IT security

Inside the Met Police’s investigation into EncroChat crime gangs

The Met’s senior investigating officer responsible for investigating criminals using the EncroChat encrypted phone network tells the inside story of the UK’s biggest organised crime bust in a BBC podcast series released this week Continue Reading

By

• Bill Goodwin, Investigations Editor

Mind the gap: AI leaders pulling ahead as LLMs take off

Advice on how to implement large language models safely within an enterprise IT environment Continue Reading

By

• Oliver King-Smith

computer security incident response team (CSIRT)

A computer security incident response team, or CSIRT, is a group of IT professionals that provides an organization with services and support surrounding the assessment, management and prevention of cybersecurity-related emergencies, as well as coordination of incident response efforts. Continue Reading

By

• Katie Donegan, Social Media Manager
• Peter Sullivan

Celona and Palo Alto partner to enhance private 5G network security

Wireless services specialist Celona and security firm Palo Alto Networks are coming together to enhance device protection for organisations operating private mobile networks Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Dutch working to promote cooperation in Europe to keep internet safe

A Dutch cooperative approach offers national and international cooperation opportunities for ISPs to guard against DDoS attacks, lawful interception and detect abuse in networks Continue Reading

By

• Kim Loohuis

Fighting money laundering with AI

Mike Foster, CEO of SymphonyAI Sensa-NetReveal, talks up how AI can be used to fight financial crime and how the company’s technology can augment existing AML investments Continue Reading

By

• Aaron Tan, Informa TechTarget

China’s UNC4841 pivots to new Barracuda ESG zero-day

The Chinese state threat actor behind a series of cyber attacks on Barracuda Networks customers embarked on a campaign targeting the supplier’s email security products in the run-up to Christmas Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Cloudflare eyes GenAI workloads with Workers AI

Cloudflare’s Workers developer platform is touted to make it easier for organisations to deploy GenAI capabilities at the edge to speed up inferencing Continue Reading

By

• Aaron Tan, Informa TechTarget

2024: Putting Cyber Resilience into Social, Political, Business and Budget context.

On-line Safety, Safeguarding, Security, Counter-fraud and Resilience matter to voters and business. Cyber does not ... until they become victims ... Online crime is, however, now the world’s third ... Continue Reading

By

• Philip Virgo, Winsafe Ltd

Top 10 India IT stories of 2023

We recap the year’s top 10 stories in India, including the country’s datacentre boom and innovations in space and agriculture technologies Continue Reading

By

• Aaron Tan, Informa TechTarget

Top 10 AI regulation stories of 2023

From the UK government’s publication of its long-awaited AI whitepaper to its convening of the world’s first AI Safety Summit, here are Computer Weekly’s top 10 AI regulation stories of 2023 Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

Decoding zero trust in endpoint security: A practical guide for CISOs

The exponential increase in endpoints has vastly expanded the average organisation’s attack surface – address this by applying zero-trust best practice to endpoints Continue Reading

By

• Isla Sibanda

Top 10 technology and ethics stories of 2023

Here are Computer Weekly’s top 10 technology and ethics stories of 2023 Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

Top 10 police technology stories of 2023

Here are Computer Weekly’s top 10 police technology stories of 2023 Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

Top 10 ASEAN IT stories of 2023

Organisations across the region have continued to shore up their cyber security posture while investing in infrastructure to pave the way for emerging technologies like GenAI Continue Reading

By

• Aaron Tan, Informa TechTarget

Top 10 government IT stories of 2023

In the year that gave life to four new government departments, Whitehall bosses have continued to fly the flag for technology, with mixed results and success. Here are the stories that made waves in 2023 Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

What is the CIA triad (confidentiality, integrity and availability)?

The CIA triad refers to confidentiality, integrity and availability, describing a model designed to guide policies for information security within an organization. Continue Reading

By

• Cameron Hashemi-Pour, Former Site Editor
• Wesley Chai

Top 10 cyber crime stories of 2023

Ransomware gangs dominated the cyber criminal underworld in 2023, a year that will prove notable for significant evolutionary trends in their tactics Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Top 10 storage supplier strategy stories of 2023

In 2023, we looked at the top storage suppliers, their market share and how they set themselves for a future of hybrid cloud, containerisation and consumption models of purchasing Continue Reading

By

• Antony Adshead, Storage Editor

Beyond the office walls: Safeguarding remote workers from attack

Remote working has enabled people to work from almost anywhere but has piled pressure on cyber pros. Three years after Covid, how are best practices evolving and what can we expect going forward? Continue Reading

By

• Paul Lewis, Nominet

Zero-trust principles: Your gateway to securing remote workers

Remote working has enabled people to work from almost anywhere but has piled pressure on cyber pros. Three years after Covid, how are best practices evolving and what can we expect going forward? Continue Reading

By

• Michael Healey, Turnkey Consulting

What we learned in cyber in 2023, and what to look out for

PA Consulting's Rasika Somasiri looks back at a busy 12 months in the cyber security world, and highlights some key learnings from 2023 Continue Reading

By

• Rasika Somasiri

Evolving best practice: What next for securing remote work?

Remote working has enabled people to work from almost anywhere but has piled pressure on cyber pros. Three years after Covid, how are best practices evolving and what can we expect going forward? Continue Reading

By

• Scott Burman

ALPHV/BlackCat operation down, but maybe not out

Multinational law enforcement has targeted the operations of the notorious ALPHV/BlackCat cyber extortion gang, but the group’s members appear to remain defiant Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Top 10 NHS IT stories of 2023

In the year we said goodbye to NHS Digital, the NHS has made some serious strides in digitising the health service, but many challenges remain. We look back at the stories that made the headlines in 2023 Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

Nokia and HellasQCI complete quantum-safe networks proof of concept

Trial showcase by leading networking tech firm and communication infrastructure consortium shows hybrid approach with both classic and quantum physics key to reach goal of quantum-safe networks Continue Reading

By

• Joe O’Halloran, Computer Weekly

Security Think Tank: Testing to improve remote worker security

Remote working has enabled people to work from almost anywhere but has piled pressure on cyber pros. Three years after Covid, how are best practices evolving and what can we expect going forward? Continue Reading

By

• Rowland Johnson

Top 10 cyber security stories of 2023

The past 12 months have seen the security agenda dominated by the usual round of vulnerabilities, concerns over supply chain security and more besides, but it was the chaotic state of global geopolitics that really made an impact Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Security Think Tank: Anytime, anywhere access is achievable

Remote working has enabled people to work from almost anywhere but has piled pressure on cyber pros. Three years after Covid, how are best practices evolving and what can we expect going forward? Continue Reading

By

• Tim Holman, 2-sec

The ransomware threat to UK critical infrastructure

In this week’s Computer Weekly, a parliamentary report warns that a lack of ransomware preparedness at the highest levels of government is leaving UK critical national infrastructure dangerously exposed – we analyse the risks. We examine how AI tools are helping to enhance cloud security. And the CTO at jewellery retailer Pandora discusses organisational change in IT. Read the issue now. Continue Reading

Cathay takes off with global SASE deployment

Unified secure access service edge services provider replaces legacy MPLS network for improved performance and observability, and unified end user security, access and application performance across global sites Continue Reading

By

• Joe O’Halloran, Computer Weekly

Automated cloud IR: Empowering cyber with AI-powered playbooks

As cyber threats increasingly target cloud infrastructure, demand increases for robust and reliable incident response. How can AI help? Continue Reading

Critical UK infrastructure a ‘hostage of fortune’ to ransomware

A lack of ransomware planning and preparedness at the highest levels of government is leaving UK operators or critical national infrastructure dangerously exposed, according to a Joint Committee report Continue Reading

How threat intelligence is applied in DNS security

Infoblox’s director of security architecture explains how the company leverages its threat intelligence capabilities to help organisations stay ahead of DNS security threats Continue Reading

By

• Aaron Tan, Informa TechTarget

How hybrid work patterns change end user computing

While some organisations have mandated that staff return to the office, many places still operate a hybrid policy – we look at the IT admin challenges Continue Reading

By

• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor

Cyber threats risk our progression as a society

This is a guest post by Jason Baden, regional vice-president for multicloud application services and security company, F5 A shadow of doubt has been cast over the preparedness of Australian ... Continue Reading

By

• Aaron Tan, Informa TechTarget

Government plans to regulate to tackle datacentre threats

DSIT outlines a range of proposals designed to protect data storage facilities from cyber attacks, as well as physical threats and the effects of climate breakdown Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

The Security Interviews: Talking identity with Microsoft’s Joy Chik

Microsoft’s president of identity and network access, Joy Chik, joins Computer Weekly to discuss the evolving threat landscape in identity security, using innovations in artificial intelligence to stay ahead, and advocating for the coming passwordless future Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

NCSC CEO Lindy Cameron to step down in 2024

NCSC chief exec Lindy Cameron, who helped lead and elevate the national dialogue on cyber security through major events such as Covid-19, SolarWinds Sunburst and Colonial Pipeline, is to step down in the New Year Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

ICO complaint seeks answers from prosecutors over deleted Assange emails

An Italian journalist has complained to the data protection watchdog after the Crown Prosecution Service gave conflicting explanations over its deletion of key emails on WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange Continue Reading

By

• Bill Goodwin, Investigations Editor

Cisco eyes opportunities in AI, sustainability in Australia

Cisco is looking to tap opportunities in sustainability, AI and cyber security as it navigates Australia’s economic headwinds Continue Reading

By

• Stephen Withers

How ransomware gangs use the tech media against their victims

Ransomware gangs are increasingly media-savvy operators, and this means incident response plans now need to account for communications and PR strategies too Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Microsoft’s Christmas present for cyber teams: no zero-days

Barely 30 vulnerabilities, and no zero-days, have been fixed in the final Patch Tuesday drop of 2023 Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Critical UK infrastructure a ‘hostage of fortune’ to ransomware

A lack of ransomware planning and preparedness at the highest levels of government is leaving UK operators or critical national infrastructure dangerously exposed, according to a Joint Committee report Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Inside the Singapore government’s cloud journey

The Smart Nation Group’s chief digital technology officer outlines the government’s cloud journey, including its approach to cloud migration and how it came to host mission-critical workloads on AWS Continue Reading

By

• Aaron Tan, Informa TechTarget

MoD fined after breach of Afghan staffers’ data put lives at risk

The MoD has been fined £350,000 by the ICO after an email blunder exposed data on Afghan nationals who had worked with British forces and were at risk of Taliban reprisals Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Outdated data protection practice key factor in PSNI data breach

The August 2023 data breach at the Police Service of Northern Ireland arose chiefly from an outdated approach to data protection and compliance at the force, according to an independent review Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Top IT predictions in APAC in 2024

Generative AI will continue to leave its mark on many areas in business and IT, along with other trends such as sustainability, cyber security and smart factories that are expected to shape the region’s technology landscape in 2024 Continue Reading

By

• Aaron Tan, Informa TechTarget

Nordic governments join forces to protect data transfers

Nordic countries deepen their cooperation over cyber security amid heightened threat from neighbouring Russia Continue Reading

By

• Gerard O'Dwyer

Fancy Bear targets Nato entities via critical Outlook flaw

A vulnerability patched in March has likely been exploited by the Russian state actor Fancy Bear, for over two years, according to the latest intelligence Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

UK names Russian FSB agents behind political hacking campaign

Russian hacking group, Star Blizzard, was part of a Russian intelligence operation aimed at interfering with UK politics and the democratic process, says government. Continue Reading

By

• Bill Goodwin, Investigations Editor

NCSC exposes Russian cyber attacks on UK political processes

The NCSC has firmly attributed a long-running campaign of cyber attacks targeting UK political processes to a group run out of Russia’s FSB intelligence agency, known as Star Blizzard Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

2023 may have seen highest ransomware ‘body count’ yet

Ransomware, or cyber extortion as it is increasingly being termed, remained the most prominent security threat in 2023 – and thanks to large-scale supply chain attacks, the past 12 months may have seen the most victims ever Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Considerations for the security of evolving workspaces

Remote working has enabled people to work from almost anywhere but has piled pressure on cyber pros. Three years after Covid, how are best practices evolving and what can we expect going forward? Continue Reading

By

• Simon Backwell

How Proofpoint is helping to mitigate AI security threats

Proofpoint is offering monitoring tools to prevent leakage of sensitive information in generative AI models and other capabilities to mitigate AI mediated attacks Continue Reading

By

• Aaron Tan, Informa TechTarget

CW EMEA: Prepare for cyber war

When the war between Hamas and Israel began in October, cyber security professionals and major government and private organisations braced for an inevitable accompanying online war. In this issue of CW EMEA, we outline cyber war, patterns of threat activity, and find out what security teams can do to protect their organisations. We also look at Finland’s advances in quantum computing, how Belgian researchers have developed technology to help datacentres process data faster, and the secrets of KPN’s successful business transformation. Read the issue now. Continue Reading

How a Node4 virtual datacentre proved better than MS cloud for mental health charity

Charity Together For Mental Wellbeing managed to migrate legacy servers into a new virtual environment and fix a major disaster recovery issue Continue Reading

By

• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor

Government launches UK-wide Cyber Explorers Cup

Schoolkids across the UK are being called on to team up and defeat Herbert the Hacker in a new government-backed competition Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

offensive security

Offensive security is the practice of actively seeking out vulnerabilities in an organization's cybersecurity. Continue Reading

By

• Gavin Wright

How to recover systems in the event of a cyber attack

Recovering compromised systems after a cyber attack isn’t easy, but understanding industry best practice offers a template for the key processes to follow Continue Reading

By

• Nicholas Fearn

Operator of Sellafield nuclear facility denies hacking claims

The operator of the Sellafield nuclear site has denied allegations that senior managers covered up a series of cyber security lapses that enabled Chinese and Russian threat actors to compromise its networks Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Technologies to support hybrid working

In this week’s Computer Weekly, our latest buyer’s guide looks at technologies to support hybrid working – even when your business is as unique as farming. We examine the new guidelines on AI cyber security published by G7 government security chiefs. And we find out how the Jaguar Formula E racing team is using digital twins to improve electric vehicle performance. Read the issue now. Continue Reading

PCAOB (Public Company Accounting Oversight Board)

The Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (PCAOB) is a congressionally established nonprofit that assesses audits of public companies in the United States to protect investors' interests. Continue Reading

By

• Ben Cole, Executive Editor

Rhysida ransomware gang hits hospital holding royal family’s data

Ransomware gang boasts of having stolen data on the royal family in an attack on a private London hospital Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Cyber and remote working: How Covid moved the cursor

Remote working has enabled people to work from almost anywhere but has piled pressure on cyber pros. Three years after Covid, how are best practices evolving and what can we expect going forward? Continue Reading

By

• Lionel Garacotche

What are the cyber risks from the latest Middle Eastern conflict?

The outbreak of war between Hamas and Israel in October 2023 has seen a wide variety of accompanying cyber attacks from hacktivists and other groups. We look at the risks to organisations Continue Reading

Human augmentation tech requires dual use oversight

Researchers investigating human augmentation technologies must acknowledge the potential military applications of their work, and military bodies cannot be allowed to dismiss ethical concerns in their pursuit of national security interests, says NGO Drone Wars UK Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

National Cyber Security Centre publishes landmark guidelines on AI cyber security

The NCSC and its US counterpart CISA have brought together tech companies and governments to agree new guidelines to promote a secure-by-design culture in artificial intelligence development. Continue Reading

Supporting a hybrid workforce

The now permanent shift to cloud services and the necessity of dealing with a hybrid workforce have changed modern IT Continue Reading

Report reveals sorry state of cyber security at UK football clubs

Football clubs up and down the country are putting staff, players and fans alike at risk through outdated attitudes to cyber security, according to a report Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Lords committee urges caution on UK use of autonomous weapons

UK government must ensure proper democratic oversight of its development and use of AI-powered weapon systems, says Lords committee Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

The Security Interviews: Mark McClain, SailPoint Technologies

SailPoint founder and CEO Mark McClain reflects on how the concept of identity has evolved over the past 20 years, and points to rapid evolution still to come Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Security Think Tank: Four steps to secure remote workers

Remote working has enabled people to work from almost anywhere but has piled pressure on cyber pros. Three years after Covid, how are best practices evolving and what can we expect going forward? Continue Reading

By

• Olivia Rofe

privacy policy

A privacy policy is a legal document that explains how an organization handles any customer, client or employee information gathered in its operations. Continue Reading

By

• Gavin Wright

Prepare for your worst day: How to create a cyber incident response plan

What goes into a good incident response plan, and what steps should security professionals take to ensure they are appropriately prepared for the almost inevitable attack, and secure buy-in from organisational leadership? Continue Reading

By

• James Allman-Talbot

Government’s Online Fraud Charter welcomed

The government has corralled 11 of the largest tech platforms in the world to commit to its Online Fraud Charter, designed to tackle online scams, fake adverts, and more Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Rhysida gang stole hundreds of gigabytes of British Library data

The Rhysida ransomware gang behind the cyber attack on the British Library has published almost 600GB of stolen data to its dark web leak site Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Law enforcement dismembers major ransomware operation in Ukraine

A joint law enforcement operation between the Ukrainian authorities, Europol and Eurojust has seem five ransomware operators taken into custody Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Scope of Okta helpdesk breach widens to impact all users

Okta has widened the scope of the October breach of its systems to include every customer that has used its helpdesk service, after new information came to light Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

timing attack

A timing attack is a type of side-channel attack that exploits the amount of time a computer process runs to gain knowledge about or access a system. Continue Reading

By

• Gavin Wright

Meta faces GDPR complaint over processing personal data without 'free consent'

Paid-for service means data protection is only available to those who can afford it, privacy group argues in data protection complaint Continue Reading

By

• Bill Goodwin, Investigations Editor

privileged identity management (PIM)

Privileged identity management (PIM) is the monitoring and protection of superuser accounts that hold expanded access to an organization's IT environments. Continue Reading

By

• Rahul Awati

Scope of British Library data breach widens

Personal data on British Library users has appeared for sale on the dark web following a Rhysida ransomware attack, as the scope of the still-developing incident widens again Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Volume of unique malware samples threatens to overwhelm defenders

A massive increase in malware volumes could cause problems for security teams tasked with adapting their defences against them Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

How passwordless authentication aids identity security

Enterprise Strategy Group's Jack Poller discusses survey results on user authentication practices and explains the security benefits of passwordless methods. Continue Reading

By

• Craig Stedman, Industry Editor

The Security Interviews: Zeki Turedi, field CTO Europe, CrowdStrike

Organisations are racing to keep their security up to date against the latest threats. CrowdStrike’s Zeki Turedi explains how to protect against novel and innovative cyber attacks Continue Reading

By

• Peter Ray Allison

NCSC publishes landmark guidelines on AI cyber security

The NCSC and its US counterpart CISA have brought together tech companies and governments to countersign a new set of guidelines aimed at promoting a secure-by-design culture in AI development Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

DORA raises the stakes for cloud use in financial services

The EU's DORA regulations will raise the stakes for cloud in financial services but resilience is more than just a tech issue, says NetApp's Steve Rackham Continue Reading

By

• Steve Rackham

UK police plan national roll-out of facial-recognition phone app

UK police chiefs plan to expand use of facial-recognition technology through a nationwide roll-out of mobile-based tools and increases in retrospective facial-recognition, but oversight problems persist Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

Was the devil's greatest trick making you think tech CEOs are just people?

It’s been one of those weeks where tech makes headlines for all the wrong reasons. (Sadly, the wrong reasons are often the only reasons tech makes national headlines, but anyway…) There was much ... Continue Reading

By

• Bryan Glick, Editor in chief

APAC organisations warm to microsegmentation

Nearly two-thirds of organisations in the APAC region see microsegmentation as a way to protect their IT assets, but lack the skills to deploy the technology Continue Reading

By

• Aaron Tan, Informa TechTarget

MOVEit incident spurred UK decision makers to spend big on cyber

The MOVEit cyber attacks that unfolded in the spring and summer of 2023 seem to have driven an increase in both ransomware awareness and spend, according to a report Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Expereo on tap for Carlsberg to deliver connectivity in 40 countries

SD-WAN/SASE and internet provider brings brewing giant ‘unrivalled’ connectivity in global network Continue Reading

By

• Joe O’Halloran, Computer Weekly

Navigating the DPDI Bill: A transformative shift ahead

The Data Protection and Digital Information (No. 2) Bill, or DPDI, is set to reshape the UK’s data protection framework. Louise Brooks of DQM GRC considers the implications Continue Reading

By

• Louise Brooks, DQM GRC

North Korean APTs go all in on supply chain attacks, warns NCSC

Threat actors linked to the North Korean regime are becoming more adept at targeting software supply chains in the service of their cyber attacks Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Australia ups ante on cyber security

Australia’s new cyber security strategy will focus on building threat-blocking capabilities, protecting critical infrastructure and improving the cyber workforce, among other priorities Continue Reading

By

• Stephen Withers

An inside look at a Scattered Spider cyber attack

Threat researchers at ReliaQuest share the inside track on a Scattered Spider cyber attack they investigated Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Palantir awarded NHS FDP data contract

NHS England has awarded a £330m, seven-year contract to US data specialist Palantir, prompting concerns from data privacy practitioners Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

CISA reveals how LockBit hacked Boeing via Citrix Bleed

As alarm grows around the world about the impact of the so-called Citrix Bleed vulnerability, Boeing has shared details of its experience at the hands of the LockBit ransomware crew Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

possession factor

The possession factor, in a security context, is a category of user authentication credentials based on items that the user has with them, typically a hardware device such as a security token or a mobile phone used in conjunction with a software token. Continue Reading

By

• Rahul Awati