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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Opinion
12 Nov 2024
Strengthening cyber: Best IAM practices to combat threats
The Security Think Tank considers best practices in identity and access management and how can they be deployed to enable IT departments to combat cyber-attacks, phishing attacks and ransomware Continue Reading
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Feature
08 Nov 2024
Beyond VPNs: The future of secure remote connectivity
As more companies adopt cloud services and remote work, the limitations of VPNs are becoming obvious. We explore what’s next for secure remote connectivity 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
By- Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst
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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
By- Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst
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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
By- Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst
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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
By- Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst
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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
By- Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst
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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
By- Peter Wood, First Base Technologies LLP
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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
By- Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst
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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
By- Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst
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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
By- Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst
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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
By- Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst
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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
By- Peter Wood, First Base Technologies LLP
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Feature
07 Feb 2013
Social media: A security challenge and opportunity
Generation Y workers are posing increasing security challenges to their employers as they share data unreservedly Continue Reading
By- Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst
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News
06 Feb 2013
EU cyber strategy aimed at boosting preparedness and cooperation
The European cyber security strategy addresses insufficient national preparedness and boosting co-operation in the region, says the EC Continue Reading
By- Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst
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News
06 Feb 2013
Business avoids cloud over fear of government snooping
Almost half of IT professionals are deterred from keeping sensitive data in the cloud because of fear of government intervention and possible legal action, a survey has revealed Continue Reading
By- Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst
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News
06 Feb 2013
Twitter strengthens login security after hacker attack
Days after a hacking attack, it has emerged that Twitter plans to strengthen its login security with two-factor authentication Continue Reading
By- Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst
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News
28 Jan 2013
Why has NAC, like DLP, failed to take off?
Why are organisations not investing in systems that are designed to keep malicious actors out of their networks? Continue Reading
By- Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst
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News
25 Jan 2013
Encryption is safe bet, says SafeNet
Encryption is the only thing that can give peace of mind to CIOs and CISOs, says Dave Hansen, president and CEO of security firm SafeNet Continue Reading
By- Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst
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News
24 Jan 2013
ICO hits Sony with £250,000 data breach penalty
The Information Commissioner’s office (ICO) has fined Sony Computer Entertainment Europe £250,000 for breaching the Data Protection Act Continue Reading
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News
22 Jan 2013
Why has DLP never taken off?
Why is data loss prevention (DLP) technology not being adopted if it provides the very protection most businesses need? Continue Reading
By- Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst
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News
14 Jan 2013
Oracle rushes out patches for Java zero days
Oracle has released two out-of-band security updates for the latest zero day vulnerabilities in Java Continue Reading
By- Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst
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News
11 Jan 2013
Disable Java to protect from latest zero-day
Security researchers are warning of a zero-day vulnerability in all versions of Java, including the latest Java 7 update 10 Continue Reading
By- Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst
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News
10 Jan 2013
Software piracy international in scope, says Fast
The scale of software piracy is both international in scope and military in its execution, says the Federation Against Software Theft (Fast) Continue Reading
By- Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst
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E-Zine
07 Jan 2013
IT spending to rise in 2013
Find out what analysts are predicting for technology in Europe this year, including changes in budgets and how companies can reduce costs and improve sustainability. Continue Reading
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News
07 Jan 2013
Ernst & Young email keyword analysis identifies fraudsters
Fraud investigators have revealed the most common words used in email conversations by employees engaged in rogue trading and fraud Continue Reading
By- Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst
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Feature
07 Jan 2013
Business priorities: what to protect, monitor and test
How information security professionals can prioritise what to protect, monitor and test in the light of current budget and resource constraints Continue Reading
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News
03 Jan 2013
Immigrants wrongly told to leave UK due to inaccurate data
Some immigrants have been accidentally contacted by Capita and told to leave the UK as a result of inaccurate data used in a government push to remove thousands of illegal immigrants Continue Reading
By- Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA
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News
28 Dec 2012
Top 10 cyber crime stories of 2012
Ten articles that illustrate some of the major trends in cyber crime in 2012 Continue Reading
By- Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst
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News
24 Dec 2012
Top 10 IT outsourcing stories of 2012
Research into the UK outsourcing sector in 2010 found that 7.4% of the UK’s total production came from outsourcing, and about a third of that – some £38.7bn – was IT outsourcing Continue Reading
By- Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA
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News
14 Dec 2012
Mazars outsources access management
Global accountancy firm Mazars has outsourced the management of access to Oracle and Sharepoint applications for 6000 global staff Continue Reading
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News
14 Dec 2012
CIO interview: Kevin O’Connor, Carlson Wagonlit Travel
As the new CIO at Carlson Wagonlit Travel, Kevin O’Connor is looking to bring in a new approach to the company’s IT strategy Continue Reading
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Feature
12 Dec 2012
How to preserve forensic evidence in the golden hour after a breach
There is a golden hour at the outset where a clear head and good planning can make or break any subsequent forensic investigation Continue Reading
By- Martin Roots, NIIP
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News
12 Dec 2012
Ghost Shell hacktivists publish over a million credentials
The Ghost Shell group, an offshoot of the Anonymous hacking collective has published the log-in details from 1.6 million accounts Continue Reading
By- Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst
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News
10 Dec 2012
UK CIOs see EU regulation as key
A third of UK CIOs are more concerned with EU regulation, such as the data protection directive, than their own local laws, a study has revealed. Continue Reading
By- Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst
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News
07 Dec 2012
UK government jobs website exploited by hackers
Hackers have been able to exploit security flaws in a new government jobs website to steal personal information about job applicants Continue Reading
By- Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst
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Feature
06 Dec 2012
How to secure Macs in the enterprise
Apple computers are becoming increasingly used in the enterprise - we look at how to securely introduce Macs in the corporate network Continue Reading
By- Rob Buckley
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News
28 Nov 2012
Capita set to win £1.7bn Staffordshire outsourcing deal
Capita has been named preferred bidder in an educational support services joint venture with Staffordshire County Council, in a deal worth £1.7bn over 20 years. Continue Reading
By- Kathleen Hall, TechTarget
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News
27 Nov 2012
Zero-day exploit for Yahoo Mail goes on sale
Hacker sells $700 zero-day exploit for Yahoo Mail that allows attacker to use cross-site scripting vulnerability to steal cookies and hijack accounts Continue Reading
By- Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst
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News
19 Nov 2012
Cyber criminals target Skype, Facebook and Windows users
Cyber criminals targeted users of Skype, Facebook and Windows using multiple Blackhole exploits in October, according to security firm GFI Software Continue Reading
By- Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst
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News
16 Nov 2012
Nasa to encrypt data after latest breach
Nasa is to encrypt all its mobile computers after the loss of a laptop containing personal information about more than 10,000 staff Continue Reading
By- Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst
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News
13 Nov 2012
Many UK firms underestimate cost of data breaches, study finds
Many UK organisations are still failing to understand the implications and costs of data breaches, a study has revealed Continue Reading
By- Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst
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News
12 Nov 2012
Hacking attempts to top one billion in Q4, predicts NCC Group
One billion hacking attempts will be made globally in the final quarter of 2012, according to information assurance firm NCC Group Continue Reading
By- Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst
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News
09 Nov 2012
Twitter apologises for unnecessary hacking warnings
Twitter has apologised after telling members their accounts had been hacked and forcing them to reset their passwords Continue Reading
By- Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst
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News
09 Nov 2012
Stuxnet hit Chevron’s systems, the energy giant admits
US energy giant Chevron has revealed that it was hit by the Stuxnet virus in 2010 Continue Reading
By- Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst
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News
07 Nov 2012
Police arrest man for DDoS attacks on Theresa May sites
Police have arrested a 41-year-old man in connection with a cyber attack on websites connected to home secretary Theresa May Continue Reading
By- Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst
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News
01 Nov 2012
Parliamentary committee joins criticism of draft communications data bill
Home secretary Theresa May faced stern criticism before a Parliamentary committee hearing evidence on the Draft Communications Data Bill Continue Reading
By- Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst
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News
31 Oct 2012
Free mobile apps a threat to privacy, study finds
Free mobile apps pose a serious threat to privacy because of their ability to capture large amounts of user information Continue Reading
By- Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst
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News
30 Oct 2012
IT security budgets mismatched to hacker targets, study shows
IT security budgets are not being used to provide defence technologies in some areas most likely to be targeted by hackers, a study shows Continue Reading
By- Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst
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News
26 Oct 2012
Cloud HR pivotal to Direct Line share offering
Cloud HR proved pivotal to insurance group Direct Line separating from the Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) before it launched on the stock market Continue Reading
By- Bill Goodwin, Computer Weekly
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Opinion
18 Oct 2012
Security Think Tank: You can’t protect what you don’t know you’ve got
IP theft: who should be tackling it and how? Continue Reading
By- Adrian Wright
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News
16 Oct 2012
Organisations need alternative data protection as security models fail
Organisations' security models are failing - so could it be time to adopt an intelligence-led approach to data protection and fighting cyber crime? Continue Reading
By- Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst
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News
12 Oct 2012
CIO interview: Frank Modruson, Accenture
Accenture’s CIO Frank Modruson on providing IT to 250,000 people who think they could do your job and why video is the next big thing Continue Reading
By- Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA
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News
11 Oct 2012
RSA Europe: Thousands of unprotected virtual servers exposed to the web
Organisations are failing to protect data in virtual environments, says Jason Hart, vice-president cloud solutions, SafeNet Continue Reading
By- Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst
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News
11 Oct 2012
RSA Europe: Security concerns whole supply chain, says Misha Glenny
Targeted attacks affect the whole supply chain, not just big corporations, author Misha Glenny tells RSA Conference Europe 2012 attendees Continue Reading
By- Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst
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News
10 Oct 2012
RSA Europe: Cloud key to future information security, says Qualys
Cloud computing is an opportunity information security professionals should not miss, says Philippe Courtot, CEO of security firm Qualys Continue Reading
By- Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst
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News
09 Oct 2012
Case study: Syngenta multi-sourcing key to business growth
Agri-business giant Syngenta has put multi-sourced IT at the heart of its ambitious plan to double its revenues in the next 8 years Continue Reading
By- Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA
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News
25 Sep 2012
Security concerns hold back mobile banking adoption
More than two-thirds of smartphone owners have not yet adopted mobile banking apps because of security concerns, a survey has revealed Continue Reading
By- Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst
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Feature
24 Sep 2012
Tune Raid performance to get the most from your HDDs
Tune Raid performance at the storage controller to match application I/O demands to optimal hard drive (HDD) performance Continue Reading
By- Martin Taylor
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News
18 Sep 2012
Microsoft investigates IE zero-day flaw
Microsoft says it is investigating reports of a vulnerability in Internet Explorer 6, 7, 8, and 9 Continue Reading
By- Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst
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News
17 Sep 2012
Fujitsu blacklisting part of tighter government policy
Government policy flags up suppliers that perform poorly but, with so few, how far can government practically address failed outsourcing contracts? Continue Reading
By- Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA
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News
17 Sep 2012
IT security awareness needs to be company-wide, says (ISC)²
Information security awareness needs to be more robust, started as early as possible, continually reinforced and organisation-wide, says Julie Peeler, director, (ISC)² Foundation Continue Reading
By- Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst
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News
11 Sep 2012
Skills shortage means no unemployment in IT security, says (ISC)2
Zero unemployment in IT security shows a huge shortage of skills in the profession, says Hord Tipton, executive director of (ISC)2 Continue Reading
By- Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst
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News
11 Sep 2012
Cabinet Office blacklists Fujitsu from government IT contract tenders
The Cabinet Office has banned Fujitsu and another IT supplier from tendering for public sector IT contracts as they constitute too high a risk Continue Reading
By- Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA
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News
07 Sep 2012
UK cookie law compliance mixed, study finds
Three months after the enforcement of the cookie law, only 12% of UK websites have prominent privacy notices and robust cookie controls, a study shows Continue Reading
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Feature
05 Sep 2012
Setting up a botnet is easier than you think
Acquiring, installing, configuring and using a powerful data-stealing banking Trojan toolkit is not as difficult as it sounds Continue Reading
By- Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst
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News
03 Sep 2012
Powerful cyber attack tools widely available, say researchers
More low-level cyber criminals are getting access to sophisticated attack tools, say cyber intelligence specialists Continue Reading
By- Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst
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Opinion
31 Aug 2012
How to survive a data breach
Six practical tips on how to prepare for and survive a data breach Continue Reading
By- Conrad Constantine
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News
31 Aug 2012
Businesses worldwide fail to prepare for cyber threats, says Kaspersky Lab
Companies around the world have failed to address cyber threats, according to a survey from security organisation Kaspersky Lab Continue Reading
By- Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst
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News
23 Aug 2012
How did EDS lose $8bn in value in four years?
HP is writing off $8bn after the drop in value of EDS, which was acquired in 2008 - how did the outsourcing business fall so far so fast? Continue Reading
By- Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA
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News
22 Aug 2012
Dell expects tough next quarter
Dell expects third-quarter revenue to be down between 2% and 5% on second-quarter levels due to the “uncertain economic environment” Continue Reading
By- Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst
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News
06 Aug 2012
LinkedIn data breach costs more than $1m
LinkedIn says the forensic investigation and other recovery costs of the data breach in June could have topped $1m. Continue Reading
By- Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst
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News
31 Jul 2012
Cyber threats affect banks worldwide
Nearly a quarter of the world's banks were hit by security breaches in the past year, a study shows Continue Reading
By- Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst
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News
27 Jul 2012
Twitter users targeted by Blackhole malware
Twitter users are being targeted by tweets containing malicious links that claim recipients are pictured in an online photo Continue Reading
By- Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst
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News
26 Jul 2012
Australian telco AAPT confirms Anonymous data breach
Australian telecoms firm AAPT confirms business customer data was breached by hacktivist group Anonymous at an external service provider Continue Reading
By- Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst
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News
19 Jul 2012
Many global firms unaware of online risk, finds KPMG
Many global organisations could do a lot more to protect their private data and reduce exposure to attacks by hackers, according to KPMG Continue Reading
By- Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst
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News
19 Jul 2012
Security researchers join forces to bring down Grum botnet
Security researchers have collaborated to take down Grum, the world’s third-largest botnet of hijacked computers Continue Reading
By- Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst
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News
18 Jul 2012
Microsoft faces substantial EC fine over browser rules breach
Microsoft faces a large fine for failing to offer Windows users a choice of web browser despite apologising to the European Commission (EC) Continue Reading
By- Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst
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News
16 Jul 2012
Sophos combines endpoint security and UTM
Security firm Sophos combines endpoint protection and unified threat management (UTM) products into a single physical or virtual appliance Continue Reading
By- Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst
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News
13 Jul 2012
The most influential women in UK IT
Computer Weekly is pleased to announce the first ever list of the most influential women in UK IT Continue Reading
By- Bryan Glick, Editor in chief
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News
13 Jul 2012
Women in Technology 2012
Women technology experts find their careers just as rewarding as men, but image problems are deterring new female recruits, this exclusive research from Computer Weekly and Mortimer Spinks reveals. Continue Reading
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News
09 Jul 2012
Google Android OS Trojan virus hits 100K devices in China
Trojan malware has hit 100,000 devices using the Google Android operating system (OS) in China, say security researchers Continue Reading
By- Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst
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News
06 Jul 2012
Virus could cut 20,000 UK computers from web on Monday, FBI warns
The DNS Changer virus could cause 20,000 computers in the UK – of 350,000 worldwide - to lose web access on 9 July, the FBI has warned Continue Reading
By- Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst
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News
27 Jun 2012
Network security: Is new technology bypassing traditional controls?
Network security practices are among the most mature, but can businesses be sure network traffic is not sneaking past traditional controls? Continue Reading
By- Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst
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News
27 Jun 2012
FTC sues Wyndham Worldwide hotel group over data breaches
The US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is suing hotel group Wyndham Worldwide over claims it failed to secure customer data Continue Reading
By- Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst
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News
27 Jun 2012
Six arrested in the UK in worldwide FBI-led credit card data sting
Six people in the UK and 12 in the US arrested in an FBI-led sting operation that netted a total of 24 credit card cyber fraudsters in 13 countries Continue Reading
By- Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst
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News
18 Jun 2012
Asian scientists call for government action on supercomputers
Scientists in India, China, Japan, Korea and India have called on their governments to collaborate on supercomputer technology Continue Reading
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News
13 Jun 2012
Deloitte opts for IT service management in the cloud
Business consultancy Deloitte is using cloud-based IT service management to support 13,000 employees in the UK and Switzerland Continue Reading
By- Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA
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News
12 Jun 2012
2012: Will this be the year TPM finally comes of age?
Will 2012 be the year that TPM finally delivers on its potential to provide a hardware-based "root of trust" for enterprise information security? Continue Reading
By- Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst
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News
11 Jun 2012
Flame malware gets kill command
The controllers of Flame, the most powerful cyber weapon discovered to date, have recently sent a kill command that removes the malware from some infected computers Continue Reading
By- Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst
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News
08 Jun 2012
eHarmony, Last.fm join LinkedIn with password leaks
Online dating site eHarmony and Last.fm have joined LinkedIn with password leaks, as hackers focus on social networks Continue Reading
By- Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst
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News
08 Jun 2012
Apple faces £1.43m fine in Australian 4G iPad case
Apple has agreed to pay a £1.43m fine for misleading Australians about the 4G capacity of its latest iPad in a case brought by the national consumer watchdog Continue Reading
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News
06 Jun 2012
Top 10 tips for IPv6 security
Many organisations are being misled about the complexities surrounding IPv6 security, according to security firm Stonesoft Continue Reading
By- Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst
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News
06 Jun 2012
Majority of UK websites fail to comply with cookie law
Most UK websites are not yet compliant with the newly enforced cookie law, a study has revealed Continue Reading
By- Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst
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News
28 May 2012
Security researchers discover powerful cyber espionage weapon 'Flame'
Security researchers have discovered a cyber espionage weapon, dubbed 'Flame', with a functionality greater than any other known threat Continue Reading
By- Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst
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News
28 May 2012
UK regulator PhonepayPlus shuts down Angry Birds smartphone scam
UK users of Android smartphones have been targeted by premium-rate phone scams masquerading as popular apps such as Angry Birds Continue Reading
By- Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst
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News
25 May 2012
Video: ICO publishes new guidance on cookie law
The Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) has published new guidance on cookie law and revealed the organisations it has approached on the issue Continue Reading
By- Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst
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News
18 May 2012
Mobile threats demand focus on data protection, says Websense
Business needs to focus on data protection as cyber criminals turn to mobile malware, says Websense. Continue Reading
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News
18 May 2012
Smart Cities: The anywhere working city
This report from Microsoft presents a vision for the development of smart cities which bring together technology, architecture and people. Continue Reading
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News
17 May 2012
The Pirate Bay is latest site to be hit by DDoS attack
The Pirate Bay has become the latest high-profile website to be hit by a distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attack Continue Reading
By- Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst
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News
10 May 2012
Cyber attackers increasingly targeting applications, research shows
Web and mobile applications are the new frontiers in the war against cyber attack, according to an HP cyber security risks report Continue Reading
By- Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst