IT security

Top 10 IT privacy stories of 2013

Stories related to whistleblower Edward Snowden’s revelations about internet mass surveillance programmes by the US and the UK have dominated this year Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

UK citizen wins legal round against Facebook over Prism leaks

A British citizen has applied for a judgement against Facebook in a case that will test the right of tech firms to give UK personal data to the NSA. Continue Reading

By

• Fiona O’Cleirigh

Oracle revenues rise as cloud services earn keep

While the rise of big data technology companies has seemed to threaten Oracle, its latest results report indicate a better than expected increase in revenue Continue Reading

By

• Brian McKenna, Enterprise Applications Editor

User acceptance testing needs real training, not just a short course

In spite of its importance, user acceptance testing (UAT) is often chaotic, problematic and ineffective Continue Reading

By

• Pauline van Goethem
• Brian Hambling

Can BlackBerry restore its business appeal?

In this week’s issue of Computer Weekly, we examine whether former Sybase chief, John Chen, will be able to stem the decline of BlackBerry and reinvent the the smartphone maker as a software business for the “bring your own device” (BYOD) era. Our buyer’s guide to the internet of things concludes with a look at how universal connectivity will yield insights in fields as diverse as aviation and hospitality. And we analyse Google’s attempts to compete with Amazon Web Services in public cloud. Continue Reading

Research reveals widespread mobile app hacking

The top 100 paid Android apps and 56% of the top 100 paid Apple iOS apps have been hacked, research has revealed Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Thirteen plead guilty to Anonymous DDoS attack on Paypal

Thirteen people have pleaded guilty to taking part in DDoS attacks on eBay’s Paypal, organised by the Anonymous hacker group in 2010 Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Ransomware looks set to increase, warns Sophos

Cyber criminals are planning to produce new forms of ransomware on an unprecedented scale, according to IT security firm Sophos Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

What’s new in ISO 27001: 2103 for storage and backup?

This year, ISO 27001: 2013 was published, putting more emphasis on mapping risk to an ever-expanding and mobile IT infrastructure. But what is new in ISO 27001: 2013? Continue Reading

By

• Antony Adshead, Computer Weekly

Computer system failure delays hundreds of UK flights

Hundreds of flights at several UK airports were delayed or cancelled at the weekend because of a computer failure at National Air Traffic Services (NATS) Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Can Europe give the world cloud coverage?

This month’s issue of CW Europe investigates how Europe could become the “trusted cloud region” according to the European Commission (EC) after the Prism revelation. Read how the EC believes cloud providers in the region can turn this to their advantage by, developing cloud services that global customers would view as more secure and transparent. Continue Reading

Automation key to balancing agility and security, says AlgoSec

Automated critical business application management enables a more agile business and enhances security, says security policy management firm AlgoSec Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

UK citizen sues Microsoft over Prism private data leak to NSA

A court action brought in the UK will test Microsoft's legal right to disclose private data on UK citizens to US intelligence services Continue Reading

By

• Fiona O’Cleirigh

Cybercrime and warfare: All that matters

Peter Warren and Michael Streeter assess the history, scale and importance of cyber crime in this chapter from their book, Cybercrime and warfare: All That Matters. Continue Reading

— Computer Weekly

Proof-of-concept malware jumps air gap with sound card

Researchers demonstrate proof-of-concept malware exfiltrating data using high-frequency transmissions inaudible to humans Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Councils threatened with disconnection from PSN in escalating security row

A London council was hours away from being disconnected from the public sector network, in an row between central and local government over security compliance Continue Reading

By

• Bryan Glick, Editor in chief

The Guardian denies Snowden stories damaged national security

Guardian editor Alan Rusbridger defends decision to publish stories on documents leaked by whistleblower Edward Snowden Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

UK proposes formal talks on cyber security with China

Prime minister David Cameron has called on China to be more open about cyber security Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

The future of local government IT

In this week’s Computer Weekly, we look at how visionary IT leaders in local government plan to transform the delivery of digital public services using the cloud. Our latest buyer’s guide looks at the technology challenges of implementing the internet of things for businesses. And do firms dealing with tech-savvy consumers need a new approach to IT management? Some IT leaders think they do. Read the issue now. Continue Reading

EU calls on US to rebuild trust in post-Snowden era

The EC has called on the US to provide guarantees to restore trust in the wake of spying revelations Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

European Parliament closes Wi-Fi after man-in-the-middle attack

A number of mailboxes have been compromised and users’ smartphones could be at risk following a man-in-the-middle attack on the European Parliament’s public Wi-Fi Continue Reading

By

• Jennifer Scott, TechTarget

NCA changed UK cyber crime fighting, says NCCU head

The NCA has changed the UK law enforcement landscape, says Andy Archibald, head of the NCA’s National Cyber Crime Unit Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Government lays out 2014 cyber security agenda

The UK government has reiterated its commitment to addressing cyber security and laid out some plans for 2014 at the Cyber Security Summit 2013 Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

White hat Wi-Fi hacking shows vulnerability of business data

Whitehat hackers have shown that senstitive data can be sniffed easily from public Wi-Fi hotspots Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

FTSE 350 firms complete cyber risk assessment

Most FTSE 350 companies put cyber risk on the board agenda, but many need to improve how they manage that risk Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Facebook authentication - Like?

As Cisco teams up with Facebook to offer authentication for public Wi-Fi, is this option safe for businesses? Continue Reading

By

• Steve Evans

Optimising performance and security of web-based software

On-demand applications are often talked about in terms of how suppliers should be adapting the way their software is provisioned to customers. Continue Reading

By

• Bob Tarzey

CSA appoints Microsoft’s Adrienne Hall to board

The CSA has appointed Adrienne Hall, from Trustworthy Computing at Microsoft, to its board of directors Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Report highlights poor UK attitudes to mobile security

Businesses should note that many UK mobile users do not take security precautions and do not know how to guard against data theft Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Investec CISO warns that legacy tapes will fail on new hardware

Many organisations may find that years of irreplaceable tape backups are inaccessible because modern machines cannot handle legacy format Continue Reading

By

• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor

Technology, society and morality: the implications for technology leaders

Technology is evolving at a pace and scale that has never been experienced. Society is struggling to keep up with the social and moral implications Continue Reading

By

• Austin Jepsen

Google reaches $17m multi-state settlement over Safari snooping

Google has reached a $17m settlement agreement with 10 US states for bypassing Apple Safari privacy settings Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Google and Microsoft to block searches for child porn

Google and Microsoft have announced measures to make it more difficult to find child abuse images online Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Cyber collateral damage a concern for all, says Lancope

All organisations could be affected by cyber attack collateral damage, says network security firm Lancope Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Mass surveillance a bad idea, says Information Commissioner Christopher Graham

Information Commissioner Christopher Graham says issues of national security must not overshadow concerns of legitimate public interest Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Web surveillance not a good idea, says Info Commissioner

Information Commissioner Christopher Graham says issues of national security cannot be allowed to overshadow concerns of legitimate public interest Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Global profiles of the fraudster

Computers, rather than conmen, are set to be the future face of fraud, as criminals turn to robotics in an effort to avoid detection, this report from KPMG reveals. Continue Reading

— ComputerWeekly.com

Why agile development races ahead of traditional testing

Traditional testing practices optimise large, centralised testing but struggle to support the rapid delivery of agile development. Continue Reading

By

• Diego Lo Giudice

NSA and GCHQ mass surveillance violates EU law, study finds

Mass internet surveillance by US and UK intelligence agencies violates European law, according to a study by two academics Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

UK intelligence heads defend mass surveillance operations

Heads of the UK’s intelligence services insist all they do in term of mass surveillance is strictly within the confines of UK law Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Intellect relaunches as TechUK and targets 500,000 new UK IT jobs

The UK’s technology trade association, formerly known as Intellect, has relaunched as TechUK, unveiling plans to create over 500,000 jobs by 2020 Continue Reading

By

• Bryan Glick, Editor in chief

Identity assurance system moves into beta test phase

The Government Digital Service has started testing of a key system to support plans for citizens to securely prove their identity when accessing online public services Continue Reading

By

• Bryan Glick, Editor in chief

Analysis: RSA says security needs to change, but what does that mean?

