Continue Reading
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News
11 Jun 2013
UK links to US internet surveillance remain unclear
The government insists that UK spy agencies operate within the law, but questions remain Continue Reading
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News
07 Jun 2013
PM urged to criminalise internet rape porn
Campaigners are calling for the criminalisation of possessing internet pornography depicting rape Continue Reading
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News
05 Jun 2013
Human error causes most data breaches, Ponemon study finds
Human errors and system problems caused two-thirds of data breaches in 2012, according to a study from Symantec and the Ponemon Institute Continue Reading
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News
29 May 2013
Stratfor hacker pleads guilty
US hacktivist Jeremy Hammond pleads guilty to accessing computers of law enforcement agencies and government contractors illegally Continue Reading
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News
29 May 2013
Syrian hackers deface Sky Android apps
Syrian hackers have defaced several of Sky’s Android apps, forcing the broadcaster to remove them temporarily from the Google Play store Continue Reading
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News
22 May 2013
O2 questions CWU redundancy claims as union threatens action
Mobile operator O2 questions Communication Workers Union (CWU) claim of 600 redundancies in outsourcing deal with Capita Continue Reading
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News
21 May 2013
O2 selects Capita for 10-year customer service outsource
Mobile operator O2 is outsourcing management of its customer services centres to Capita in a 10-year deal expected to be worth about £1.2bn Continue Reading
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News
21 May 2013
Privileged accounts key to most APT attacks, says Cyber-Ark
The theft, misuse and exploitation of privileged accounts is becoming an increasingly key tactic in advanced persistent threat attacks Continue Reading
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News
16 May 2013
Most IT environments immature, Microsoft reveals
Most business IT environments are immature, analysis of data from Microsoft’s Cloud Security Readiness Tool has revealed Continue Reading
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News
15 May 2013
Microsoft declares conformance with ISO 27034-1
Microsoft has declared conformance with ISO 27034-1, the first part of an international standard for secure software development Continue Reading
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News
08 May 2013
Adobe moves to cloud-based subscription model
Adobe has announced that it is to introduce a cloud-based subscription model for popular applications, including Photoshop Continue Reading
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News
07 May 2013
Symantec helps NHS trust cut security costs by a quarter
The Royal Liverpool and Broadgreen University Hospitals NHS Trust cut security costs by 25% in its partnership with security supplier Symantec Continue Reading
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News
07 May 2013
Windows 8 passes 100 million in sales
Microsoft says Windows 8 OS has sold more than 100 million copies, roughly matching Windows 7 in the six months after launch Continue Reading
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News
03 May 2013
Netherlands considers hacking powers for police
The Netherlands government considers legislation to give police powers to hack into computers, install spyware and read emails Continue Reading
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News
01 May 2013
What’s to be done about data breach discovery?
The time from first contact by cyber attackers to the victim learning of it is still measured in months and years, not hours and days Continue Reading
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News
25 Apr 2013
Infosec 2013: Cyber crime challenges law enforcement
Cyber crime is forcing police and law enforcement agencies to re-think basic skills needed, according to experts at Infosecurity Europe 2013 Continue Reading
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News
25 Apr 2013
Lib Dems will block Snoopers’ Charter, says Nick Clegg
The draft Communications Data Bill will not go ahead while the Lib Dems are in government, says deputy prime minister Nick Clegg Continue Reading
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News
22 Apr 2013
Infosec 2013: University research challenges reliability of IPS
Research shows intrusion prevention systems (IPS) are not as effective at detecting malicious activity as some might think Continue Reading
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News
22 Apr 2013
Security spend misaligned with threats, says security veteran
Security budget allocations have remained the same for the past 15 years, but threats have changed, says Shlomo Kramer, chief executive at security firm Imperva Continue Reading
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News
22 Apr 2013
US jails LulzSec hacker Cody Kretsinger
The US has jailed a member of hacktivist group LulzSec for a year for his role in breaching computer systems at Sony Pictures Entertainment in 2011 Continue Reading
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News
19 Apr 2013
Conficker makes way for web-based attacks, says Microsoft
Web attacks emerge as top threat as businesses finally begin to win the battle against Conficker and other worms, says Microsoft Continue Reading
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News
19 Apr 2013
Microsoft reports strong quarterly results for all divisions
Microsoft reported profit of $6bn for the past quarter, up 17% from a year ago, despite a mixed response to Windows 8 and a decline in PC sales Continue Reading
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Feature
16 Apr 2013
How to create a good information security policy
Information security policies provide vital support to security professionals, yet few organisations take the time to create decent policies Continue Reading
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News
15 Apr 2013
Anonymous hacks North Korean websites for a second time
Members of the Anonymous hacktivist collective claim to have again hacked several prominent North Korean websites Continue Reading
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News
15 Apr 2013
Google reaches deal with EU competition authorities
Google has reportedly reached a deal with European Union (EU) competition authorities over concerns about its business practices Continue Reading
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News
12 Apr 2013
Google has another go at allaying EU competition concerns
Google has submitted a fresh set of proposals to address European concerns about its business practices and avoid punitive action Continue Reading
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News
11 Apr 2013
Bots and web apps among top threats to data security, says Check Point
Bots, viruses, breaches and attacks are a constant and real threat to the information security of organisations Continue Reading
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News
11 Apr 2013
Porn websites pose malware risk, says researcher
Browsing popular pornography internet sites pose a growing risk of malware infection, according to a security researcher Continue Reading
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News
11 Apr 2013
South Korea accuses North Korea of launching cyber attacks
South Korea blames North Korea for the cyber attacks that shut down thousands of computers at broadcasters and banks two weeks ago Continue Reading
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News
10 Apr 2013
Mott MacDonald rolls out unified communications
Global engineering firm Mott MacDonald signs Tata Communications for a five-year unified communications deal worth over $20m Continue Reading
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News
03 Apr 2013
Case Study: 192business switches to tokenisation to speed up business processes
Online payment card verification firm 192business uses tokenisation to speed up its processes and protect credit card details from fraud Continue Reading
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News
03 Apr 2013
US Army practises poor data security on mobile devices
Pentagon inspector general finds smartphones and tablets the US Army buys are not configured to protect sensitive data and allow remote wipe Continue Reading
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News
03 Apr 2013
Anonymous threatens to declare cyber war on North Korea
Anonymous hacktivist collective has threatened North Korea with cyber war if leader Kim Jong-un does not resign and install free democracy Continue Reading
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News
02 Apr 2013
Google closer to action from European privacy regulators
Google is another step closer to action by privacy regulators across Europe for failing to change the way it manages user data Continue Reading
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News
27 Mar 2013
UK government sets up cyber security fusion cell
A cyber security “fusion cell” for cross-sector threat data sharing aims to put government, industry and information security analysts side-by-side Continue Reading
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News
26 Mar 2013
Employees ignore security rules, say infosec pros
Most information security professionals believe corporate employees wilfully ignore security rules, survey at RSA Conference 2013 reveals Continue Reading
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News
25 Mar 2013
Malware in counterfeit software to cost business $114bn in 2013
Dealing with malware in counterfeit software will cost global enterprises an estimated $114bn in 2013, says research firm IDC Continue Reading
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News
22 Mar 2013
Six security issues to tackle before encrypting cloud data
Concern about security and privacy is likely to drive adoption of cloud encryption, but there are six security issues businesses should tackle Continue Reading
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News
13 Mar 2013
US authorities investigate hack of Michelle Obama and other high-profile people
US authorities are investigating hackers who allegedly stole financial information belonging to US first lady Michelle Obama Continue Reading
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News
11 Mar 2013
Phishing emails sent in pairs to lend authenticity, says training company
Phishing emails are now being deployed in pairs to create the illusion of authenticity, says security awareness training company PhishMe Continue Reading
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News
11 Mar 2013
Microsoft releases four critical security updates
Microsoft is to release four “critical” patches in its monthly Patch Tuesday security update, according to the advance notice. Continue Reading
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News
11 Mar 2013
AstraZeneca opts for co-operation after IBM falls out
AstraZeneca has changed its approach to outsourcing to encourage co-operation with suppliers after its deal with IBM failed to deliver Continue Reading
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News
06 Mar 2013
What is RSA's build, buy, partner strategy?
Computer Weekly takes a closer look at RSA's build, buy, partner strategy Continue Reading
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Feature
04 Mar 2013
How to tackle big data from a security point of view
Before leaping into big data, companies must be clear what they are trying to achieve, otherwise their investment will be wasted Continue Reading
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News
28 Feb 2013
RSA 2013: Suppliers need to prepare for new security vulnerability handling standards
Software makers and online service providers need to prepare for two ISO standards on vulnerability handling processes due by the end of 2013 Continue Reading
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News
26 Feb 2013
RSA 2013: Obama cyber order will have significant effect, says DoHS
President Barack Obama’s executive order on cybersecurity is a “very big deal” says Mark Weatherford, deputy under-secretary for cybersecurity at the US Department of Homeland Security (DoHS). Continue Reading
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News
22 Feb 2013
Music companies critical of Google’s anti-piracy efforts
Music companies have accused Google of failing to fulfil a pledge not to give prominent rankings in search results to websites offering illegal music downloads. Continue Reading
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News
15 Feb 2013
Bad outsourcing decisions cause 63% of data breaches
Bad outsourcing decisions nearly two-thirds of data breaches investigated by security firm Trustwave in the past year Continue Reading
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Feature
11 Feb 2013
How to find the most vulnerable systems on your internal network
Most corporate networks share common vulnerabilities, but many could be mitigated with education in “hacker thinking” for technical staff Continue Reading