IT security

What is sustainability risk management (SRM)?

Sustainability risk management (SRM) is a business strategy that aligns profit goals with a company's environmental, social and governance (ESG) policies. Continue Reading

By

• Robert Sheldon

Labour MPs launch digital ID campaign

A large group of Labour MPs have called for the introduction of a digital ID system to crack down on illegal migration and benefits fraud Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

Spoofing vuln threatens security of WhatsApp Windows users

Meta has disclosed and patched a potentially dangerous spoofing flaw in WhatsApp for Windows that could have caused big problems for unwitting users Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

IBM boosts AI mainframe capabilities with Z17

IBM continues to try to break out of the mindset that mainframes are just for transaction processing. The latest server offers greater AI capabilities Continue Reading

By

• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor

It’s time to stop the victim-blaming and insist on safer software

Businesses spend too much time and money protecting themselves against flaws and vulnerabilities in modern software products, when they ought to raise their expectations and insist on better solutions from providers Continue Reading

By

• Mandy Andress, Elastic

Government punts cyber governance code of practice for UK businesses

The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology’s cyber security minister Feryal Clark announces a cyber security code of governance for UK businesses to follow Continue Reading

By

• Brian McKenna, Enterprise Applications Editor

Over £18m stolen from Santander UK customers in first three months of year

Bank’s latest quarterly report on scams said over £18m was stolen from its UK customers by scammers Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

UK authority’s search for answers over deleted Julian Assange emails comes too late to retrieve data

The Crown Prosecution Service has finally searched for information about the destruction of emails from the WikiLeaks founder’s lawyer – but too late to retrieve data about the deleted documents Continue Reading

By

• Stefania Maurizi

An explanation of cybercrime

Cybercrime refers to criminal activity that uses a computer, networked device or network. Its many forms, from extortion to identity theft, can cause real damage to organizations. Continue Reading

By

• Tommy Everson, Assistant Editor

UK SMEs losing over £3bn a year to cyber incidents

A lack of access to technology, little to no staff training, and competing priorities are losing UK SMEs up to £3.4bn to cyber incidents every year Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

NIST calls time on older vulnerabilities amid surging disclosures

The National Institute of Standards and Technology is deferring future updates to thousands of cyber vulnerabilities discovered prior to 2018 amid surging volumes of new submissions Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Court rejects Home Office bid for blanket secrecy in hearings over Apple encryption case

Investigatory Powers Tribunal rejects Home Office arguments that identifying the ‘bare details’ of legal action by Apple would damage national security, leaving open possibility of future open court hearings Continue Reading

By

• Bill Goodwin, Computer Weekly

Fintech body calls on government for national anti-fraud centre

Industry body says a national anti-fraud centre could be the vehicle required to effectively fight fraud through data sharing Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Norway and Nordic financial sector ramps up cyber security

Finans Norge sets up cyber security unit CTSU to support the finance sector in Norway amid increasing threats Continue Reading

By

• Gerard O'Dwyer

Banks to share fraud data with tech firms in cross-sector collaboration

UK banks join tech firms in fraud data-sharing initiative to enable collaboration on action to stop online scams Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Taking a ‘good enough’ approach with cloud security isn't enough

In the wake of the January 2025 'Codefinger' attacks against AWS S3 users, Thales Rob Elliss argues that many organisations are dropping the ball when it comes to their understanding of cloud security best practice Continue Reading

By

• Rob Ellis, Thales

Are LLM firewalls the future of AI security?

As large language models permeate industries, experts at Black Hat Asia 2025 debate the need for LLM firewalls and explore their role in fending off emerging AI threats Continue Reading

By

• Aaron Tan, Informa TechTarget

Apple’s appeal to the Investigatory Powers Tribunal over the UK’s encryption ‘backdoor’ explained

Apple has appealed to the Investigatory Powers Tribunal over an order by home secretary Yvette Cooper to give the UK access to customers’ data protected by Advanced Data Protection encryption. What happens next?  Continue Reading

By

• Bernard Keenan, UCL

UKtech50 2025 – help us find the most influential people in UK IT

Computer Weekly’s annual search for the 50 most influential people in UK IT is on – let us know who you would like to nominate for this year's list Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

What is a uniform resource identifier (URI)?

A uniform resource identifier (URI) is a character sequence that identifies a logical (abstract) or physical resource -- usually, but not always, connected to the internet. Continue Reading

By

• Rahul Awati
• Fred Churchville, TechTarget

What is an initialization vector?

An initialization vector (IV) is an arbitrary number that can be used with a secret key for data encryption to foil cyber attacks. Continue Reading

By

• Rahul Awati

Southern Linc enhances management, security of its private cellular network

Wireless subsidiary of Southern Company selects private LTE/5G OT management and zero-trust security provider’s Bridge platform to enhance management and security of its LTE network Continue Reading

By

• Joe O’Halloran, Computer Weekly

Gmail ‘bubble’ encryption may be an S/MIME killer, says Google

Marking the 21st anniversary of Gmail, Google is preparing to roll out an end-to-end encryption standard for its email service in hopes of democratising encryption and leaving old standards in the dust Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Apple devices are at ‘most risk’ in UK following government ‘backdoor’ order

Home Office refuses to answer questions from Lords over technical capability notice issued against Apple’s iCloud Advanced Data Protection encryption services Continue Reading

By

• Bill Goodwin, Computer Weekly

Distrust builds between digital ID sector and government amid speculation over 'ID cards by stealth'

Wednesday 2 April sees the latest meeting of the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on digital identity. It’s more exciting than it sounds – honest! APPGs have no power or governmental role – ... Continue Reading

By

• Bryan Glick, Editor in chief

Top 1,000 IT service providers in scope of UK cyber bill

The government’s proposed Cyber Security and Resilience Bill is set to include regulatory provisions covering both datacentre operators and larger IT service providers Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Reassessing UK law enforcement data adequacy

Computer Weekly takes stock of proposed changes to the UK’s law enforcement data protection rules and how it could affect data adequacy with the European Union Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

UK law enforcement data adequacy at risk

The UK government says reforms to police data protection rules will help to simplify law enforcement data processing, but critics argue the changes will lower protection to the point where the UK risks losing its European data adequacy Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

What is a hacker?

A hacker is an individual who uses computer, networking or other skills to overcome a technical problem. Continue Reading

By

• Katie Terrell Hanna
• Wesley Chai
• Linda Rosencrance

Meeting the UK’s compute capacity needs: Alternatives to hyperscale datacentre builds

Since coming to power, the Labour government has set out plans to accelerate new datacentre builds. We look at how this is evolving Continue Reading

By

• Caroline Donnelly, Senior Editor, UK

Countering nation-state cyber espionage: A CISO field guide

The rise of DeepSeek has prompted the usual well-documented concerns around AI, but also raised worries about its potential links to the Chinese state. The Security Think Tank considers the steps security leaders can take to counter threats posed by nation state industrial espionage? Continue Reading

By

• Andrew Hodges, Quorum Cyber

Surging cyber threats drive IT directors to decentralised networks

As directors increasingly recognise the threats posed by increasingly sophisticated, AI-driven cyber attacks, risks are being mitigated by changes in physical infrastructure networks, research finds Continue Reading

By

• Joe O’Halloran, Computer Weekly

Research team demonstrates certified quantum randomness

A 56-qubit trapped ion quantum computer from Quantinuum has demonstrated quantum supremacy as a random number generator Continue Reading

By

• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor

Advanced Software fined £3m over LockBit attack

The ICO has issued a £3m fine to software provider Advanced in the wake of security failings that led to significant disruption to NHS customers in a ransomware attack Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

How to respond to digital regulation in 2025

A wave of UK and EU regulation to promote competition and consumer protection in digital markets and services has been introduced that requires a strategic response from companies in the year ahead Continue Reading

By

• Suchitra Nair and Robert MacDougall, Deloitte

What is a web application firewall (WAF)? WAF explained

A web application firewall (WAF) is a firewall that is meant to protect web applications against common web-based threats. Continue Reading

By

• Alexander S. Gillis, Technical Writer and Editor
• Kinza Yasar, Technical Writer

Military AI caught in tension between speed and control

The use of artificial intelligence in military contexts can unlock a range of benefits for defence organisations, but also highlights a clear tension between speed and control baked into the technology Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

Gartner on agentic AI: A Computer Weekly Downtime Upload podcast

We speak to Gartner’s Anushree Verma about the route from robotic process automation to agentic AI in corporate IT Continue Reading

By

• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor

Public Accounts Committee calls out legacy IT

Unsupported and out-of-date software and hardware are hindering the government’s artificial intelligence plans for the public sector Continue Reading

By

• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor

Nokia, Numana, Honeywell Aerospace team to advance quantum-safe networks

Collaboration designed to drive innovation and enable a global post-quantum security economy for enterprises using quantum key distribution and advanced cryptographic network technologies to safeguard digital infrastructure Continue Reading

By

• Joe O’Halloran, Computer Weekly

ETSI launches first post-quantum encryption standard

European telco standards body launches its first post-quantum cryptography cyber standard, covering the security of critical data and communications Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Scottish police hold almost no data on facial recognition use

It is currently impossible to assess Police Scotland’s use of retrospective facial recognition for efficacy and fairness because the force does not collect meaningful information that would enable a proper evaluation Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

Tech specialist files legal claim after being refused security clearance for MI6 role

An IT specialist has asked the Investigatory Powers Tribunal to investigate a series of hacking incidents after disclosing their social media accounts to MI6 vetting staff Continue Reading

By

• Bill Goodwin, Computer Weekly

Why I am challenging Yvette Cooper’s ‘secret backdoor’ order against Apple’s encryption

I took steps to lock down all personal data after I was named as an opponent of Russia. Now I am again worried about my family's safety after the home secretary issued a secret order against Apple Continue Reading

By

• Gus Hosein

Will DeepSeek force us to take application security seriously?

The rise of DeepSeek has prompted the usual well-documented concerns around AI, but also raised worries about its potential links to the Chinese state. The Security Think Tank considers the steps security leaders can take to counter threats posed by nation state industrial espionage? Continue Reading

By

• Mike Gillespie and Ellie Hurst

Ethical qualms prompt challenging social media migrations

Changing content moderation and artificial intelligence training practices means social media has undergone a fundamental shift in the past six months, presenting organisations and people migrating away from these platforms for ethical reasons with a number of practical challenges Continue Reading

By

• Peter Ray Allison

NCSC, DSIT enlist IBM to spearhead cyber diversity agenda

IBM signs on to a partnership deal in support of the popular NCSC CyberFirst Girls scheme designed to foster gender diversity in the cyber security profession Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

NCSC proposes three-step plan to move to quantum-safe encryption

The NCSC urges service providers, large organisations and critical sectors to start thinking today about how they will migrate to post-quantum cryptography over the next decade Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Clop resurgence drives ransomware attacks in February

The exploitation of two new vulnerabilities in a popular file transfer service saw the Clop ransomware gang soar in February, according to NCC Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

DeepMind founder warns of compounding AI agent errors

Artificial general intelligence may be years away, but in the meantime, organisations are being urged to adopt agent technology Continue Reading

By

• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor

How Telefónica avoided VMware price hike

While some some organisations look for alternatives to VMware, Telefónica Germany has taken a different approach based on third-party support Continue Reading

By

• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor

Largest ever cyber deal reflects Google’s CNAPP ambitions

In a signal of its future ambitions, Google lays down $32bn to acquire cloud-native application protection platform Wiz, reflecting the increasing need to secure multicloud environments Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Novel encryption technology tests add value to Finland’s quantum computer project

Tests carried out at Telia will support the building of a secure quantum network Continue Reading

By

• Gerard O'Dwyer

UK under-prepared for catastrophic cyber attack

In this week’s Computer Weekly, MPs have been told the UK is under-prepared to cope with a catastrophic cyber attack – we find out where the problems lie. Our new buyer’s guide assesses the challenges of datacentre capacity planning. And one of the UK’s most successful businessmen, Sir Martin Sorrell, gives his view on the risks and opportunities of AI. Read the issue now. Continue Reading

Seaco charts course for unified security strategy

Shipping container leasing giant consolidates security tools onto a single platform, leveraging AI and extended detection and response to improve security operations Continue Reading

By

• Aaron Tan, Informa TechTarget

PSNI’s ‘ridiculous’ withholding of evidence in spying operation delayed court hearings 

Landmark ruling by the Investigatory Powers Tribunal will decide whether the surveillance court can award costs against government bodies accused of unreasonable behaviour  Continue Reading

By

• Bill Goodwin, Computer Weekly
• Cormac Kehoe

Data protection and AI: what to know about new UK cyber standard

A strategic governmental steer on AI, putting guidance above rigid legislation offers the adaptability needed to innovate responsibly, contends Kiteworks executive John Lynch Continue Reading

By

• John Lynch

Online Safety Act measures come into effect

Regulator Ofcom is now able to take enforcement action against platforms under the Online Safety Act if they fail to proactively safeguard against content such as terrorist or child sexual abuse material Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

What is a buffer overflow? How do these types of attacks work?

A buffer overflow occurs when a program or process attempts to write more data to a fixed-length block of memory, or buffer, than the buffer is allocated to hold. Continue Reading

By

• Katie Terrell Hanna
• Michael Cobb

How Oracle is using AI to combat financial crime

The tech giant is leveraging artificial intelligence to surface fraudulent financial transactions and improve the efficiency of financial crime investigations, offering relief to banks battling high costs and alert fatigue Continue Reading

By

• Aaron Tan, Informa TechTarget

Apple encryption legal challenge heard behind closed doors despite calls for public hearing

Investigatory Powers Tribunal hearing held behind closed doors as press and civil society groups argue for open hearings Continue Reading

By

• Bill Goodwin, Computer Weekly

AI Action Summit review: Differing views cast doubt on AI’s ability to benefit whole of society

Governments, companies and civil society groups gathered at the third global AI summit to discuss how the technology can work for the benefit of everyone in society, but experts say competing imperatives mean there is no guarantee these visions will win out Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

What is pharming?

Pharming is a scamming practice in which malicious code is installed on a PC or server, misdirecting users to fraudulent websites without their knowledge or consent. Continue Reading

By

• Nick Barney, Technology Writer

How CISOs can counter the threat of nation state espionage

The rise of DeepSeek has prompted the usual well-documented concerns around AI, but also raised worries about its potential links to the Chinese state. The Security Think Tank considers the steps security leaders can take to counter threats posed by nation state industrial espionage? Continue Reading

By

• Elisabeth Mackay, PA Consulting

Chinese espionage group UNC3886 targets Juniper routers

Advanced persistent threat group UNC3886 deployed custom backdoors on end-of-life Juniper Networks routers, underscoring the need for timely patching and advanced security monitoring Continue Reading

By

• Aaron Tan, Informa TechTarget

US Congress demands UK lifts gag on Apple encryption order

Apple and Google have told US lawmakers that they cannot tell Congress whether they have received technical capability notices from the UK Continue Reading

By

• Bill Goodwin, Computer Weekly
• Duncan Campbell , 2QQ Ltd, Sussex University

SuperBlack ransomware may have ties to LockBit

Forescout researchers report on a new ransomware gang that appears to be keeping the legacy of the notorious LockBit crew alive Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

HMRC looks to upgrade SOC with advanced SIEM tech

HMRC issues a request for information notice ahead of opening up bids for a new security information and event management project that aims to reinforce its ability to respond to cyber threats Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

What is a pass-the-hash attack?

A pass-the-hash attack is an exploit in which an attacker steals a hashed user credential and -- without cracking it -- reuses it to trick an authentication system into creating a new authenticated session on the same network. Continue Reading

By

• Nick Barney, Technology Writer
• Madelyn Bacon, TechTarget

Driving licence data could be used for police facial recognition

The government’s Crime and Policing Bill could allow police to access the UK driving licence database for use in facial recognition watchlists, but the Home Office denies biometric data would be repurposed in this way Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

Cato claims end to network patching with SASE-native LAN NGFW

Leading SASE provider unveils ‘the world’s first’ SASE-native local area network next-generation firewall to address longstanding IT pain point for firewall appliances Continue Reading

By

• Joe O’Halloran, Computer Weekly

Securing Your Crown Jewels

In the realms of IT, it’s difficult to find any instance of a genuinely “unique” product – at least, one that’s unique for the right reasons! Within the security sphere, it’s particularly ... Continue Reading

By

• Steve Broadhead, Broadband Testing

iPhone, iPad update fixes critical WebKit flaw

iPhone and iPad users are advised to update their devices as Apple addresses an out-of-bounds write issue in the WebKit browser engine that appears to have been exploited in targeted cyber attacks Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

March Patch Tuesday brings 57 fixes, multiple zero-days

The third Patch Tuesday of 2025 brings fixes for 57 flaws and a hefty number of zero-days Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Musk claims of Ukraine DDoS attack derided by cyber community

Elon Musk draws criticism after accusing Ukraine of being behind a significant DDoS attack against social media platform X Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Perimeter security appliances source of most ransomware hits

Perimeter security appliances and devices, particularly VPNs, prove to be the most popular entry points into victim networks for financially motivated ransomware gangs, according to reports Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Dutch police disrupt half of ransomware operations, finds embedded PHD student

Dutch PhD study reveals the impact of centralised intelligence and strategic interventions in the fight against ransomware Continue Reading

By

• Kim Loohuis

Secret London tribunal to hear appeal in Apple vs government battle over encryption

Campaigners call for High Court hearing to be held in public as tech giant appeals against UK government order to open a backdoor into its encrypted iCloud service Continue Reading

By

• Bill Goodwin, Computer Weekly

Enterprise 5G, AI to drive global IoT market to near $2tn by 2028

Research finds global internet of things market on a steep upwards trajectory presenting robust revenue opportunities, but concerns persist regarding security Continue Reading

By

• Joe O’Halloran, Computer Weekly

UK government under-prepared for catastrophic cyber attack, hears PAC

The Commons Public Accounts Committee heard government IT leaders respond to recent National Audit Office findings that the government’s cyber resilience is under par Continue Reading

By

• Brian McKenna, Enterprise Applications Editor

What is a rootkit?

A rootkit is a program or a collection of malicious software tools that give a threat actor remote access to and control over a computer or other system. Continue Reading

By

• Scott Robinson, New Era Technology
• Mary E. Shacklett, Transworld Data
• Linda Rosencrance

What is a copyright?

Copyright is a legal term describing ownership or control of the rights to use and distribute certain works of creative expression, including books, video, motion pictures, musical compositions and computer programs. Continue Reading

By

• Katie Terrell Hanna
• Peter Loshin, Former Senior Technology Editor
• Robert Richardson

Post Office scandal data leak interim compensation offers made

Some subpostmasters affected by Post Office data breach offered interim compensation payments Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Singapore IT leaders boost AI security defences

Study reveals a surge in perceived importance of artificial intelligence for cyber security in Singapore, but declining investment in traditional measures raises concerns as sophisticated cyber attacks intensify Continue Reading

By

• Aaron Tan, Informa TechTarget

Digitally mapping the world

In this week’s Computer Weekly, we find out how digital twins are mapping our planet to guide strategic decisions such as environmental policies. Liverpool City Council explains how a digital overhaul will transform customer experience. And we find out what it takes to become a cyber security entrepreneur. Read the issue now. Continue Reading

Peter Kyle sets stage for making tech work

During his speech at the Tech Policy conference, Kyle announced a number of initiatives to support AI and other new technologies Continue Reading

By

• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor

2024: the year misconfigurations exposed digital vulnerabilities

Small configuration errors cascaded into major outages during 2024. Mike Hicks, from Cisco ThousandEyes, propounds techniques to defend digital resilience against tales of the unexpected Continue Reading

By

• Mike Hicks

What is Kerberos and how does it work?

Kerberos is a protocol for authenticating service requests between trusted hosts across an untrusted network, such as the internet. Continue Reading

By

• Rahul Awati
• Peter Loshin, Former Senior Technology Editor
• Michael Cobb

How CISOs are tackling cyber security challenges

Security chiefs at the recent Gartner Security and Risk Management Summit in Sydney share insights on navigating board communication, organisational resilience and the importance of understanding business needs Continue Reading

By

• Stephen Withers

What is a certificate authority (CA)?

A certificate authority (CA) is a trusted entity that issues digital certificates to authenticate content sent from web servers. Continue Reading

By

• Rahul Awati
• Peter Loshin, Former Senior Technology Editor

Interview: Madoc Batters, head of cloud and IT security, Warner Leisure Hotels

The hotel chain has embarked on a major cloud migration programme to improve innovation and enhance the security of its network and applications Continue Reading

By

• Mark Samuels

Managing security in the AI age

Gartner experts offer guidance on harnessing AI’s power while mitigating its risks, from managing shadow AI to implementing security controls and policies Continue Reading

By

• Stephen Withers

UK cyber security damaged by ‘clumsy Home Office political censorship’

Britain’s National Cyber Security Centre secretly censors computer security guidance and drops references to encryption Continue Reading

By

• Duncan Campbell , 2QQ Ltd, Sussex University

What is promiscuous mode in networking?

In computer networking, promiscuous mode is a mode of operation in which a network device, such as a network interface card (NIC) or an adapter on a host system, can intercept and read in its entirety each network packet that arrives instead of just the packets addressed to the host. Continue Reading

By

• Rahul Awati

What is the Twofish encryption algorithm?

Twofish is a symmetric-key block cipher with a block size of 128 bits and variable-length key of size 128, 192 or 256 bits. Continue Reading

By

• Rahul Awati

Norway says ‘no way’ to global financial crime

Oslo’s startup ecosystem is fighting back against cyber criminals with tech to wipe out attacks rather than just detect them Continue Reading

By

• Matthew Staff

Going beyond search: Elastic’s observability and security play

Elastic’s chief product officer Ken Exner talks up the company’s expansion into observability and security and how it balances innovation with community contributions and monetisation Continue Reading

By

• Aaron Tan, Informa TechTarget

CFIT publishes blueprint for digital company business IDs

Plan to increase the use of digital identities by businesses could add billions of pounds to UK economy through compliance savings and reduced fraud Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Apple IPT appeal against backdoor encryption order is test case for bigger targets

The Home Office decision to target Apple with an order requiring access to users’ encrypted data is widely seen as a ‘stalking horse’ for attacks against encrypted messaging services WhatsApp, Telegram and Signal Continue Reading

By

• Bill Goodwin, Computer Weekly

NHS investigating how API flaw exposed patient data

NHS patient data was left vulnerable by a flaw in an application programming interface used at online healthcare provider Medefer Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA