IT security

Biden issues warning about Russian cyber attacks

President Biden has said that US companies running critical infrastructure should immediately harden their defences in anticipation of potential cyber attacks from Russia Continue Reading

Details of Conti ransomware affiliate released

Information about a new Conti affiliate has been released by eSentire and BreakPoint Lab after a joint investigation into the group’s indicators of compromise Continue Reading

Revised scope of UK security strategy reflects digitised society

The omission of the word ‘security’ from the title of the UK government’s new National Cyber Strategy is a telling one, reflecting our increasingly digitised society, say Maximillian Brook and Arunoshi Singh of the ISF Continue Reading

One year on from IR35 reforms – why IT skills are harder to find

In this week’s Computer Weekly, a year after IR35 tax reforms were introduced, we assess the impact on the UK’s IT talent pool – and it’s not looking good. We examine the rise of industry clouds, and how they are changing the market. And we find out how London councils plan to work together on data and innovation. Read the issue now. Continue Reading

Siloed data holding back coordinated health responses

Digital health experts discuss the role of data in coordinating the NHS’s pandemic response and how managing privacy and governance issues are key to further success Continue Reading

How 2022’s most significant data privacy trends affect your organisation

Data privacy and protection are now core responsibilities for most, but as we all know by now, compliance is a moving target. Here, expert Alan Calder looks ahead at what to expect in the coming months Continue Reading

UK Cyber Strategy a welcome injection of progress

The National Cyber Strategy should be seen as a welcome injection of both focus and investment in bettering cyber defence for everyone, says Turnkey Consulting senior consultant Louise Barber Continue Reading

Russia-Ukraine war has tech buyers reassessing spending

The Russia-Ukraine war, which affects everything from inflation to chip availability, has left half of enterprise tech leaders reassessing IT and communication spending, IDC said. Continue Reading

The state of digital identity in the UK - such a great idea, you'll need a whole bunch of them

The promise of digital identity is a simple one: Prove once that you are who you say you are, and then forever more you have a single method to log in to any online service you choose. No more ... Continue Reading

Dark web littered with Ukraine crypto scammers

Cryptocurrency scammers are actively targeting people trying to donate funds to support Ukraine Continue Reading

Ukrainian cyber defences prove resilient

Thanks to a combination of prior experience and global support, Ukraine’s defences against cyber incidents are holding strong in the face of Russian attacks Continue Reading

National Cyber Strategy will enhance UK’s cyber power status

The UK punches above its weight when it comes to wielding cyber power around the world, but challenges to this status are clear. The National Cyber Strategy has a clear role to play in maintaining and enhancing this status, writes Paddy Francis of Airbus Cybersecurity Continue Reading

NCSC catches 10 million phishes

Nation Cyber Security Centre’s scam email reporting service enjoys great success as government embarks on new cyber awareness campaign Continue Reading

Kaspersky CEO: Ukraine war must end through diplomacy

Eugene Kaspersky speaks out on the war in Ukraine, and rebuffs Germany’s BSI, branding its warnings over his company’s trustworthiness as insulting Continue Reading

Online Safety Bill introduced in Parliament

The government has introduced its long-awaited Online Safety Bill in Parliament, alongside new criminal offences and sanctions for tech company execs Continue Reading

Alarm raised over ‘trickster’ LokiLocker ransomware

The new LokiLocker ransomware is, like its namesake, adept at tricks and misdirection, say BlackBerry researchers Continue Reading

Value of contactless transactions doubles in two years

Almost £166bn was spent in the UK last year using contactless technology, compared with £80.5bn in 2019 Continue Reading

FCSA takes steps to help umbrella company members protect themselves better from cyber attacks

After a spate of suspected ransomware attacks on its members, the Freelance and Contractor Services Association is partnering with a cyber security firm that can coach its umbrella firms on how to protect themselves better Continue Reading

Windstream claims North America’s ‘first and only comprehensive’ managed SASE

Managed communications service provider sees new bundle enabling convergence of networking and security as addressing modern-day challenges of digital business transformation, cyber security and workforce mobility Continue Reading

Biden signs ransomware reporting mandate into law

CNI operators in the US must now report cyber attacks within 72 hours, and ransomware payments within 24 hours Continue Reading

Two men convicted after using EncroChat cryptophones to plot killing

Evidence from the encrypted phone network EncroChat led to the conviction of two men for conspiracy to murder Continue Reading

SentinelOne adds Attivo Networks to identity portfolio

SentinelOne adds identity threat detection and response technology to its cyber portfolio, saying it will benefit zero-trust adoption among its customers Continue Reading

German authorities warn on Kaspersky but stop short of ban

Germany authorities warn Kaspersky users to consider alternatives to the firm’s flagship antivirus software, citing national security concerns and the war on Ukraine Continue Reading

CaddyWiper is fourth new malware linked to Ukraine war

ESET’s cyber security analysts have identified yet another destructive wiper malware being used against targets in Ukraine Continue Reading

Kubernetes vulnerability underscores repeated security warnings

The disclosure of a new vulnerability in an important container runtime engine that underpins Kubernetes has drawn fresh warnings to pay attention to securing Kubernetes environments Continue Reading

Meta fined €17m over EU data breaches

The Irish Data Protection Commissioner has fined Meta after finding it in breach of GDPR rules Continue Reading

How cyber security teams can conquer the four-day working week

The four-day week may be an idea whose time has come, but for always-on cyber security professionals, the impact of squeezing more work into fewer days is a tricky proposition Continue Reading

The CIO's guide to understanding the metaverse

Metaverse definitions vary as do predictions on when it will arrive. But smart CIOs should familiarize themselves with the concept and ways it might affect their company. Continue Reading

Achieving agility, collaboration and data control in the cloud

Organisations have historically had to make a trade-off between the proven benefits of the cloud and maintaining full control of their data, but with the right strategy it is possible to have both Continue Reading

Supreme Court refuses Julian Assange extradition appeal

The case will be referred to the home secretary Priti Patel to make a decision. The WikiLeaks founder has yet to say whether he will file further appeals Continue Reading

How the tech sector is supporting Ukraine

In this week’s Computer Weekly, we examine the global tech sector response to the invasion of Ukraine, and how hackers are responding to calls for an IT army to target Russia. Our latest buyer’s guide looks at cloud-based ERP and other business applications. And IBM’s UK chief tells us how Big Blue is reinventing itself. Read the issue now. Continue Reading

Direct action is a risky business for Ukraine's volunteer hackers

Hackers have been responding to Ukraine’s call to create an IT army, but there are many reasons why taking direct action in a kinetic conflict is a bad idea Continue Reading

Ukraine: Cyber warfare and IT industry boycott of Russia – Computer Weekly Downtime Upload podcast

Alex Scroxton joins the team to discuss the cyber war dimension of the conflict arising from Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, and the IT industry’s response to Putin’s war Continue Reading

How can I avoid an exodus of cyber talent linked to stress and burnout?

Cyber security professionals have played a crucial role during the pandemic, yet many feel like their employers aren’t providing adequate mental health support and have considered quitting their jobs as a result. What can employers do to help them? Continue Reading

Encryption myths versus realities of Online Safety Bill

The UK government can’t legislate the impossible – a safer society depends on encryption, not breaking it Continue Reading

Kaspersky forced to deny source code leak

Kaspersky says an alleged leak of its source code was in fact material anyone could have gleaned from its public servers Continue Reading

Police EncroChat cryptophone hacking implant did not work properly and frequently failed

Surveillance operation against EncroChat encrypted phone network had repeated technical failures Continue Reading

National Cyber Strategy misses the mark in one important way

The National Cyber Strategy is full of fine words, says Petra Wenham, but as the old expression goes, fine words butter no parsnips, and it misses the mark in one very important way Continue Reading

Tech brands sign on to HackerOne responsible security drive

Tech companies sign HackerOne’s new corporate security responsibility pledge to bring cyber out of the shadows and promote effective, secure development practices Continue Reading

Orange Business Services and Fortinet seal SASE partnership

Business services division of telco inks partnership with cyber security firm to gain differentiation for secure access service edge solution based on cloud-native technologies and using a dedicated global IP backbone to deliver expanded on-demand services Continue Reading

Government to force tech firms to stop fraudsters using their platforms for scams

Changes to legislation will make social media and search engine firms responsible for preventing fraudsters using their platforms to commit crimes Continue Reading

Paid-for advertising measures included in Online Safety Bill

New measures to deal with fraudulent paid-for advertising have been included in the government’s draft Online Safety Bill, marking the fourth extension in two months Continue Reading

Cloud-era disaster recovery planning: Maintenance and continuous improvement

In the final article in this four-part guide to disaster recovery planning, we look at how and when to update, maintain, audit, review and continually improve the DR plan Continue Reading

Strategic Review of Policing: Police tech needs better ethical scrutiny

The Strategic Review of Policing confirms the central role that tech will be playing going forward, but warns of the need for greater ethical scrutiny to ensure public trust Continue Reading

China’s APT41 exploited Log4j within hours

APT41 compromised multiple government organisations via the Log4Shell exploit within hours of its initial disclosure, Mandiant claims Continue Reading

Microsoft serves up three zero-days on March Patch Tuesday

Three zero-days pop up in Microsoft’s March update, along with a number of other noteworthy concerns for defenders Continue Reading

Google buys Mandiant for £4bn

Acquisition will see cyber defence and threat intelligence specialist folded into Google Cloud’s security suite Continue Reading

Security Think Tank: Building the cyber workforce we need

The UK’s new National Cyber Strategy is clear in its ambitions, but to fulfil them, we must double down on appropriate skills development, says ISACA director Mike Hughes Continue Reading

Using technology to protect human rights

In this week’s Computer Weekly, we investigate how technology is being used to tackle human rights abuses worldwide. We offer a step-by-step guide to disaster recovery in the cloud era. And we examine the vital, and successful, role of digital and data in the UK Covid-19 vaccine roll-out. Read the issue now. Continue Reading

How APAC organisations can mitigate edge security threats

The move to the edge expands an organisation’s attack surface. Here are some measures that organisations can take to minimise their edge security risks Continue Reading

When more is too much in security

The view that more security tools equals better protection still persists, but security researcher Etay Maor argues that success in cyber lies in simplicity Continue Reading

Ukraine joins Nato cyber knowledge hub

Ukraine is to become a contributing participant in Nato’s Cooperative Cyber Defence Centre of Excellence Continue Reading

When to pull the plug on an ecommerce site

Distributed denial of service and other attacks on websites have the potential to leak personally identifiable information Continue Reading

Scrapping NHS Digital a backward step for patient data rights

Former NHS Digital chair Kingsley Manning has spoken out over proposals to fold NHS Digital into NHS England, saying that more oversight is needed to safeguard patient data in light of recent events Continue Reading

Microsoft stops sales of products and services to Russia

Citing sanctions and cyber security concerns, Microsoft has become the latest company to withdraw from the Russian market Continue Reading

Assessing the aims of the Government Cyber Security Strategy

The clear aims of the Government Cyber Security Strategy are welcome, but are they realistic or achievable? Continue Reading

Universities need better protection from email-based cyber attacks

The need to educate university staff and students on avoiding email-based cyber attacks is more acute than ever, says Proofpoint’s Adenike Cosgrove Continue Reading

Boardroom does not see ransomware as a priority

Less than a quarter of company directors think ransomware is a top priority for their security teams, according to Egress Continue Reading

Nato Cyber Security unit tests post-quantum VPN

Nato’s Cyber Security Centre has successfully tested secure communication flows in a post-quantum world using a UK-designed VPN Continue Reading

Direct action is a risky business for Ukraine's volunteer hackers

Hackers have been responding to Ukraine’s call to create an IT army, but there are many reasons why taking direct action in a kinetic conflict is a bad idea Continue Reading

Use of encrypted Telegram platform soars in Ukraine, Russia

Encrypted messaging service Telegram is proving a valuable asset to both sides in Russia’s war on Ukraine Continue Reading

Eight schools recognised for quality security education

Eight new schools and colleges around the UK have been recognised by the NCSC’s CyberFirst Schools initiative Continue Reading

Cyber companies step up support for Ukraine

Security companies Bitdefender and Vectra AI are both to offer products and services in support of Ukraine Continue Reading

SunSeed malware hits those involved in Ukraine refugee relief

European governments involved in managing the logistics of hundreds of thousands of people fleeing Ukraine have been targeted by a suspected state-backed actor Continue Reading

Ban predictive policing systems in EU AI Act, says civil society

A coalition of civil society groups has called on European lawmakers to use the upcoming Artificial Intelligence Act as an opportunity to ban predictive policing systems Continue Reading

Toyota production to resume after supply chain attack

Toyota production has been set back by over 10,000 vehicles following a cyber attack on a critical components supplier in Japan Continue Reading

BBC blasted with millions of malicious emails

Responding to an FoI request, the BBC has revealed it receives more than 300,000 malicious email attacks every day Continue Reading

DCMS opens consultation on telecoms cyber standards

Proposed rules will set out the specific measures telecoms providers need to take to fulfil their legal duties under the Telecommunications Security Act Continue Reading

ESET details new IsaacWiper malware used on Ukraine

Having been among the first to report on the HermeticWiper malware used against Ukraine last week, ESET has now identified another destructive malware called IsaacWiper Continue Reading

Ukraine cyber attacks seen spiking, but no destructive cyber war yet

While cyber attacks linked to Russia’s war on Ukraine are taking place, they are having little impact beyond the region Continue Reading

Online Safety Bill updated to deal with anonymous abuse

Social media companies will be forced to deal with anonymous abuse online by the introduction of new measures in the Online Safety Bill Continue Reading

Cloudflare: Our network is our product

Cloudflare’s chief product officer explains why its network is its product and how it protects organisations against cyber threats Continue Reading

Time to act on "Authorised Payment" Fraud

In 2014 a working group hosted by the DPA (Digital Policy Alliance) working with faster payment data from six banks established that 75% of fraudulent payments could have been stopped in real time ... Continue Reading

Mass phishing attacks against Ukrainian citizens reported

The Ukrainian cyber authorities are alerting people located in the country to be alert to phishing attacks Continue Reading

Irish data watchdog calls for ‘objective metrics’ for big tech regulation

Helen Dixon, Ireland’s data protection commissioner, says EU regulators must agree on metrics to measure the effectiveness of data protection regulation Continue Reading

Darktrace buys attack surface management firm Cybersprint

Emergent AI cyber specialist Darktrace is to pay £39.7m for Netherlands-based Cybersprint Continue Reading

Define RPO and RTO tiers for storage and data protection strategy

We look at RPO and RTO in defining data protection and disaster recovery strategies and how to specify tiers that reflect the importance of different systems in your organisation Continue Reading

The UK’s cyber security sector is thriving, but our work has only just begun

The government’s Annual Cyber Sector Report painted a positive picture of the UK security industry. CIISec’s Amanda Finch thinks we can go further in developing cyber talent and opening up the sector Continue Reading

Researchers link Dridex botnet to emergent Entropy ransomware

A little-known new ransomware called Entropy contains significant code similarities to the general purpose Dridex botnet, suggesting some kind of link between the two Continue Reading

KnowBe4 cyber drama tackles Colonial Pipeline in fourth season

KnowBe4’s ongoing cyber security training drama, The Inside Man, reaches its fourth season with a plot drawing inspiration from one of the most impactful cyber attacks of 2021 Continue Reading

New wave of cyber attacks on Ukraine preceded Russian invasion

A wave of DDoS attacks, and a second data wiper attack, were seen hitting Ukraine in the hours leading up to the Russian invasion Continue Reading

Security organisations form Nonprofit Cyber coalition

Founding members of the Nonprofit Cyber coalition pledge to enhance joint action on cyber security around the world Continue Reading

New cyber guidelines to safeguard construction sector

NCSC launches sector-specific security guidance for organisations in the construction industry, with input from the Chartered Institute of Building Continue Reading

CW Nordics: Swedish drone app gets life-saving equipment to heart attack victims

Thanks to an app developed in Sweden, drones can get life-saving equipment to heart-attack victims before emergency services can arrive on the scene, potentially increasing patient survival rates. Also in this issue, read about a Swedish bank's time-saving robots, and how Finland aims to democratise the ‘wild west’ of AI. Continue Reading

Russia behind dangerous Cyclops Blink malware

Joint NCSC CISA advisory attributes a dangerous malware, dubbed Cyclops Blink, to Russia’s Sandworm APT, likely a GRU unit, with WatchGuard users at particular risk Continue Reading

Paid-for advertising still not covered in Online Safety Bill

Consumer group Which? calls again for government to include measures against scam paid-for advertising in the Online Safety Bill Continue Reading

Nordic companies targeted in wave of cyber attacks

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Salesforce pays out over £2m in bug bounties

Salesforce says it received more than 4,000 vulnerability reports in 2021 alone as it delivers a rare public update on its bug bounty programme Continue Reading

DCMS launches free cyber skills platform for kids

Government introduces free online cyber skills training for schoolchildren to encourage them into cyber security roles in the future and help address the skills gap Continue Reading

Microsoft extends Defender umbrella to Google Cloud Platform

Redmond says extending Defender for Cloud native capabilities to the Google Cloud Platform will help simplify security for organisations pursuing multicloud strategies by eliminating the gaps where the bad guys can get in Continue Reading

Backups ‘no longer effective’ for stopping ransomware attacks

Traditional methods of mitigating ransomware are less efficacious thanks to the rise in double and triple extortion techniques Continue Reading

No imminent cyber threat to UK from Russia

Intelligence officials say they have no evidence or indication that Russian cyber attackers are preparing offensive assaults on infrastructure or organisations in Britain Continue Reading

Attempted burglary exposes risk of NatWest customer data in former worker’s home

Former Royal Bank of Scotland employee offers bank a compromise in her dispute over the return of confidential customer information Continue Reading

IBM opens cyber security hub in India

Big Blue’s new cyber security hub, comprising a cyber range, software development facilities and a security operations centre, will serve enterprises across the Asia-Pacific region Continue Reading

Tech acquisition to be major priority for UK police

Policing minister cites technology as major focus for future of UK police, in comments made ahead of the publication of the Strategic Review of Policing in England and Wales Continue Reading

UK organisations swift to chide phishing victims

While UK organisations are doing better at security training, many are quick to punish employees who fall victim to phishing attacks, whether real or simulated Continue Reading

Security Think Tank: Good training is all about context

In-house or outsourced? What makes a good security training programme, and what questions should buyers ask when procuring training as a service? Continue Reading

Think nation-state cyber attacks won’t hit you? Think again…

In this week’s Computer Weekly, with Russian state cyber attacks in the news, we find out why security professionals in every organisation need to remain alert. Our buyer’s guide looks at the tools and programmes helping improve IT training. And we look at how the traditional sport of golf is undergoing a digital transformation. Read the issue now. Continue Reading

Why security professionals should pay attention to what Russia is doing

Even though the average organisation is an unlikely target for a Russian state cyber attack, here's why security teams still need to watch what Russian threat groups are up to Continue Reading

Zoom gains NCSC Cyber Essentials Plus and NHS security badges

Video platform Zoom has added a number of UK-specific cyber certifications to help it demonstrate its platform is safeguarded against common threats Continue Reading