IT security

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

UK joins US in pinning Ukraine DDoS attacks on Russia

A series of DDoS attacks on Ukrainian defence and banking organisations last week is now being firmly attributed to Russian action Continue Reading

Storage and 5G: Big impacts likely as wide-area topologies evolve

Enterprise 5G will boost the need for storage generally. It will also push capacity needs closer to the edge and create new locations for processing and storage Continue Reading

Lawyers say ‘unprecedented’ secrecy deprived EncroChat defendants of fair trials

Lawyers from seven countries say it is impossible for their clients to challenge the accuracy, authenticity, reliability and legality of the evidence against them Continue Reading

UK organisations untroubled by Trickbot surge

A surge in Trickbot infections is targeting some of the world’s most prominent brands, but UK organisations seem thankfully unaffected Continue Reading

It takes a village: Protecting kids online is everyone’s responsibility

The rapid uptake of smartphones among children has contributed to the increasing number of cases of cyber bullying and online grooming. Is this an educational issue or a cultural problem, and can modern enterprise help? Continue Reading

Red Cross cyber attack the work of nation-state actors

The International Committee of the Red Cross now believes the January 2022 attack on its systems to have been the work of an undisclosed nation state Continue Reading

2021 another record year for UK cyber investment

Total revenue generated by the UK’s cyber sector was up 14% last year, and UK-registered security firms raised over £1bn in investment Continue Reading

DDoS attacks hit Ukrainian defence ministry and banks

A further wave of cyber attacks has taken place against targets in Ukraine amid heightened tension in the region Continue Reading

BlackCat ransomware gang claims responsibility for Swissport attack

Ransomware gang is trying to offload 1.6TB of data stolen from aviation services firm Continue Reading

Cloud Security Alliance publishes guidelines to bridge compliance and DevOps

The Cloud Security Alliance has published a report detailing practices that organisations can adopt to bridge the gap between compliance and software development and operations Continue Reading

Retrospect Backup refines anomaly detection in ransomware battle

StorCentric backup software brand allows customer fine-tuning of anomaly detection in struggle against ransomware, and adds immutable copies via object locking in Azure Continue Reading

Botched third-party configuration exposes Internet Society data to web

Personal data on members of The Internet Society was exposed after a supplier failed to secure its Azure storage Continue Reading

Parasol data breach: Frustrated IT contractors dig into the dark web in search of their data

The emergence on the dark web of passports, payslips and other personal documents belonging to contractors affected by the cyber attack and subsequent data breach at Parasol is prompting group actions and forcing some IT contractors to find out for themselves if their data has been compromised Continue Reading

TA2451 targets aviation and transport sector with tailored lures

Newly designated cyber criminal group favours highly specific lures and a tried-and-tested modus operandi to compromise targets in the aviation, aerospace and transport sectors Continue Reading

China emerges as leader in vulnerability exploitation

Threat actors linked to China are emerging as a significant force in the weaponisation of newly discovered CVEs Continue Reading

On a mission to track space junk

In this week’s Computer Weekly, we talk to the space experts tracking orbital debris using graph database technology. We meet the startups taking very different approaches in trying to develop commercial quantum computers. And we ask why it’s so difficult to build a data science team and how to overcome the challenges. Read the issue now. Continue Reading

Levelling Up Access to Jobs

Over 400 employers attended a briefing with officials from Home Office and DCMS on 27th January when we learned that, welcome though the new processes are, those without a current UK passport will ... Continue Reading

CMA secures final Privacy Sandbox guarantees from Google

The CMA has secured a final set of Privacy Sandbox commitments from Google relating to the proposed removal of third-party cookies from its Chrome browser Continue Reading

Lack of knowledge disastrous for effective security strategy within Dutch companies

Most Dutch companies still haven’t realised that security is an integral part of their IT and company strategy 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

Hackney Council could be forced to answer questions about IT security training after Psya ransomware

Council is negotiating with the information commissioner after refusing to reply to questions under the Freedom of Information Act about staff IT and security training during the pandemic Continue Reading

How diplomatic immunity silenced the prosecutor who coordinated Sweden’s EncroChat probe

Defence lawyers claim Swedish court decision not to hear evidence from a Swedish prosecutor leaves important legal questions unanswered over international police operation to hack EncroChat cryptophone network Continue Reading

Phishing tests are a useful exercise, but don’t overdo it

The vast majority of cyber attacks start with a phish, so it’s not surprising that phishing tests form part of cyber training plans. But sometimes these tests go too far. Cyberis’ Gemma Moore looks at how to avoid the pitfalls Continue Reading

UK second in money laundering hall of shame

Banks need to step up their anti-money laundering processes if billions of pounds’ worth of criminal activity is to be prevented Continue Reading

CW Benelux: Unesco members adopt AI ethics recommendation

Unesco member state have adopted an AI ethics recommendation that seeks to define a common set of values and principles to guide the development of ethical AI globally. Also read about a large-scale national cyber exercise in the Netherlands, and the Estonian government’s Siri-like digital assistant. Continue Reading

Palo Alto announces ML-enabled software update and firewalls

Palo Alto's updated PAN-OS software uses machine learning to analyze network traffic in real time, and two firewall appliances provide the processing power to support it. Continue Reading

The Netherlands works on resilience with large-scale national cyber exercise

 Continue Reading

Minister defends digital economy legislation before Lords

A digital minister has said that the UK’s forthcoming digital markets legislation is ‘superior’ to similar efforts in the EU, but could not commit to a specific time frame for when it will be introduced to Parliament Continue Reading

Linux-based clouds an open door for attackers, says VMware

Its prevalence as a cloud operating system means Linux is becoming a meal ticket for malicious actors, but the security industry does not seem to have cottoned on to this yet, says VMware Continue Reading

Ransomware ever more sophisticated and impactful, warns NCSC

UK’s National Cyber Security Centre teams up with US and Australian partners in a joint advisory warning organisations of the increasing sophistication exhibited by criminal ransomware gangs Continue Reading

Microsoft stomps on 48 bugs in February Patch Tuesday update

It’s a light Patch Tuesday for February 2022, as Microsoft issues fixes for just 48 CVEs, including a solitary zero-day Continue Reading

Tech companies risk being compelled by law to protect children, says online safety expert

John Carr, a child safety campaigner backing a government-funded campaign on the dangers of end-to-end encryption to children, says tech companies have no choice but to act Continue Reading

How Dutch hackers are working to make the internet safe

We hear how the personal mission of a Dutch hacker grew into a serious organisation with international ambitions Continue Reading

Five key tech trends for digital leaders in 2022

The past two years have seen a surge in investment that will bring new challenges to digital leaders over the next year Continue Reading

Log4Shell, Ukraine and umbrella firm cyber attacks – Computer Weekly Downtime Upload podcast

Alex Scroxton joins the team to discuss the Log4j vulnerability and Russian pressure on Ukraine. Also discussed are cyber attacks on umbrella companies, neuro-diversity and junk in space Continue Reading

DPD delivers swift fix for serious API flaw

API vulnerability potentially left PII on DPD Group’s customers dangerously exposed, but was rapidly fixed on disclosure Continue Reading

Microsoft to start blocking macros to thwart malware

Microsoft is making changes to web macro permissions across multiple Office apps to help improve user security Continue Reading

The Security Interviews: Building the UK’s future cyber ecosystem

As the government lays out the next iteration of its Cyber Security Strategy, we speak to Plexal and Lorca’s Saj Huq about his work building a cyber ecosystem to support the UK’s future ambitions Continue Reading

Parasol data breach: Contractors rage as fallout from umbrella cyber attack continues

Contractors working for the Parasol umbrella company are querying why it has taken so long for news of the firm's data breach, which is linked to a cyber attack on its systems five weeks ago, to come to light Continue Reading

Porn sites will be legally required to verify users’ ages

Porn sites could be legally obliged to verify that their users are 18 or over under proposed online safety rules, in UK government’s second attempt to prevent children from accessing pornography online Continue Reading

Right to disconnect and less monitoring key to better remote work

The World Health Organisation and International Labour Organisation warn against invasive workplace surveillance and promote right to disconnect in joint briefing on how to promote healthy and safe remote working Continue Reading

Umbrella company Parasol confirms data breach linked to cyber attack five weeks ago

In an email to contractors sent out earlier today, umbrella company confirmed some data had been accessed and shared online in the wake of last month’s suspected ransomware attack on its systems Continue Reading

Airport services firm thwarts attempted ransomware heist

Aviation services provider Swissport says its systems are mostly back up and running after a ransomware attack Continue Reading

Security's Buoyancy Aid - Keeping Your Head Above Murky Cyber Waters With Swimlane

Towards the end of last year, I spoke about a vendor, Swimlane, who appeared to be getting the concept of automation and orchestration absolutely on the money – and in the area where it is most ... Continue Reading

Cyber attacks on European oil facilities spreading

Following a cyber attack on distribution facilities in Germany, more incidents have been reported in Belgium and the Netherlands, but it is too early to necessarily draw a link between them Continue Reading

Check Point looks to plug ASEAN’s cyber security gap

Check Point is shoring up its sales force and partner ecosystem to address the cyber security needs of small and mid-sized businesses in a region that is highly targeted by threat actors Continue Reading

EC proposes new directive to improve gig economy work conditions

Gig economy workers in Europe could be entitled to more rights and better workplace protections under a directive proposed by the European Commission Continue Reading

BlackCat crew supposedly behind OilTanking ransomware heist

Preliminary reports from Germany’s national cyber authority indicate the recent OilTanking ransomware attack may have been the work of the BlackCat group Continue Reading

Brookson and Parasol cyber attacks: Contractor complaints about delayed payments continue

Several weeks on from the suspected ransomware attack that blighted two of the umbrella industry’s biggest players, contractors are still chasing their missing money Continue Reading

Crisp supply shortage looms after KP Snacks hit by ransomware

Supplies of Hula Hoops and many other snack brands are under threat after a ransomware attack on the systems of KP Snacks Continue Reading

French Supreme Court raises constitutional questions over EncroChat hacking secrecy

Conseil Constitutionnel to decide whether ‘defence secrecy’ over state EncroChat cryptophone hacking breaches French constitution Continue Reading

Security Think Tank: How to build a human firewall

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

Mechanism underlying cookie popups found in breach of GDPR

A fundamental element of the mechanism by which the advertising industry requests tracking consent from web users has been found in breach of the General Data Protection Regulation Continue Reading

Zero-trust to soar in 2022, but dogged by implementation challenges

IT leaders are keen to invest in zero-trust, but face issues around a lack of expertise, and selling the concept into the C-suite Continue Reading

Reforms needed to tackle economic crime, says Treasury Committee

The Treasury Committee is disappointed at progress towards tackling economic crime and fraud in both the online and offline worlds, and is calling for more action Continue Reading

Nationwide Building Society streamlines digital onboarding through API

Building society is improving its digital onboarding process through application programming interface-based technology from a US startup Continue Reading

MPs call on government to ‘push harder’ and ‘act faster’ amid online fraud epidemic

MPs on the Treasury Committee want the government to act quickly to reduce the amount of money being stolen through online fraud Continue Reading

British Council data exposed by third-party cyber failure

The British Council entrusted confidential data on its students to a third-party and was let down Continue Reading

What neurodivergent people really think of working in cyber security

Many firms are filling cyber security skills gaps by hiring neurodivergent talent – but more support is needed for neurodivergent cyber security professionals, writes autistic tech journalist Nicholas Fearn Continue Reading

Check Point buys Spectral to safeguard cloud development

Check Point’s latest acquisition of Israel-based startup Spectral expands its developer-centric security toolset Continue Reading

German fuel supplier taken offline in cyber attack

Cyber attack against Germany’s Oiltanking, a major fuel logistics company, affects 13 distribution terminals across Germany, in an incident with echoes of last year’s hit on Colonial Pipeline Continue Reading

Met Police faces legal action over Gangs Matrix

Campaign group Liberty is taking legal action against the Met over its use of the Gangs Matrix, claiming it is driven by racial stereotypes and disproportionately affects people from black and minority ethnic backgrounds Continue Reading

ICO criticises government-backed campaign to delay end-to-end encryption

Data protection watchdog warns that delaying end-to-end encryption will put children at risk Continue Reading

Over one-fifth of ransomware attacks target financial sector

Newly published data reveals a significant uptick in cyber attacks against the financial services sector during the third quarter of 2021 Continue Reading

How Ocado pushes technological boundaries

In this week’s Computer Weekly, we talk to Ocado’s CTO about how the e-commerce company pushes technological boundaries. Our latest buyer’s guide looks at the importance and technical challenges of data integration. There’s a growing dispute over the use of end-to-end encryption – we look at the differing perspectives. Read the issue now. Continue Reading

Data on children of armed forces personnel exposed in breach

Data on 4,142 children of serving armed forces personnel was exposed in a data breach at the Ministry of Defence Continue Reading

Understand your cyber training ‘need’ before committing to a programme

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

Cyber skills gap affecting data privacy practice, finds ISACA

Organisations are struggling to fill both legal and technical privacy roles, with potentially damaging consequences, according to a report Continue Reading

Korean researchers invent silk-based security device

Experts from the Gwangju Institute of Science have built a digital security device based on natural silk fibres that they claim is practically unbreachable Continue Reading

CISOs must get out in front of Ukraine cyber crisis, says NCSC

The National Cyber Security Centre is urging UK organisations to take steps to bolster their cyber security resilience in response to the ongoing Ukraine crisis Continue Reading

DCMS taps Arqit for 5G project to provide Open RAN security by default

Quantum platform-as-a-service provider joins government’s programme to drive diversity in comms technology supply with the aim of integrating a novel quantum encryption service to enable security by default Continue Reading

Novel phishing campaign highlights need for MFA, says Microsoft

Microsoft details a new multi-stage phishing campaign that only affects victims without multifactor authentication in place Continue Reading

Nightmare Log4Shell scenario averted by prompt, professional action

Prompt and professional community response to the Log4Shell disclosure means the dangerous and widespread vulnerability has not been exploited to the extent many had feared Continue Reading

Navigating PIPL: European businesses plot their next steps into China

How does China’s strict new Personal Information Protection Law impact European businesses? Continue Reading

Cloud-era disaster recovery planning: Setting strategy and developing plans

In the second in a series on cloud-era disaster recovery, we look at how to formulate a DR strategy and develop detailed DR plans for your organisation, while taking cloud services into account Continue Reading

Security Think Tank: Focus on ‘nudging’ to build effective cyber training

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

Integrating zero-trust practices into private 5G networks

One of the first steps in deploying a technology is protecting it from potential security threats. Learn how to secure a private 5G network with zero-trust security practices. Continue Reading

More intel emerges on WhisperGate malware that hit Ukraine

Security experts have been poring over the WhisperGate malware with which alleged Russia-backed entities targeted Ukrainian government websites Continue Reading

PwnKit bug endangers Linux distributions worldwide

Qualys researchers share intel on a memory corruption vulnerability in a program installed by default on every major Linux distribution Continue Reading

MPs to debate landmark IoT security law

Proposed bill mandates tighter protections for connected products, and adds new rules for broadband roll-out into the bargain Continue Reading

TigerGraph roars into APAC

The graph database technology supplier is approaching the region with a solution-based strategy and partnering with universities to grow local capabilities Continue Reading

Prepare, but don’t panic, over supposed Russian cyber threat

A fresh alert from the US Department of Homeland Security may have IT security teams jumpy over the possibility that their organisations could be targeted by Russian state actors Continue Reading

Cyber Essentials programme gets biggest update since launch

NCSC implements a thorough revision of its Cyber Essentials scheme to reflect the changing security landscape Continue Reading

UK government launches internal cyber strategy

Multi-pronged government security strategy is designed to protect both core systems and public services Continue Reading

Digital surveillance of remote workers may increase enterprise risk

From productivity tools to security threats, we explore how digital surveillance is forcing remote workers towards shadow IT. Continue Reading

WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange can ask Supreme Court to hear extradition appeal

Senior judges said today that WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange can petition the Supreme Court to decide whether to hear an appeal against his extradition to the US Continue Reading

India’s cyber security industry doubles in size amid pandemic

Revenues from cyber security products and services reached $9.85bn in 2021 thanks to rapid digitalisation and regulatory attention on data and privacy Continue Reading

Tinder algorithm charging users more based on age

Popular dating app Tinder could have broken data protection and equality laws by using personal data about people’s age to set different prices Continue Reading

Mandiant analysts: Russia-backed APTs likely to ramp up attacks

More cyber attacks like those perpetrated against targets in Ukraine are to be expected, and they may become more destructive Continue Reading

ICO criticises government-backed campaign to delay end-to-end encryption

Data protection watchdog warns that delaying end-to-end encryption will put children at risk Continue Reading