IT security

Average ransomware cost triples, says report

The average amount paid out by ransomware victims has grown almost threefold to more than $300,000 per incident, according to a report Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Digital Green Certificate proposed for travel in Europe

Digital Green Certificates will supposedly help re-establish freedom of movement within the European Union Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Security Think Tank: CNI operators must focus on core issues

In the light of increasing cyber attacks on critical national infrastructure, what are the immediate risks to industrial control systems and other operational technology, and what steps can be taken to address them? Continue Reading

By

• Petra Wenham

Cyber sector welcomes PM’s defence review

Security commentators approve of measures to improve the UK’s cyber resilience, strengthen its R&D and skills base, lead on the development of new technology and promote a free, open, peaceful and secure global internet Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Uber and Ola ordered to hand over more data to drivers

A Dutch court has rejected Uber and Ola’s claims that drivers collectively taking action to access their data amounts to an abuse of their individual data access rights, laying the ground for drivers to form their own union-controlled data trust Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

How attackers counter incident response after a data breach

It's not over until it's over. Explore how attackers use backdoors and evasion techniques to counter incident response measures even long after a data breach is disclosed. Continue Reading

By

• Andrew Kempster

MoD partners playing fast and loose with confidential data

Clear spike in data breach incidents at defence partners may reflect better reporting standards, claims MoD Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Unusual DearCry ransomware uses ‘rare’ approach to encryption

Hybrid approach to encryption used by DearCry bears similarities to WannaCry Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Microsoft releases one-click ProxyLogon mitigation tool

Microsoft’s mitigation tool is designed to help customers without dedicated security or IT teams navigate fixing their vulnerable Exchange servers Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Government calls for input into Covid-19 vaccine passports

Evidence gathering exercise will inform the development of the UK’s proposed Covid-19 vaccine passport scheme Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

ST Engineering teams up with Google Cloud

Singapore’s ST Engineering and Google Cloud will explore offering secure cloud services for organisations in regulated industries Continue Reading

By

• Aaron Tan, Informa TechTarget

Endpoint security vs. network security: Why both matter

As the security perimeter blurs, companies often debate the merits of endpoint security vs. network security. However, it shouldn't be an either-or decision. Continue Reading

By

• Andrew Froehlich, West Gate Networks

UK plans ‘full spectrum’ approach to national cyber security

PM Boris Johnson expands on proposed National Cyber Force and plans to set up a north of England Cyber Corridor Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Microsoft Exchange ProxyLogon attacks spike 10 times in four days

Exploitations of the Microsoft Exchange ProxyLogon vulnerabilities have increased tenfold in just four days Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Judges refuse EncroChat defendants’ appeal to Supreme Court

Experts suggest Parliament and Investigatory Powers Tribunal need to consider the implications of a court decision on police use of data from the EncroChat phone network Continue Reading

By

• Bill Goodwin, Computer Weekly

EncroChat ruling has ‘far-reaching effects’ for legal role of interception in UK investigations

The computer forensic experts involved in the review of police use of data hacked from the ultra-secure EncroChat phone network assess the impact of the Appeal Court ruling on future legal use of intercept evidence   Continue Reading

By

• Duncan Campbell, Ian Brown

Security Think Tank: CNI operators are in an unenviable position

In the light of increasing cyber attacks on critical national infrastructure, what are the immediate risks to industrial control systems and other operational technology, and what steps can be taken to address them? Continue Reading

By

• Mike Lloyd, RedSeal

India is becoming a hotspot for IoT

India is set to be a cradle for internet of things deployments thanks to its vibrant economy and its potential to play a bigger role in global manufacturing Continue Reading

By

• Pratima Harigunani

Arrest warrants issued for Canadians behind Sky ECC cryptophone network used by organised crime

The US has issued arrest warrants for the CEO of Sky Global and a former distributor for racketeering, aiding and abetting the distribution of illegal drugs by supplying encrypted phones to criminals Continue Reading

By

• Bill Goodwin, Computer Weekly

NCSC issues emergency alert on Microsoft Exchange patch

UK’s national cyber agency calls on organisations affected by the ProxyLogon vulnerabilities to patch their Microsoft Exchange Servers immediately Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Does email security need a human solution or a tech solution?

People spend a lot of time using email systems, but many do not realise that this makes them attractive targets for cyber criminals. With education and technology, businesses can tackle this problem head-on Continue Reading

By

• Nicholas Fearn

DearCry ransomware targets vulnerable Exchange servers

As predicted, ransomware gangs have started to target vulnerable instances of Microsoft Exchange Server, making patching an even greater priority Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Brewer Molson Coors targeted in cyber attack

Cyber criminals have disrupted beer production at Molson Coors, one of the world’s largest brewers Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Interview: Uber driver Yaseen Aslam on his Supreme Court battle and what’s next for gig workers

Private hire driver and union organiser Yaseen Aslam speaks to Computer Weekly about his legal battle with Uber and what the UK Supreme Court ruling means to workers in the gig economy Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

CW Innovation Awards: Fighting fake Covid-19 vaccines with blockchain

A blockchain-based system developed by Singapore-based Zuellig Pharma can help governments and healthcare providers weed out fake vaccines and manage vaccine distribution and administration Continue Reading

By

• Aaron Tan, Informa TechTarget

Security Think Tank: US security efforts may centre on collaboration

As US president Joe Biden sets out his agenda for the next four years, we consider the opportunities for renewed international collaboration on cyber security, what aspects of cyber Biden should focus on, and ask how the industry can make its voice heard Continue Reading

By

• Cath Goulding, Nominet

Why the London Data Charter could be a foundation stone in the city’s recovery

London First’s director of connectivity and competitiveness, David Lutton, explains why data is at the core of the capital’s recovery plan Continue Reading

By

• David Lutton

UK digital regulators set out plans to strengthen cooperation

Digital Regulation Cooperation Forum outlines plans for the coming year, marking a shift towards a more collaborative regulatory approach Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

Attack on surveillance cameras a warning over security, ethics

The attack on a video surveillance startup by a hacktivist group raises questions not just over cyber security, but the use and extent of surveillance technology Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

After Emotet takedown, Trickbot roars up threat charts

Malicious actors are turning to new tricks as Emotet fades away Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Norwegian government falls victim to Microsoft attacks

Norway’s parliament, the Storting, suffers second major cyber incident in a year as threat groups capitalise on vulnerable Microsoft Exchange Servers Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Top five threats to compliance during the pandemic

We survey the top five pandemic compliance threats – remote working, Covid tracking, criminal exploits, compliance measures slipping, and heightened enforcement to come Continue Reading

By

• Stephen Pritchard

CW Europe: Nordic tech startups create blueprint for post-Covid working environment

Business can learn lessons from Nordic tech startups to prepare employees to return to the office after Covid restrictions end. Also read why Netherlands police need a training ‘roadmap’ to get them up to speed to tackle cyber crime. Continue Reading

Grindr complaint results in €9.6m GDPR fine

 Continue Reading

The New Norm Still Means The Old Norm When It Comes To Exchange Vulnerabilities

Some things in IT never change and one is exposing vulnerabilities in Microsoft’s armoury, not least as has recently been reported, Microsoft Exchange. Oh, how the hackers love Exchange… So, at the ... Continue Reading

By

• Steve Broadhead, Broadband Testing

SASE in focus for enterprises in post-pandemic 2021

Recently in this ‘ere blog I took off tangentially a couple of times from a recently published customer survey carried out by Cato Networks, itself at the epicentre of an IT pandemic known as SASE. ... Continue Reading

By

• Steve Broadhead, Broadband Testing

Patch Tuesday overshadowed by Microsoft Exchange attacks

Microsoft’s March Patch Tuesday update drops amid ongoing fall-out from widespread Exchange attacks Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Police crack world’s largest cryptophone network as criminals swap EncroChat for Sky ECC

Belgian and Dutch police have breached the encryption of users of Sky ECC, the world’s largest cryptophone network. There are significant parallels with the international police operation against the EncroChat cryptophone network which led to hundreds of arrests Continue Reading

By

• Bill Goodwin, Computer Weekly

Explore 5 business email compromise examples to learn from

Gift cards are for gifts, never for payment. Explore real-world examples of business email compromise to learn common attack patterns and red flags. Continue Reading

By

• Katie Donegan, Social Media Manager

Belgian police raid 200 premises in drug operation linked to breach of encrypted phone network

More than 1,600 police and law enforcement officials conduct drug raids after the compromise of an encrypted mobile phone network that has parallels with EncroChat Continue Reading

By

• Bill Goodwin, Computer Weekly

Why your business needs SOC as a service

Security in the digital era demands that businesses monitor their entire IT estate and resolve all alerts, but for many organisations the most effective way of doing that is SOCaaS Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Significant jump in number of hackers reporting vulnerabilities to companies

Since the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic, the number of hackers reporting security vulnerabilities and bugs to enterprises has increased by nearly two-thirds Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

Gartner: Three tips to avoid cloud service suspension

As recent events have shown, public cloud providers have the power to terminate cloud contracts, and seemingly legitimate businesses may be at risk Continue Reading

By

• Lydia Leong

EBA restores services after Microsoft Exchange attack

European Banking Authority was breached through vulnerabilities in Microsoft Exchange Server, but is now back online Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Private equity house buys McAfee enterprise business

Deal to sell off enterprise unit will see McAfee become a pure-play consumer organisation Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Is Clubhouse safe, and should CISOs stop its use?

With more concerns being raised over the privacy and security of social media app Clubhouse, we consider whether security teams should consider restricting or stopping employees from using it Continue Reading

Are you ready to return to the office?

In this week’s Computer Weekly, a year after lockdown began, we look at employers’ changing attitudes to returning to the workplace. We find out how the software developer community has coped during the Covid-19 pandemic. And we examine the cyber security concerns prompted by latest social media craze, Clubhouse. Read the issue now. Continue Reading

US teases retaliation over state-backed cyber attacks

Consequences for alleged perpetrators of the SolarWinds attack are expected within the next few weeks Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Williams F1 car launch disrupted by data leak

Williams Formula One team forced to pull augmented reality app it had planned to use to launch its 2021 car at the last minute after an apparent cyber attack Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Mandiant: MS Exchange bugs first exploited in January

Analysis from technical teams at FireEye’s Mandiant tracked activity exploiting newly disclosed vulnerabilities in Microsoft Exchange Server more than a month ago Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Nottinghamshire schools suspend online learning following cyber attack

Cyber attack on central trust that manages secondary schools in Nottinghamshire leaves them unable to access IT systems and deliver remote lessons Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

Dealing with the challenge of beg bounties

The rise of so-called beg bounties is becoming a challenge for security teams, and can be a drain on time and resources. But what is a beg bounty, and how does it differ from a bug bounty? Continue Reading

By

• Dan Raywood

Singapore Airlines the latest victim of supply chain attack

A restricted set of data of over 580,000 frequent flyer members of Singapore Airlines was exposed in a supply chain attack against Sita’s passenger service system Continue Reading

By

• Aaron Tan, Informa TechTarget

Making sense of the changing UK Cyber Policing and Skills Scene

There is an urgent need to make rapid use of the trusted partner programmes of the new Cyber Resilience Centres to help business of all sizes (and charities, schools, reputable training providers ... Continue Reading

By

• Philip Virgo, Winsafe Ltd

Okta picks up Auth0 for $6.5bn

Multibillion-dollar acquisition a vote of confidence in future of identity and access management services Continue Reading

Microsoft Exchange CVEs more widely exploited than thought

US CISA issues emergency guidance as impact of four newly disclosed Microsoft Exchange vulnerabilities becomes clearer Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Progress towards gender equality in cyber still slow

The cyber security sector is making painfully slow progress towards gender equality, according to a report Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Qualys caught up in Accellion FTA breach

Security services supplier confirms that some of its data was stolen via vulnerabilities in Accellion’s file transfer product Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Five ways that disaster recovery changes in a pandemic

Covid-19 has changed IT. Previously, working remotely was a business continuity measure, but now it is the norm. That means disaster recovery has to adapt to new risks and new ways to respond Continue Reading

By

• Stephen Pritchard

UK contactless payment limit more than doubled

UK increases the amount that can be spent in one go using a contactless payments card to £100 Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Veritas looks beyond NetBackup for growth in ASEAN

Veritas has seen increased demand for its availability tools as it looks to address backup and recovery requirements from cloud, database and VMware workloads Continue Reading

By

• Aaron Tan, Informa TechTarget

Technical controls to prevent business email compromise attacks

Technical controls are at the heart of preventing successful business email compromise attacks. Learn about those and extra considerations to keep your business secure. Continue Reading

By

• Diana Kelley, SecurityCurve

Emergency patch addresses MS Exchange Server zero-days

Microsoft releases an emergency patch to address multiple zero-day exploits directed at on-premise installations of Exchange Server Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

EU seeking pan-European Covid-19 passport solution

The European Union’s proposal could see the creation of a Covid-19 vaccine passport to enable travel across the EU Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

A sobering reminder for more vigilant supply chain security

This is a guest post by Gaurav Chhiber, vice-president of Asia-Pacific and Japan at IronNet Cybersecurity The recent and unfolding news about the Russian APT 29, or Cozy Bear, SolarWinds breach is ... Continue Reading

By

• Aaron Tan, Informa TechTarget

3 ransomware distribution methods popular with attackers

To prevent cyber attacks, understanding how they work is half the battle. Explore the most common ransomware distribution methods in this excerpt of 'Preventing Ransomware.' Continue Reading

By

• Katie Donegan, Social Media Manager
• Packt Publishing

Patching: Balancing technical requirements with business considerations

With an increasing reliance on subscription models alongside the regular patching of software, updates have become an essential part of modern business practices. However, care needs to be taken to ensure the optimum patching process is implemented. Continue Reading

Malware researcher speculates on the future of ransomware

Abhijit Mohanta, author of 'Preventing Ransomware,' opines on the future of ransomware and discusses why this attack is favored among cybercriminals. Continue Reading

By

• Katie Donegan, Social Media Manager

Digital secretary Dowden outlines UK post-Brexit data approach

The UK government is searching for a new information commissioner with an updated remit to use data to support growth and innovation, and plans on reaching new international data partnerships Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

Essential guide to operation-centric security

To stay ahead of cyber attackers, IT security teams need to take an operation-centric approach, to offer a real-time picture of activity across their estate. Continue Reading

Making sense of the UK Cybersecurity Sector

The UK cybersecurity industry is heavily concentrated. Only 150 suppliers, employing 2/3rd of the work force are large enough to provide realistic in-house work experience for trainees/apprentices. ... Continue Reading

By

• Philip Virgo, Winsafe Ltd

On digital identity, the government gets it wrong again

The latest government proposals to regulate the digital identity sector continue to misunderstand how such a market works – a more API-based approach is needed to deliver the clear benefits of online ID Continue Reading

By

• Jon Nash, Demos

Cyber extortionist threatened to bomb NHS targets

A German court has convicted a 33-year-old Italian man for making extortion and bomb threats against NHS hospitals at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic’s first wave last year Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

NCSC Cyber Action Plan emphasises SME security

NCSC self-assessment tool launched to help sole traders and micro-businesses tackle their cyber security challenges Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Get started with network penetration testing for beginners

Authentication, patching and configuration are among the most common vulnerabilities found through network penetration testing. Learn more in this free chapter excerpt. Continue Reading

By

• Michaela Goss, Senior Site Editor
• Manning Publications Co.

Advice on how to learn network penetration testing skills

As beginners learn network penetration testing skills, they should remember these expert tips: Pay attention to what the client wants, and stick to offense, not defense. Continue Reading

By

• Michaela Goss, Senior Site Editor

GCHQ sets out rules of the road for AI in cyber

A paper produced by GCHQ shows how the intelligence agency can use artificial intelligence responsibly as a tool to protect the UK’s national security Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Npower shuts off app after credential stuffing attack

Npower customers will have to log in to their accounts on its website after its app was withdrawn following a security breach Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

MHRA and other agencies to offer new resources for scam victims

New landing page resources will replace .uk domains suspended for criminal activity to help members of the public access appropriate guidance Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Transport for NSW hit by Accellion breach

Australian state agency Transport for New South Wales is the latest victim of the supply chain attack against Accellion’s legacy file transfer system Continue Reading

By

• Aaron Tan, Informa TechTarget

Vaccine passports prove an ethical minefield

Privacy campaigners warn that vaccine passports may turn out to be discriminatory and invasive, while technologists agree careful consideration must be given to their design Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Is Clubhouse safe, and should CISOs stop its use?

With more concerns being raised over the privacy and security of social media app Clubhouse, we consider whether security teams should consider restricting or stopping employees from using it Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Babuk ransomware unsophisticated, but highly dangerous

Intelligence gathered through McAfee’s Mvision service reveals more insight into the emerging Babuk ransomware Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Bombardier is latest victim of Accellion supply chain attack

Canadian aviation company joins the growing list of Accellion breach victims Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Warning on security risk from virtual events platforms

Vulnerabilities found in virtual events platforms could form part of a variant supply chain attack Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Industry concerns over government digital identity plans risk a confusing outcome for users

A flurry of recent activity suggests the government is ramping up its plans for the long-awaited demise of Gov.uk Verify, its failed attempt to produce a digital identity system for online public ... Continue Reading

By

• Bryan Glick, Editor in chief

Rogue drones beware: We’re here to ground you

Eugene Kaspersky exclusively lifts the lid on a mysterious, shiny device that’s been sitting in his office Continue Reading

By

• Eugene Kaspersky, Kaspersky

How to achieve security observability in complex environments

Security observability is a novel approach to incident detection that goes beyond traditional monitoring. Read on to learn if this emerging strategy is right for your enterprise. Continue Reading

By

• Michael Cobb

XDR makes cyber a Stroll in the park for Aston Martin F1

Aston Martin Cognizant Formula One team will run SentinelOne’s Singularity XDR platform under the bonnet Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

AI powers reputational damage insurance policy

Reputational damage has an immediate impact on a company’s share price, and brand loyalty built over many years can be lost in an instant Continue Reading

By

• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor

CyberScotland offers centralised security resource hub

Newly launched partnership brings together security resources for individuals and organisations across Scotland Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Microphones, smartphones, laptops among items stolen from BBC

A total of 105 devices have been stolen from the BBC in the past two years, some of which may have been spirited away by remote workers Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Pandemic has exposed fractures in cyber fraud strategy

RUSI report urges a bolder and more coordinated response to cyber-enabled fraud as the pandemic lays bear the scale of the problem Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

The nation state threat to business

The SolarWinds hack shows the widespread damage possible from a nation-state cyber attack. What is the threat to business and how can it be mitigated? Continue Reading

European Commission proposes UK data adequacy agreement

The publication of two draft data adequacy decisions brings the UK closer to a final positive decision, which will enable the continued free flow of data between the EU and the UK if green-lit by member states Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

NCSC cyber defence scheme blocked thousands of scams in 2019

The NCSC has reported another productive year for its Active Cyber Defence programme Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Biden will act on cyber security to fix SolarWinds mess

US will take action to modernise its defences in the wake of the SolarWinds attack, says US government cyber lead Anne Neuberger Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Swedish police fined for unlawful use of facial-recognition app

Sweden’s data watchdog has found that Swedish police failed to conduct the data protection checks required by law before using controversial facial-recognition tool Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

City of Helsinki adopts MyData principles to improve digital services

Principles on the use of personal data for the benefit of society will guide Finnish capital’s ambitious digital plans Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

More than two-thirds of firms would invest in dedicated remote working connectivity

Firms are faced with supporting more remote working for their businesses going forward, and a survey has shed light on what form this support will take and what firms believe they will need in the ‘new normal’ Continue Reading

By

• Joe O’Halloran, Computer Weekly