RSA executive chairman Art Coviello has issued a call to action to the security industry to improve technology and collaboration Continue Reading

Most businesses need to transform IT security, says RSA

No modern network or IT system can withstand the onslaught of a skilled adversary, given focus and time, says Amit Yoran, general manager of RSA Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Six tips to help you negotiate the best deal with your datacentre provider

Your willingness to negotiate can make a big difference to the deal you get, says Anthony Day, associate at law firm DLA Piper Continue Reading

By

• Bill Goodwin, Investigations Editor

Cyber attack shuts down Israeli toll road tunnel

A cyber attack has shut down a major link in Israel's national road network, experts claim Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Thales launches critical infrastructure cyber security lab

Thales has set up a cyber security lab dedicated to help improve the security of critical national infrastructure, government and business Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

US publishes draft cyber security framework

The US has published a draft framework of voluntary cyber security standards aimed at reducing risks to critical national infrastructure Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Government overhauls security classification to fit digital age

In its first overhaul since World War II the government is consolidating six security bands to three with a system deemed more appropriate in the digital age. Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

The challenges of using mobile devices in the public sector

The government is allowing the public sector to implement BYOD schemes, but the guidelines are limiting and challenges still remain Continue Reading

By

• Caroline Baldwin, Freelance editor and journalist

Dexter payment card malware variant hits South Africa

The Dexter payment card skimming malware discovered last year has resurfaced in South Africa, resulting in millions of pounds lost to fraud Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Case study: Richard Branson's Virgin Management moves to IaaS platform

Virgin Management, a subsidiary of Virgin Group, has migrated its IT to a cloud-based IaaS platform for BYOD capabilities and savings Continue Reading

By

• Archana Venkatraman, Datacentre Editor

Neustar to host first DDoS awareness day

Communications firm Neustar is to host the first international awareness day on distributed denial of service (DDoS) attacks Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Who owns your LinkedIn account?

It is common for employees to use personal social networking accounts for work, but who actually owns those accounts? Continue Reading

By

• Sarah Burke

The ICO issues BYOD warning after breach

The ICO is calling on organisations to ensure data protection policies reflect how employees are using personal devices for work Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

10 security reasons to upgrade to iOS 7

Even if it did not include numerous security fixes, iOS 7 has compelling reasons for corporates to adopt it to improve their security Continue Reading

By

• Rob Buckley

D-Link begins fixing router backdoor

D-Link has begun releasing security patches to close the backdoor discovered on some of its routers Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Is India’s cyber policy all words and no action?

The Indian government is trying to strengthen cyber security with the new cyber policy, but little is yet understood about how the ambitious proposals will be put in place Continue Reading

By

• Viraj V Desai

Legitimate users of Tor need not worry, says NCA

The National Crime Agency (NCA) says criminals cannot hide on the internet, but legitimate business users of anonymity software Tor are safe Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

High street retailers fight back with multi-channel IT

In this week’s Computer Weekly, we examine how high street retailers are fighting back against online rivals by using IT to support multi-channel customers – and Tesco’s marketing chief explains how it works at the UK’s biggest supermarket chain. Also, we ask how recent revelations about government internet surveillance affect the protection of corporate information. Read the issue now. Continue Reading

UK National Cyber Crime Unit becomes operational

The UK's National Cyber Crime Unit has become operational as part of the new National Crime Agency Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

FBI shuts down Silk Road online drug market

The FBI has shut down the Silk Road online drug market and arrested kingpin Ross Ulbricht, previously known only as Dread Pirate Roberts Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Privacy concerns in the digital world

Considering the full spectrum of privacy, people need to ask themselves if they are comfortable with all their characteristics in the public domain Continue Reading

By

• Yves Le Roux, (ISC)2

McAfee Focus 2013: McAfee leadership upbeat about Stonesoft acquisition

Intel-owned security firm McAfee is upbeat about its acquisition of Stonesoft and its future capability to tackle security differently Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

IT security industry still immature, says (ISC)2 board member

The information security industry is still immature and failing to act or speak as one, says Dave Lewis, (ISC)2 board member Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Charity uses cloud HR system to keep track of staff working in danger zones

It took a disaster in Haiti to demonstrate to charity World Vision why it needed better HR systems Continue Reading

By

• Bill Goodwin, Investigations Editor

MoD announces specialist programme to fend off cyber attacks

The Ministry of Defence (MoD) has announced a strategy to defend UK national security from the threat of cyber attacks Continue Reading

By

• Caroline Baldwin, Freelance editor and journalist

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

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Ex-hackers best qualified to improve cyber security say 70% of IT firms

Over half of businesses are not taking IT security seriously enough and almost three quarters of IT professionals think ex-hackers could be the right people to help businesses improve cyber-security. Continue Reading

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

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

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

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Small businesses must encrypt customer data, says ICO

The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) urges small businesses to encrypt customer data after a sole trader was fined for failing to do so Continue Reading

US websites should inform EU citizens about NSA surveillance, says report

US web site providers should inform European citizens that their data may be subject to government surveillance, says a report for the European parliament Continue Reading

By

• Bryan Glick, Editor in chief

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

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

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

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

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

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

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

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

NSA and GCHQ unlock online privacy encryption

UK and US intelligence agencies have unlocked the technology used to encrypt online services, including email, online banking and medical records. Continue Reading

By

• Caroline Baldwin, Freelance editor and journalist

Windows 2012 Server Network Security

This book chapter offers an introduction to Windows 8 and Windows Server 2012 network security and IPv6. It includes a 30% discount code for Computer Weekly readers. Continue Reading

— ComputerWeekly.com

Windows Server 2012 Security from End to Edge and Beyond

This extract from the book Windows Server 2012 Security from End to Edge and Beyond shows you how to plan your platform security requirements and gives you the critical questions to ask. Continue Reading

— ComputerWeekly.com

Printing: a false sense of security?

Louella Fernandes and Bob Tarzey show how secure printing technology can provide authentication, authorisation and accounting capabilities, helping businesses improve document security and meet compliance regulations. Continue Reading

— ComputerWeekly.com

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

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Rapid7 United 2013 Security Summit

View the pics from Rapid7’s recent security summit in Boston. Continue Reading

By

• Kayleigh Bateman, Computer Weekly

Box.com forges new cloud security model

Service providers and consumers need to move to a security model better suited to the cloud computing, says Box.com Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

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

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Case study: Keeping it private at Beth Israel Deaconess after the Boston Marathon Attacks

Doctor and healthcare CIO shares his lessons learned from the Boston Marathon attacks and how to protect patient data Continue Reading

By

• Kayleigh Bateman, Computer Weekly

Targeted attacks and how to defend against them

Analysts Bob Tarzey and Louella Fernandes assess the scale and real impact of targeted attacks the measures being taken to defend against them. Continue Reading

— ComputerWeekly.com

Top 10 Android security tips

As Android becomes more prevalent in the enterprise, Computer Weekly gives you 10 top tips for keeping your devices secure Continue Reading

By

• Paul Marchant

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

By

• Sheila Pancholi

The dangers of internet cafés

Businesses need clear computer use policies and need to ensure staff are properly trained in data protection, writes Garry Mackay Continue Reading

By

• Garry Mackay

The data fragmentation challenge

Few organisations have policies to guide where data should and should not be stored. The result: data fragmentation Continue Reading

By

• Tony Lock, Freeform Dynamics

Websites hacked to show child abuse images

More than 25 business websites worldwide have been hacked to show illegal images of child sex abuse Continue Reading

By

• Caroline Baldwin, Freelance editor and journalist

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

By

• Mark Brown

The threat within – balancing security and employee privacy

In this week’s Computer Weekly, as more data breaches come from inside an organisation, we examine how to get the right balance between information security and employees’ rights to privacy. Tech City CEO Joanna Shields talks about the opportunity for CIOs from working with startups. Our buyer’s guide to data management explains how one major utility firm improved information sharing. And we look at how mobile technology and wireless networking is helping improve patient care in the NHS. Read the issue now. Continue Reading

Big data journalism exposes offshore tax dodgers

How journalists harnessed big data to challenge offshore financial secrecy Continue Reading

By

• Duncan Campbell and Craig Shaw

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

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

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

By

• Sarb Sembhi

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

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Securing your Wi-Fi data network

Has the 2007 assault on the Wi-Fi network of the US based TJX retail group shocked corporations enough to take note and ensure their networks are actually secure?CW Europe investigates the dip in high-profile security breaches, across the region. Continue Reading

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

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst