IT security

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

By

• Bill Goodwin, Computer Weekly

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

By

• Petra Wenham

metamorphic and polymorphic malware

Metamorphic and polymorphic malware are two types of malicious software (malware) that can change their code as they propagate through a system. Continue Reading

By

• Rahul Awati

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

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

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

By

• Joe O’Halloran, Computer Weekly

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

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

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

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

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

By

• Paul Kirvan

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

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

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

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

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

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Google buys Mandiant for £4bn

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

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

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

By

• Mike Hughes

security identifier (SID)

In the context of Windows computing and Microsoft Active Directory (AD), a security identifier (SID) is a unique value that is used to identify any security entity that the operating system (OS) can authenticate. Continue Reading

By

• Peter Loshin, Former Senior Technology Editor

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

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• Aaron Tan, TechTarget

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

By

• Etay Maor

Ukraine joins Nato cyber knowledge hub

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

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

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

By

• Danny Lopez

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

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

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

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

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

By

• Laura Marsden and Chris Goslin

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

By

• Adenike Cosgrove

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

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Open Web Application Security Project (OWASP)

The Open Web Application Security Project (OWASP) is a nonprofit foundation that provides guidance on how to develop, purchase and maintain trustworthy and secure software applications. Continue Reading

By

• Peter Loshin, Former Senior Technology Editor

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

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

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

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

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

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

North American Electric Reliability Corporation Critical Infrastructure Protection (NERC CIP)

The North American Electric Reliability Corporation Critical Infrastructure Protection (NERC CIP) plan is a set of standards aimed at regulating, enforcing, monitoring and managing the security of the Bulk Electric System (BES) in North America. Continue Reading

By

• Rahul Awati
• Ben Cole, Executive Editor

Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure (HTTPS)

Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure (HTTPS) is a protocol that secures communication and data transfer between a user's web browser and a website. Continue Reading

By

• Rahul Awati

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

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

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

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

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

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

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

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

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

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

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

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

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

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

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

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

risk assessment framework (RAF)

A risk assessment framework (RAF) is a strategy for prioritizing and sharing information about the security risks to an information technology (IT) infrastructure. Continue Reading

By

• Andrew Zola

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

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

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

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

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

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• Aaron Tan, TechTarget

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

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• Philip Virgo, Winsafe Ltd

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

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

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

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• Bill Goodwin, Computer Weekly

Shared Key Authentication (SKA)

Shared Key Authentication (SKA) is a process by which a computer can gain access to a wireless network that uses the Wired Equivalent Privacy (WEP) protocol. Continue Reading

By

• Andrew Zola

Darktrace buys attack surface management firm Cybersprint

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

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

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

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• Antony Adshead, Storage Editor

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

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• Amanda Finch, Institute of Information Security Professionals

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

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

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

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

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

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

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

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

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

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

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

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

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

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• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

Nordic companies targeted in wave of cyber attacks

 Continue Reading

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

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

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

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• Clare McDonald, Business Editor

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

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

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

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

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

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

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

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

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

By

• Aaron Tan, TechTarget

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

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

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

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

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

By

• Emma Bickerstaffe, Information Security Forum (ISF)

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

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

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

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

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

By

• Antony Adshead, Storage Editor

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

By

• Bill Goodwin, Computer Weekly

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

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

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

By

• Peter Ray Allison

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

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

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

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

security clearance

A security clearance is an authorization that allows access to information that would otherwise be forbidden. Continue Reading

By

• Katie Terrell Hanna

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

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

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

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

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

By

• Aaron Tan, TechTarget

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

By

• Antony Adshead, Storage Editor

proxy hacking

Proxy hacking is a cyber attack technique designed to supplant an authentic webpage in a search engine's index and search results pages to drive traffic to an imitation site. Continue Reading

By

• Gavin Wright

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

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

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

By

• Caroline Donnelly, Senior Editor, UK

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

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

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

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

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

By

• Philip Virgo, Winsafe Ltd

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

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

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

By

• Kim Loohuis

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

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

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

By

• Bill Goodwin, Computer Weekly

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

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• Bill Goodwin, Computer Weekly

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

By

• Gemma Moore

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

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

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

By

• Madelaine Millar, TechTarget

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

 Continue Reading