IT security

Generative AI presents opportunities and challenges to UK schools

Generative AI and LLMs hold great potential for use in the classroom, but the privacy and security implications of its use must be carefully considered, says the Department for Education Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Microsoft expands AI Copilot project into security realm

New Microsoft service, Security Copilot, will supposedly expand the reach, speed and effectiveness of cyber teams Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Apple security updates fix 33 iPhone vulnerabilities

A larger-than-usual update to Apple’s mobile operating system fixes more than 30 distinct vulnerabilities, including two serious issues that may potentially affect device kernels Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Inside Group-IB’s cyber security playbook

A focus on threat intelligence, fraud protection and its work with Interpol has enabled Group-IB to compete against bigger rivals in the market Continue Reading

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• Aaron Tan, TechTarget

Europol warns cops to prep for malicious AI abuse

In a report looking at how large language models can be used by criminals, Europol’s Innovation Lab calls on law enforcement agencies to prepare themselves for wide-ranging impacts on their work Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Ethical hackers urged to respond to Computer Misuse Act reform proposals

The deadline for submissions to the government’s consultation on reform of the Computer Misuse Act is fast approaching, and ethical hackers and security experts need to make their voices heard, says Bugcrowd Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Taking back control of AI training data

AI tools such as ChatGPT are trained on datasets scraped from the web, but you don’t have much say if your data is used. Technologist Bruce Schneier explains why it’s time to give control of AI training data back to the people. Continue Reading

UK TikTok ban gives us all cause to consider social media security

The UK government’s ban on TikTok should give organisations cause to look into what information social media platforms are collecting on us, and what they are using it for. Continue Reading

Is TikTok really a security threat to your business?

In this week’s Computer Weekly, with the UK government becoming the latest administration to ban TikTok, we ask whether the controversial social media app is really a security threat to enterprises. Technology guru Bruce Schneier tells us about the need to take back control of AI and the personal data it relies on. And we look at how firms are trying – and failing – to make AI work for online content moderation. Read the issue now. Continue Reading

Ransomware attacks up 45% in February, LockBit responsible

NCC Group says it observed a surge in ransomware attacks in February, with LockBit, BlackCat and BianLian all highly active Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Sarbanes-Oxley Act

The Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 is a federal law that established sweeping auditing and financial regulations for public companies. Continue Reading

By

• Ben Lutkevich, Site Editor

triage in IT

Triage is a term referring to the assignment of priority levels to tasks or individuals to determine the most effective order in which to deal with them. Continue Reading

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• Paul Kirvan
• Ivy Wigmore

France latest to ban TikTok on government devices

Following bans in the UK and US, France has moved to enact restrictions on TikTok, and other social media apps, on government devices Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

JP Morgan pilots palm and face-recognition technology in US

JP Morgan is testing out its biometric payment technology in selected retailer stores and at the upcoming Formula 1 Grand Prix in Miami Continue Reading

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• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Use zero-trust data management to better protect backups

Backup admins looking to protect data from bad actors can implement a zero-trust strategy for added protection. However, the method is not without its downsides. Continue Reading

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• David Weldon

Acquiring the skills necessary to implement the UK Cybersecurity Strategy

The skills plan for meeting the needs of the world greatest Financial Services and Fin Tech Hub outside North America is therefore at heart of the work of the advisory group.  Continue Reading

By

• Philip Virgo, Winsafe Ltd

vishing (voice or VoIP phishing)

Vishing (voice or VoIP phishing) is a type of cyber attack that uses voice and telephony technologies to trick targeted individuals into revealing sensitive data to unauthorized entities. Continue Reading

By

• Robert Sheldon

National Crime Agency sting operation infiltrates cyber crime market

The UK National Crime Agency has tricked thousands of potential cyber criminals into registering with a fake website pretending to offer tools for creating DDoS attacks Continue Reading

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• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Aryaka expands SD-WAN, SASE offer to SMEs

Having deployed its services to large enterprises and Fortune 100 companies for over a decade, software-defined networking technology focuses on small to medium-sized enterprises for secure access and wide area networks Continue Reading

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• Joe O’Halloran, Computer Weekly

forensic image

A forensic image (forensic copy) is a bit-by-bit, sector-by-sector direct copy of a physical storage device, including all files, folders and unallocated, free and slack space. Continue Reading

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• Paul Kirvan

Trust: easy to lose, hard to recover

Here are just a few of the topics that my fellow Freeformers and I have enjoyed researching and writing about in recent years: network security, SD-WAN, digital identity, smart wallets, digital ... Continue Reading

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• Bryan Betts, Freeform Dynamics

Why Veeam thinks ransomware warranty payouts are unlikely

Veeam Data Platform v12 offers a financial guarantee to customers that can’t restore after ransomware attacks, but the backup supplier is convinced it won’t be making many payouts Continue Reading

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• Antony Adshead, Storage Editor

Government launches seven-year NHS cyber strategy

The new Cyber Security Strategy for Health and Adult Social Care lays out a plan for promoting cyber resilience in the sector by 2030 to protect services and patients alike Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Nordics move towards common cyber defence strategy

Nordic countries agree to work together to improve their cyber defences amid increasing threat Continue Reading

By

• Gerard O'Dwyer

How Mimecast thinks differently about email security

Mimecast CEO Peter Bauer believes the company’s comprehensive approach towards email security has enabled it to remain relevant to customers for two decades Continue Reading

By

• Aaron Tan, TechTarget

Hitachi Energy emerges as victim of Clop gang’s Fortra attack

The power and energy division of Japanese conglomerate Hitachi has disclosed that it has fallen victim to a Clop cyber attack, but insists customer data is safe Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

GDS signs £24m worth of contracts for One Login

As the Government Digital Service (GDS) prepares for the official end of Gov.uk Verify, it signs three new contracts for its successor programme, One Login Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

Ferrari rejects ransom demand after cyber attack

Italian carmaker Ferrari says it will refuse to pay a ransom after an unspecified threat actor broke into its IT systems and stole customer data Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Ransomware gangs harass victims to ‘bypass’ backups

Analysis reveals how cyber criminal gangs are turning to extensive, targeted harassment campaigns to force victims to pay up, even if their backups are in good order Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

NCSC launches cyber check-up tools for SMEs

The NCSC has launched two new security services aimed at SMEs that lack the resources to address cyber issues, and may underestimate their vulnerability to attack Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Preventing Crime not meeting Political Targets -  A review of the MPS Turnaround Plan 

Respond by the end of March if you live or work in London and believe that the primary objective of policing is the prevention of time not the meeting of targets as proxies for delivering political ... Continue Reading

By

• Philip Virgo, Winsafe Ltd

NatWest announces ID service for its customers

The identities of NatWest customers engaging with businesses online can be confirmed by the bank's ID service in seconds Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

packet filtering

Packet filtering is the process of passing or blocking data packets at a network interface by a firewall based on source and destination addresses, ports or protocols. Continue Reading

By

• Gavin Wright

BBC cracks down on TikTok after review

The BBC is asking staff not to install TikTok on corporate-owned devices without a justified business purpose, although its use will still be allowed to share media content with its audiences Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Half A Rack In Half A Day: Building A Private Cloud

Having entered my 39th (gulp!) year in IT, it’s fair to say I’ve had to endure more than my fair share of IT hype and BS. Many are the times at live events I’ve done a tally chart on the number of ... Continue Reading

By

• Steve Broadhead, Broadband Testing

UK TikTok ban gives us all cause to consider social media security

The UK government’s ban on TikTok should give all organisations cause to look into what information social media platforms are collecting on us, and what they are using it for Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

UK government to create code of practice for generative AI firms

The code will look to strike a balance between copyright holders and generative AI firms so that both parties can benefit from the use of copyrighted material in training data Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

BEC attacks doubled in 2022, outstripping ransomware

Massive growth in the volume of Business Email Compromise or BEC attacks was linked to a surge in successful phishing campaigns, according to data from Secureworks Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

TikTok banned on UK government devices

The UK government has followed in the footsteps of its US and European counterparts and banned the use of Chinese social media app TikTok on official devices Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Rubrik customer, partner data exposed in possible Clop attack

Rubrik was supposedly compromised by the Clop ransomware gang via a zero-day vulnerability in a managed file transfer software package it uses Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Mandiant: Dangerous MS Outlook zero-day widely used against Ukraine

A zero-day vulnerability in Microsoft Outlook that was fixed in the March Patch Tuesday update has likely been actively exploited by Russian actors for a year or more, and its use will now spread rapidly Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

New APT group targets ASEAN governments and militaries

 Continue Reading

How Zscaler is cracking APAC’s cloud security market

Zscaler’s head in Asia-Pacific and Japan, Scott Robertson, talks up the company’s growth momentum in the region and what it is doing to address areas where it can do better Continue Reading

APAC buyer’s guide to SASE

Aaron Tan looks at the benefits of secure access service edge services, key considerations and the market landscape Continue Reading

Chinese Silkloader cyber attack tool falls into Russian hands

A loader tool used by Chinese cyber criminals seems to have been enthusiastically taken up in recent weeks by Russian ransomware operators Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

antivirus software (antivirus program)

Antivirus software (antivirus program) is a security program designed to prevent, detect, search and remove viruses and other types of malware from computers, networks and other devices. Continue Reading

By

• Kinza Yasar, Technical Writer
• Linda Rosencrance

Microsoft patches Outlook zero-day for March Patch Tuesday

A highly dangerous privilege escalation bug in Outlook is among 80 different vulnerabilities patched in Microsoft’s March Patch Tuesday update Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

NatWest introduces limits on crypto trading to prevent fraud

UK bank says its retail customers will benefit from daily and monthly limits on the amount they can pay into cryptocurrency exchanges Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

NCSC warns over AI language models but rejects cyber alarmism

The UK's NCSC has issued advice for those using the technology underpinning AI tools such as ChatGPT, but says some of the security doomsday scenarios being proposed right now are not necessarily realistic Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

information security (infosec)

Information security (infosec) is a set of policies, procedures and principles for safeguarding digital data and other kinds of information. Continue Reading

By

• Kinza Yasar, Technical Writer
• Gavin Wright
• Taina Teravainen

AI interview: Elke Schwarz, professor of political theory

Elke Schwarz speaks with Computer Weekly about the ethics of military artificial intelligence and the dangers of allowing governments and corporations to push forward without oversight or scrutiny Continue Reading

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• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

Securing low Earth orbit represents the new space race

The barriers to launching satellites into low Earth orbit are falling fast, and that brings new cyber security challenges. Continue Reading

MI5 to oversee new National Protective Security Authority

The new National Protective Security Authority will address various national security threats including state-sponsored cyber espionage against UK targets Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

HSBC buys Silicon Valley Bank UK arm for £1 following collapse

UK tech ecosystem welcomes government intervention to facilitate HSBC purchase after the collapse of SVB left many UK startups unable to access their deposits Continue Reading

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• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

Technology minister Michelle Donelan defends data reforms

Secretary of state Michelle Donelan has defended the government’s new data reforms as providing certainty for businesses while simultaneously retaining high standards of data protection, but industry figures are having mixed reactions Continue Reading

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• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

cyberwarfare

The generally accepted definition of cyberwarfare is a series of cyber attacks against a nation-state, causing it significant harm. Continue Reading

By

• Alexander S. Gillis, Technical Writer and Editor
• Katie Terrell Hanna
• Kevin Ferguson

hackathon

A hackathon, also known as a codefest, is a social coding event that brings computer programmers and other interested people together to improve upon or build a new software program. Continue Reading

By

• Kinza Yasar, Technical Writer
• Mekhala Roy
• Nicole Laskowski, Senior News Director

FACTA (Fair and Accurate Credit Transactions Act)

FACTA (Fair and Accurate Credit Transactions Act) is an amendment to FCRA (Fair Credit Reporting Act ) that was added, primarily, to protect consumers from identity theft... (Continued) Continue Reading

By

• Alexander S. Gillis, Technical Writer and Editor

UK government introduces revised data reform bill to Parliament

Designed in close collaboration with technology businesses, the UK government is re-introducing an updated version of its Data Protection and Digital Information Bill to Parliament, which civil society groups say upends key safeguards Continue Reading

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• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

How ForgeRock is tackling identity management

ForgeRock CEO Fran Rosch has set the identity and access management software supplier on a path to deliver a frictionless identity experience without compromising security or privacy Continue Reading

By

• Aaron Tan, TechTarget

Nine in 10 enterprises fell victim to successful phishing in 2022

Egress annual email security risk report breaks down impacts of email-based phishing attacks and data loss, and the effect these can have on organisations in terms of staff retention and morale Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

Dutch hospitals underestimate impact of cyber attack

IT failures in acute care organisations in the Netherlands have increased considerably since 2010, affecting patient care and stressing the need to improve IT security in hospitals Continue Reading

By

• Kim Loohuis

What can security teams learn from a year of cyber warfare?

With the passing of the first anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, we reflect on the ongoing cyber war, and ask what security leaders can learn from the past 12 months Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Taking back control: Could a distributed model breed a better AI?

AI tools such as ChatGPT are trained on datasets scraped from the web, but you don’t have much say if your data is used. Technologist Bruce Schneier says it’s time to give control of AI training data back to the people Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

APAC IT leaders bullish on tech spending

Over half of respondents in this year’s IT Priorities study have bigger IT budgets as they continue to make strategic investments in cyber security, cloud and automation, among other areas Continue Reading

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• Aaron Tan, TechTarget

Podcast: 2023 compliance and storage outlook

Geopolitical instability casts its shadow as organisations must think about cyber attacks, data location and what to do if things change quickly. We talk to Mathieu Gorge, CEO of Vigitrust Continue Reading

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• Antony Adshead, Storage Editor

White House unveils National Cybersecurity Strategy

The strategy will focus on ensuring closer collaboration on cyber security between government and industry, while giving software and other tech companies a bigger role in combatting threats due to their resources and expertise Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

UK and US Strategies for Public Private co-operation on Cyber

Given support from a critical mass of those employers who are serious about addressing their own skills needs, plus those of their supply chain and customer base, we should be able to use the LSIP ... Continue Reading

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• Philip Virgo, Winsafe Ltd

Flipper Zero explained: What to know about the viral hacker tool

The hacking tool blew up on TikTok. Unlike other TikTok trends, it is a powerful tool that can be used by serious pen testers and a learning device for new hackers. Continue Reading

By

• Ben Lutkevich, Site Editor

AI interview: Michael Osborne, professor of machine learning

Artificial intelligence researcher speaks with Computer Weekly about the implications of a market-driven AI arms race and the overwhelming dominance of the private sector over the technology Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

Uber introduces dynamic pricing algorithm in London

The dynamic pricing algorithm will allow Uber to set variable pay and pricing levels, but drivers are concerned about how their personal data will be used and the impact the algorithm will have on their livelihoods Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

WH Smith staff data accessed in cyber attack

The retailer has said that customer data has not been affected by the incident as it is held in different systems, and that investigations into the attack are ongoing Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

Salt Labs identifies OAuth security flaw within Booking.com

Security flaw in Booking.com OAuth implementation could be used to launch account takeovers, but researchers discovered and flagged the issue before it could be exploited in the wild Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

Data breaches in Australia on the rise, says OAIC

Cyber security incidents were the cause of most data breaches, which rose by 26% in the second half of 2022, according to the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner Continue Reading

By

• Stephen Withers

Security Think Tank: Training can no longer be a compliance exercise

Historically, security training has tended to take a compliance-based focus, a ‘tick-box’ exercise using generic, off-the-shelf courses. This needs to change, says Hayley Watson of Turnkey Consulting. Continue Reading

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• Hayley Watson, Turnkey Consulting

LastPass attack saw employee’s home computer hacked

The ongoing investigation into a series of linked security incidents at LastPass has found that the attacker was successfully able to compromise a developer’s home PC using a vulnerability in a media software package Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Advanced digital resiliency can save organisations millions

Businesses that build out their digital resiliency are not only more secure, they also have more opportunities to innovate with IT Continue Reading

By

• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor

Scotland launches data strategy for health and social care

The five-year strategy aims to make it easier for people to access their own health and social care data, improve data flows between organisations, and transform the way data is used to enhance services Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

Cyber training in 2023 needs to drive measurable change

2023 will see more focus on security training programmes that not only provide employees with an understanding of the risks they face but more importantly drive measurable behavioural change, says PA Consulting’s Richard Allen Continue Reading

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• Richard Allen

How Dell is future-proofing its business

Dell Technologies is building a more resilient supply chain, investing in growth areas like edge and multicloud, and responding to shifts in consumption models to position itself for long-term growth Continue Reading

By

• Aaron Tan, TechTarget

remote code execution (RCE)

Remote code execution (RCE) is when an attacker accesses a target computing device and makes changes remotely, no matter where the device is geographically located. Continue Reading

By

• Ben Lutkevich, Site Editor

UK police have ‘culture of retention’ around biometric data

A culture of retention around biometric data in UK policing is damaging public trust, says UK biometrics commissioner, who is calling for clear regulation to govern police use of biometric technologies Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

Royal Mail stands firm as LockBit leaks data and renews ransom demand

The LockBit ransomware gang has made good on its threat to leak data exfiltrated from Royal Mail’s systems, but the postal service is not entertaining the possibility of giving in Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

WithSecure proposes ‘undo’ button for ransomware

WithSecure’s Activity Monitor technology supposedly overcomes the shortcomings of sandbox test environments, and may be able to stop ransomware attacks from ever happening Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

ANZ CIOs flag priorities amid inflation concerns

CIOs in Australia and New Zealand are concerned about inflation and plan to adjust their technology priorities to optimise resources and combat cyber threats Continue Reading

By

• Stephen Withers

How APAC organisations can harness the power of IoT

In a panel discussion moderated by Computer Weekly, industry experts from across Asia-Pacific discussed the use cases, challenges and future developments in the internet of things Continue Reading

By

• Stephen Withers

UK forces lead live-fire cyber war exercise

The seven-day Defence Cyber Marvel 2 exercise put cyber responders from 11 countries through their paces Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Researchers find new bug ‘class’ in Apple devices

A group of vulnerabilities in Apple products that stem from the ForcedEntry exploit used by spyware firm NSO constitutes a whole new class of bug, say researchers at Trellix Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Dutch cyber security professionals experience stress akin to soldiers in war zone, claims expert

Cyber attacks are taking a heavy toll on Dutch IT professionals, with over a third reporting that their mental health suffers as a result Continue Reading

By

• Kim Loohuis

Half of cyber leaders to switch jobs by 2025, citing stress

A substantial number of cyber security leaders are plotting their great escape, saying the industry is leaving them too stressed to go on, according to a study Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Institute for Government cautions government to draw right lessons from pandemic

The Institute for Government has published a policy document warning government not to draw wrong lessons from data sharing during pandemic Continue Reading

By

• Brian McKenna, Enterprise Applications Editor

Innovation not infestation – digitising pest control

In this week’s Computer Weekly, we find out how Rentokil Initial is using the latest in digital innovation to improve the age-old task of pest control. The leading experts offer a 15-point plan to improve diversity and inclusion in IT. And with all the excitement around ChatGPT, we ask whether business is ready to use the AI chatbot. Read the issue now. Continue Reading

Royal Mail resumes full export service after cyber attack

Royal Mail resumes the last of its international services as it recovers from a ransomware attack, while the Post Office offers postmasters compensation for their lost business Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Cyber security training: Insights for future professionals

Future cyber security professionals need soft skills as well as technical ones, says security educator Sudeep Subramanian Continue Reading

By

• Sudeep Subramanian

US government Strike Force aims to prevent adversaries from accessing disruptive tech

The US Strike Force law enforcement initiative will target rogue nation-states that pose a national security threat Continue Reading

By

• Simone Bateson

Singapore organisations struggle to operationalise threat intelligence

Organisations in the city-state were satisfied with the quality of their threat intelligence, but they struggled to operationalise the information due to talent shortages and other challenges Continue Reading

By

• Aaron Tan, TechTarget

Twitter 2FA changes bring more risks than benefits

Twitter’s approach to nudging users away from insecure SMS-based 2FA is being questioned over its logic Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Why CIOs need to revisit desktop virtualisation

Cloud computing is the next revolution in infrastructure, but desktop IT is still very much on-premise Continue Reading

By

• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor

Accreditation key to enterprise security

We look at how industry-recognised certification enables security chiefs to improve the strength of their security team Continue Reading

By

• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor

Enterprise open source: A Computer Weekly Downtime Upload podcast

We speak to Spotify’s open source tech lead, Per Ploug, on supplier relationship management in open source Continue Reading

By

• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor