IT security

Make ransomware payments illegal, say 79% of cyber pros

Report produced for MSSP Talion claims overwhelming support for the criminalisation of ransomware payments Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

City of York picks Barracuda Networks for data protection

York Council needed to refresh its backup service to bring new security protections after it went ‘all-in’ on Microsoft Office 365 Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

How containerisation helps VW develop car software

Volkswagen’s R&D centre is working with Red Hat to use containerisation to improve how it develops and tests software for the control systems in cars Continue Reading

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• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor

European Union to set up new cyber response unit

Proposed Joint Cyber Unit will tackle a rising number of serious incidents impacting public services, businesses and citizens of the EU Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Time to patch increases significantly during pandemic

New data from US-based endpoint management specialist Automox reveals some of the challenges security teams face in keeping up with endpoint security Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

UK councils reported over 700 data breaches to ICO in 2020

Data disclosed under the Freedom of Information Act reveals an estimated 700 data breaches were reported to the Information Commissioner’s Office by local councils last year Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Openness can protect Dutch companies against ransomware

Dutch businesses that suffer ransomware attacks need to be more open about it, if this growing problem is to be brought under control Continue Reading

By

• Kim Loohuis

SonicWall sees 226.3 million ransomware attack attempts this year

SonicWall detected 226.3 million attempted ransomware attacks between January and May 2021, more than double the number seen in the same period last year Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Cloudflare announces new integrations with Microsoft, others

New security integrations with Microsoft Azure Sentinel, Splunk, Datadog and Sumo Logic will supposedly make it easier for users to analyse network security data Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Innova and RISE drive node development in Sweden

Swedish cyber security project, National Node, opens its doors to the country’s security firms Continue Reading

By

• Gerard O'Dwyer

European ‘chat control’ plans in the name of ‘child safety’ threaten end-to-end encryption

Proposals by European Commission to search for illegal material could mean the end of private messaging and emails Continue Reading

By

• Patrick Breyer

NSPCC, IWF help under-18s scrub their nude photos from the web

Report Remove tool is designed to be used by under-18s to report nude images or videos of themselves that have appeared online Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

UK SMEs lack capacity to fend off cyber attacks

Three-quarters of UK SME leaders would not have sufficient capacity or expertise to deal with a cyber attack, according to a report Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

A new three-year plan for digital government

In this week’s Computer Weekly, the new CEO of the Gov-ernment Digital Service, Tom Read, explains his three-year strategy for improving online public services. EU attempts to regulate AI are under fire – we examine the issues. And we find out how Bupa is turning to the cloud to deliver per-sonalised healthcare. Read the issue now. Continue Reading

Parliamentary devices left in taxis, buses, trains and pubs

Nearly 100 devices belonging to parliamentary staffers, including MPs and peers, were lost or stolen over the course of 2019 and 2020 Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Best practices for secure printing

The reality of a paperless office remains some way off, so printers are here to stay for a while. But their increasingly connected status means securing them should be a priority Continue Reading

By

• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor

NHS App reaches six million users, thanks to Covid vaccine feature

More than two million new users have downloaded the NHS App since it was updated in May to include Covid-19 vaccination status Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

ping sweep (ICMP sweep)

A ping sweep (also known as an ICMP sweep) is a basic network scanning technique used to determine which of a range of IP addresses map to live hosts (computers). Continue Reading

By

• Katie Terrell Hanna

ICO issues guidance on facial recognition in public spaces

Information commissioner’s concern over the problematic use of facial recognition in public spaces has prompted her to publish official guidance on its deployment, while civil society calls for an outright ban Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

Lorca Ignite programme targets breakout cyber talent

Six of the most successful companies to have come through Lorca’s existing accelerators are being inducted into an intensive programme Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Carnival Cruises hit by fourth cyber incident in a year

Latest data breach at Covid-hit cruise line comes hot on the heels of two recent ransomware attacks and a spring 2020 breach Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Cyber crooks target Amazon Prime users ahead of retail bonanza

A surge in malicious domain registrations ahead of Amazon Prime Day indicates cyber criminals have set their sights on exploiting vulnerable shoppers Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

UnitingCare Queensland restores IT systems after cyber attack

Australian healthcare service provider has restored key corporate systems and integrations between applications following a cyber attack earlier this year Continue Reading

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• Aaron Tan, Informa TechTarget

Biden tackles Putin on ransomware at Geneva summit

Discussions between Joe Biden and Vladimir Putin on cyber crime appear to have been somewhat positive, but the path ahead remains unclear Continue Reading

Cl0p ransomware gang clapped in irons, assets seized

Ukrainian police report they have taken down the Cl0p, aka Clop, ransomware operation following a lengthy investigation Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Organisations cannot rely on cyber insurance to cover losses

Ransomware attacks have become a big driver of cyber insurance claims, but insurance must not be relied upon as a failsafe, says a report Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

NHS Test and Trace picks Risk Ledger to secure supply chain

Risk Ledger’s technology promises ‘unparalleled’ visibility into NHS Test and Trace’s supply chain Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Privacy pro salaries rise throughout pandemic, but at a cost

Data from the IAPP’s latest salary survey reveals some insight into how the pandemic impacted the privacy profession Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Ransomware most insidious cyber threat facing UK

NCSC CEO urges organisations to do more to prepare for ransomware attacks Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

The Security Interviews: How to build a government model to ‘hack for good’

Kyle Hanslovan started Huntress to give back after a career in the intelligence sector. After US authorities took action to help people hit by the Microsoft Exchange attacks, we discussed how governments can ‘hack for good’ Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Scottish government awards digital identity platform contract to Scott Logic

Supplier is working on a two-year project to create a digital identity service through a suite of common platforms that will be adopted across Scottish government Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

How healthcare organisations are tapping data analytics

Healthcare providers are harnessing data analytics to improve clinical and operational outcomes even as they continue to face challenges in data aggregation and data protection Continue Reading

By

• Aaron Tan, Informa TechTarget

G7 commits to action on ransomware, digital privacy

The G7 urges Russia to do more to hold criminal ransomware gangs operating from within its borders to account as it commits to more action on the issue Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Europe’s proposed AI regulation falls short on protecting rights

The European Commission’s proposal for artificial intelligence regulation focuses on creating a risk-based, market-led approach replete with self-assessments, transparency procedures and technical standards, but critics warn it falls short of being able to protect people’s fundamental rights and mitigating the technology’s worst abuses Continue Reading

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• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

HammondCare takes procurement to the cloud

The Australian health and aged care provider migrated its procurement and invoicing systems to the cloud in just six months to improve efficiency and security Continue Reading

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• Aaron Tan, Informa TechTarget

FBI planned a sting against An0m cryptophone users over drinks with Australian investigators

Australian Federal Police and the FBI came up with the idea over drinks: build a cryptophone network with a built-in backdoor and sell it to crime gangs around the world Continue Reading

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• Bill Goodwin, Investigations Editor

CMA secures commitments from Google on future of cookies

The Competition and Markets Authority is opening a consultation on commitments offered to it by Google to ensure its Privacy Sandbox proposals do not harm digital advertising markets Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Security Think Tank: To secure printers think process, technology and people

Though rarely discussed in a cyber context, the prevalence of connected printers and MFPs poses security risks both technological and physical. What does a print security strategy need to take into account? Continue Reading

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• Louise Barber, Turnkey Consulting

UK promises tougher line on cyber crime

Speaking ahead of the G7 Summit, foreign secretary Dominic Raab says the UK is ready to take on cyber criminals and other malicious actors wherever they may be Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Australia names ‘strategic’ datacentre operators

Australia’s Digital Transformation Agency certifies Macquarie Telecom, Canberra Data Centres and Australian Data Centres as strategic operators for hosting government data Continue Reading

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• Aaron Tan, Informa TechTarget

How the pandemic changed backup

The Covid-19 pandemic forced big changes in how people work – we look at impacts on backup, including increased reliance on the cloud, plus security and compliance vulnerabilities and ransomware Continue Reading

By

• Stephen Pritchard

Risk data shows UK energy sector most vulnerable to cyber attack

New report compiled by insurance firm Hiscox reveals the state of cyber preparedness in the UK and beyond Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

CW Europe: Amsterdam reins back datacentre developments over environmental concern

The construction of datacentres in the Netherlands’ Amsterdam region has accelerated at such a pace that their demands for electricity are causing concern, prompting city authorities and datacentre operators to open a dialogue about sustainable datacentre industry expansion. Also in this issue, find out the state of play in the adoption of open banking across Europe. Continue Reading

Security Think Tank: Time to accept printers will leak data

Though rarely discussed in a cyber context, the prevalence of connected printers and MFPs poses security risks both technological and physical. What does a print security strategy need to take into account? Continue Reading

By

• Andy Jones, Information Security Forum (ISF)

Australian organisations face heightened cyber attacks

Nearly three in four Australian organisations experienced cyber attacks that largely resulted from a growing remote workforce in 2020 Continue Reading

By

• Aaron Tan, Informa TechTarget

FBI arrests distributors accused of selling An0m encrypted phones to crime groups

Working with overseas law enforcement, the FBI has arrested eight people and named a further 13 accused of distributing An0m phones to organised crime groups Continue Reading

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• Bill Goodwin, Investigations Editor

Unit 42 warns of emergent Prometheus ransomware

Palo Alto’s Unit 42 shares intel on the emergent Prometheus ransomware gang, with apparent links to the Thanos crew Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

RSA spins out fraud and risk unit as Outseer

RSA Security is transitioning its fraud and risk intelligence work into a new business to be called Outseer Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Why agility is the key to secure software

Continuous delivery of software product releases demands continuous security. Businesses and regulators are right to wonder whether organisations are valuing cyber security by the design of their products Continue Reading

By

• Raihan Islam, defineXTEND

Microsoft fixes seven zero-days on its Patch Tuesday rounds

Fixes for six actively-exploited – and one yet-to-be-exploited – zero-day bugs are released in the June 2021 Patch Tuesday update Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Colonial Pipeline ransom seizure is a win, but don’t relax yet

The security community is enthusiastic about the US authorities’ recovery of a significant part of the Colonial Pipeline ransomware payment, but this positivity should perhaps be somewhat tempered Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

NHS Digital delays data collection plans until September

NHS Digital has postponed its proposed collection of GP data for two months, to allow more time for the public to understand the process and opt out if wanted Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

We Open Tech community supports non-binary and trans security pros

New tech community established to advocate for the interests of non-binary people, trans and cis women, trans men, and other marginalised genders in security Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

How cloud adoption is shaping digital identity trends in 2021

Expert Carla Roncato explains what organizations need to know about emerging digital identity and security trends for the cloud, including CASB, CIEM and zero trust. Continue Reading

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• Katie Donegan, Social Media Manager

National data guardian calls for dialogue on NHS Digital GP plans

The UK’s national data guardian says it is important the public has clarity on how their confidential medical information will be used and kept secure under NHS data-sharing plans Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

The rise and rise of supply chain attacks

Supply chain attacks in Asia-Pacific and elsewhere have intensified as cyber threat actors look to exploit the weakest links in business and digital supply chains Continue Reading

By

• Aaron Tan, Informa TechTarget

The jobseekers turning to cyber crime in the pandemic

In this week’s Computer Weekly, security researchers say people left unemployed by the pandemic are turning to cyber crime – we find out why. We examine the confluence of distributed cloud and edge computing technologies. And controversial uses of facial recognition technology come under further scrutiny. Read the issue now. Continue Reading

NGOs file complaints against Clearview AI in five countries

Privacy and human rights organisations have asked data protection regulators in the UK, France, Austria, Italy and Greece to investigate controversial facial recognition company Clearview AI Continue Reading

Why some jobseekers have turned to cyber crime during the pandemic

Research shows that many people have been seeking cyber crime-related work on the dark web, but why? Continue Reading

Police raids around world after investigators crack An0m cryptophone app in major hacking operation

Police in 16 countries carried out raids on after Australian Police and the FBI cracked an encrypted An0M communications network used by crime groups Continue Reading

By

• Bill Goodwin, Computer Weekly

Security Think Tank: What must a secure print strategy take into account?

Though rarely discussed in a cyber context, the prevalence of connected printers and MFPs poses security risks both technological and physical. What does a print security strategy need to take into account? Continue Reading

By

• Josh Foote

EU privacy chief investigates use of US cloud services

Use of Amazon and Microsoft’s cloud services by public sector bodies in the European Union is being scrutinised by the bloc’s privacy watchdog Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

Siloscape malware a risk to Windows containers, Kubernetes

Palo Alto’s Unit 42 reports on what appears to be the first-recorded malware targeting Kubernetes clusters through Windows containers Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

NCSC updates schools ransomware guidance amid surge

The National Cyber Security Centre says it is dealing with a renewed surge of ransomware attacks targeting schools, colleges and universities Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

IBM pushes back against US government data requests

Technology giant IBM says the US government has ‘no jurisdiction’ to request data from its European entities Continue Reading

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• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

Campaigners plan legal action over NHS data sharing

Privacy coalition aims to force NHS Digital to push back its plans to scrape medical information on millions of patients into a central database Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

NHS Digital’s GP data-scraping plan must be publicised and delayed

The UK government must launch a national awareness campaign and delay this month’s planned GP data slurp, say privacy consultants Ben Rapp and Sara Newman Continue Reading

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• Ben Rapp and Sara Newman

Updated standard contractual clauses will provide ‘legal certainty’ for transfer of data

Organisations have 18 months to update data transfer agreements, known as standard contractual clauses, or SCCs, to continue sharing data outside the European Union Continue Reading

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• Bill Goodwin, Investigations Editor

DNS attacks on the rise in APAC

Attacks on the domain name system in Asia-Pacific grew by 15% last year, with Malaysian organisations seeing the sharpest rise in damages among countries in the region Continue Reading

By

• Aaron Tan, Informa TechTarget

Towards Joined Up Action on On-line Harms, Fraud and Cybersecurity

We have to join up the debate and put cybersecurity into business, economic and social context. Hence the importance of the Digital Policy Alliance and its groups. Continue Reading

By

• Philip Virgo, Winsafe Ltd

HSBC offers all businesses scam awareness app

HSBC is sharing information on the latest scams and how to defend against them thorough its latest app, available to all businesses Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Security Think Tank: Printers can’t be an ‘add-on’ in your cyber strategy

Though rarely discussed in a cyber context, the prevalence of connected printers and MFPs does pose security risks both technological and physical. What does a print security strategy need to take into account? Continue Reading

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• Michael Howard and Kimberlee Ann Brannock, ISACA

BCS: Lack of communication over NHS GPDPR ‘astonishing’

The Chartered Institute for IT has warned that millions of people are not being properly informed of NHS Digital plans to harvest their data Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Secrecy around EncroChat cryptophone hack breaches French constitution, court hears

French lawyers claim that investigators are unlawfully withholding details of a cryptophone hacking operation in a case that could impact UK prosecutions Continue Reading

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• Bill Goodwin, Investigations Editor

Government action on ransomware epidemic gathers pace

The US government steps up action against ransomware operators, while the UK’s NCSC publishes guidance on preparing to deal with a ransomware attack Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Reports raise alarm over Huawei access to Dutch networks

Espionage accusations raise security questions for Netherlands organisations using Chinese supplier’s equipment and services Continue Reading

By

• Kim Loohuis

distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attack

A distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attack is one in which multiple compromised computer systems attack a target, such as a server, website or other network resource, and cause a denial of service for users of the targeted resource. Continue Reading

By

• Ben Lutkevich, Site Editor
• Kevin Beaver, Principle Logic, LLC

Norway’s auditor general lifts lid on energy industry’s cyber security risks

Auditor General’s Office questions the security posture of Norway’s energy industry Continue Reading

By

• Gerard O'Dwyer

Tories fined over email data protection breaches

The Conservative Party broke the law by failing to properly keep records of who had unsubscribed from its mailing list Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

FireEye sold to private equity, Mandiant regains independence

FireEye has agreed to sell its products business and name to a private equity consortium, while Mandiant will spin out as an independent threat intel business Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Pandemic a ‘once-in-a-lifetime’ chance to reshape security

The volume of remote working has made it hard to paint an accurate picture of the true state of enterprise cyber security, but it presents an opportunity to change things up Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Scottish businesses missing out on Cyber Essentials benefits

More than a third of Scottish businesses do not believe they are adequately prepared to deal with a cyber security incident Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Security Think Tank: Steps to a coherent print security strategy

Though rarely discussed in a cyber context, the prevalence of connected printers and MFPs poses security risks both technological and physical. What does a print security strategy need to take into account? Continue Reading

By

• Paddy Francis

What the Telecommunications (Security) Bill means for UK industry

The Telecommunications (Security) Bill is intended to reinforce the security of the UK telecommunications infrastructure, but what are the implications for industry? Continue Reading

By

• Peter Ray Allison

Buying a VPN? Here’s what you need to know

VPNs are an effective cyber security tool for businesses and remote workers, but there are many things to consider before purchasing and implementing one. We explore some of these Continue Reading

By

• Nicholas Fearn

Security Think Tank: Printer risks go deep into IT history

Though rarely discussed in a cyber context, the prevalence of connected printers and MFPs does pose security risks both technological and physical. What does a print security strategy need to take into account? Continue Reading

By

• Mike Lloyd, RedSeal

Long-term thinking is vital to secure UK’s critical infrastructure

To face down the threat of cyber warfare against UK CNI, the government needs long-term thinking that looks beyond the next general election cycle, says Advent-IM’s Mike Gillespie Continue Reading

By

• Mike Gillespie

European-led consortium investigates quantum cryptography

The arms race to a quantum internet is under way – the European Commission is looking at secure critical national infrastructure and member state comms Continue Reading

By

• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor

Exagrid pays $2.6m to Conti ransomware attackers

Backup appliance specialist hit by Conti ransomware in May with cyber criminals downloading employee and customer data, confidential contracts and source code Continue Reading

By

• Valéry Rieß-Marchive, Rédacteur en chef
• Antony Adshead, Storage Editor

Ex-IT manager stole over £800,000 from NHS trust

A former senior IT manager at an Essex NHS trust has pleaded guilty to defrauding his employer out of more than £800,000 Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Amazon Cognito

Amazon Cognito is an Amazon Web Services product that controls user authentication and access for mobile applications on internet-connected devices. Continue Reading

By

• Rahul Awati
• David Carty, Site Editor

Microsoft brings APAC policymakers together in security council

Microsoft’s APAC public sector security council will meet once a quarter to share threat intelligence and best practices for combating cyber threats Continue Reading

By

• Aaron Tan, Informa TechTarget

Inept cybersecurity education and training feed into skills gap

Learn why former infosec instructor and author of 'How Cybersecurity Really Works' advocates for changes to security education and training to alleviate the industry skills gap. Continue Reading

By

• Katie Donegan, Social Media Manager

Network reconnaissance techniques for beginners

In this excerpt of 'How Cybersecurity Really Works,' author Sam Grubb breaks down common network reconnaissance techniques used by adversaries to attack wired networks. Continue Reading

By

• Katie Donegan, Social Media Manager
• No Starch Press

When should you use AWS IAM roles vs. users?

Access management is critical to securing the cloud. Understand the differences between AWS IAM roles and users to properly restrict access to AWS resources. Continue Reading

By

• Stephen J. Bigelow, Senior Technology Editor

Privacy experts concerned over NHS data collection plans

Security and data privacy experts warn NHS Digital that its data collection plans could increase risk and cause a public backlash Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Essential Guide: How APAC firms can ride out the pandemic

In this Essential Guide, we examine the impact of Covid-19 on Asia-Pacific businesses, how they have responded and important lessons that can be learned as they ready themselves for the post-pandemic world. Continue Reading

By

• Aaron Tan, Informa TechTarget

Industry reflects on three years of GDPR

Looking back on 12 tumultuous months, we assess how GDPR has weathered the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic and Brexit, and consider what the coming year may hold for data protection Continue Reading

Loss of 150,000 police records made worse by management failures

The loss of 150,000 records from a number of national policing systems was caused by a human coding error, but made worse by process and management failures Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

Security ops teams struggle to switch off at home

Spiralling stress levels among SOC and IT security teams can be attributed mainly to alert overload, says Trend Micro Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor