IT security

Why Windrush scandal demonstrates the importance of technology to political decision-making

The Windrush scandal has revealed many disturbing things about government policy that have nothing to do with IT. But the issues raised amply demonstrate the importance of technology considerations ... Continue Reading

By

• Bryan Glick, Editor in chief

Security Think Tank: Use good practice to address cryptojacking risk

How can organisations best defend against cryptojacking? Continue Reading

By

• Simon Persin, Turnkey Consulting

UK surveillance laws a potential ‘sticking point’ post-Brexit

The UK’s controversial Investigatory Powers Act could be an impediment to achieving an adequacy agreement for free data exchanges with the EU post-Brexit, says privacy lawyer Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

UK Commonwealth cyber security funding welcomed

The security community has welcomed the UK government announcement of funding to help Commonwealth countries strengthen their cyber security capabilities Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

CyLon continues to drive cyber security innovation with next accelerator cohort

CyLon has selected the next group of innovative cyber security startups for its seventh London accelerator programme Continue Reading

By

• Zach Emmanuel, Computer Weekly

Mastercard calls for global online payments standard

Mastercard and its EMV partners are pushing for online payments standards similar to those for point-of-sale payments Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

CW ANZ: OpenStack gains a foothold in Australia

In this issue of CW ANZ, we look at how OpenStack has changed the way Australian enterprises operate their IT infrastructure. Also read how Australia’s Citic Pacific Mining is digging into IoT technology to track vehicles, and how Telstra is investing in two submarine cables to bolster Asia-US connectivity. Continue Reading

CW ASEAN: SD-WAN helps find best route to cloud

This year, more enterprises will adopt a “cloud-first” SD-WAN architecture to support their increasingly cloud-based application mix. In this issue of CW ASEAN, we take a closer look at how ASEAN enterprises are gearing up for this eventuality. Also, read how a new HPE facility in Singapore will help build collaborative partnerships across the internet of things, and how communications service providers should embrace microservices and DevOps to thrive in the digital economy. Continue Reading

Australian supermarket chain hit by IT outage

Thirty-minute glitch knocked out checkout systems at half of Woolworths’ stores in Australia Continue Reading

By

• Stuart Kennedy

Good time to be in data protection, says information commissioner

There has never been a better time to be in data protection, Elizabeth Denham has told an IAPP data protection conference in London, addressing some key questions about the changing data protection regulatory landscape Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

PAC sets June 2018 deadline for Department of Health to count NHS cost of WannaCry

Government spending watchdog orders Department of Health and Social Care to work out the cost of the WannaCry ransomware attack on the NHS so trusts know where to target their cyber security spending Continue Reading

By

• Caroline Donnelly, Senior Editor, UK

DDoS attacks cost up to £35,000

Despite the direct financial impact of DDoS attacks, this is not considered to be the most damaging effect on companies targeted this way, a survey shows Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Security budgets up, but talent scarce, says Isaca

Security budgets are increasing, but qualified cyber talent remains difficult to find with positions taking at least three months to fill, an industry association report on the state of cyber security reveals Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

APAC is becoming a hotspot for DDoS attacks

The region’s largest and most-connected economies are most vulnerable to distributed denial-of-service attacks, according to CenturyLink Continue Reading

By

• Aaron Tan, Informa TechTarget

UK identity fraud reaches record level

The level of identity fraud has reached its highest level to date, a UK fraud report shows Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Top tech firms take cyber security pledge

Top tech firms have committed to protecting customers worldwide from cyber attacks and prevent the misuse of their technology Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Business at risk from unidentified network traffic, report warns

A lack of network traffic visibility poses significant security challenges to businesses, a report on network firewalls warns Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

China’s ZTE a national security risk, UK telcos warned

UK national cyber security authority has warned telecommunications companies against using equipment and services from Chinese network equipment supplier ZTE, citing national security risks Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Targeted cyber attacks doubled in past year, study shows

The number of targeted attacks has doubled in the past year compared with the previous 12 months, despite improvements in detecting and blocking them, a cyber resilience study shows Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Judge in Max Schrems v Facebook action raises red flag on EU-US data transfers

The Irish High Court (Commercial Division) has once again cast a long shadow, with a very short deadline, over the arrangements for the safe and legal transfer of data between the EU and the US Continue Reading

By

• Kevin Cahill

Why AI skills, broadband and machine liability must be addressed

The House of Lords select committee on artificial intelligence has urged the government to adapt policies to bolster AI and protect the public Continue Reading

By

• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor

Flashpoint researchers warn of new VBS Loader

Researchers have issued warnings about a new VBScript downloader that behaves like a remote access Trojan, is designed to run undetected and can update and delete itself Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

UK and US accuse Russia of targeting network infrastructure

The UK and US have accused the Russian government of targeting network infrastructure, calling on network operators to take the necessary protective measures Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Fintech professional’s tech predictions: 5 – better understanding of privacy settings

Consumers are set to become much more aware of the privacy settings on the websites they use Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

UK businesses urged to ensure they do cyber security basics

The cyber threat to business has never been greater, so the National Cyber Security Centre is urging UK companies to ensure they have implemented all the basic, best-practice cyber security controls and processes Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Australian healthcare services most hit by data breaches

Nearly a quarter of data breaches reported under Australia’s new mandatory data breach regime took place in the healthcare sector Continue Reading

By

• Beverley Head

EU-US data sharing under threat as Irish court refers Facebook case to Europe

The Irish High Court is seeking answers from the European Court of Justice in a case that could have huge implications for EU-US data sharing and raises questions about US government surveillance of EU citizens. The move could bring a five-year legal battle between Austrian lawyer Max Schrems and Facebook to a close Continue Reading

By

• Bill Goodwin, Investigations Editor

Cyber attackers can breach targets in hours, report reveals

The majority of hackers claim they can breach an organisation within hours, while most security professionals admit they do not know what to look for Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Phishing for beer

Pishing is when you get fed plenty of booze and then start mouthing-off, reveal a few secrets, passwords and PIN Continue Reading

By

• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor

Companies must take a share of cloud security responsibility

The cloud is seen as highly secure and more and more critical data is being held in public clouds, but organisations need to adapt their internal security processes Continue Reading

By

• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor

UK playing central role in Facebook data misuse probe

Data protection is a hot issue and all about increasing confidence in the way data is handled, says UK privacy watchdog Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Cyber security a shared responsibility, says Amber Rudd

The UK home secretary has emphasised that cyber security is a shared responsibility and committed to promote EU cyber cooperation post-Brexit at the National Cyber Security Centre’s conference in Manchester Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Lauri Love escaped extradition to the US - what does that mean for future cases?

The US lost its attempt to extradite Lauri Love to face hacking charges in a landmark case. What will it mean for other UK citizens facing extradition? Continue Reading

By

• Joanna Dimmock , White & Case

GCHQ growing cyber capability to match threat

GCHQ continues to grow and develop its cyber capability to match the rapidly expanding and evolving threat landscape, says agency director Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

UK cyber attack reporting set to be more streamlined

Government funding has been allocated to help streamline cyber attack reporting, according to the National Cyber Security Centre Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

New cyber incident classification to boost UK response

A new cyber attack categorisation system has been unveiled to improve UK response to incidents Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Government to set up £13.5m cyber security centre

Located at the 2012 Olympic Park, the London Cyber Innovation Centre could create up to 2,000 jobs in cyber security Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Diversity key to more effective cyber security, says NCSC

Diversity in defence teams is key to improved cyber security, according to the UK’s National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

GCHQ to set up shop in Manchester

UK intelligence, security and cyber agency GCHQ is expanding its network of UK sites to north west England Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

NSA calls for cyber security community collaboration

A US National Security Agency (NSA) representative has called for cyber security community collaboration at the National Cyber Security Centre’s conference in Manchester Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

UK to launch crackdown on dark web

The UK is to enhance its specialist law enforcement response to crack down on criminals operating on the dark web Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Mobile phishing a growing threat, warns report

Phishing on mobile devices is a growing threat to business as attacks move beyond email to text messages and apps Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

ThreatQuotient ups the ante for dealing with security incidents

As cybercrime becomes ever more widespread and the actors involved diversify, targeted organisations must become more sophisticated and timely in their ability to detect and respond. Continue Reading

By

• Bob Tarzey

Podcast: Storage compliance for GDPR data subject requests

The General Data Protection Regulation is upon us. Mathieu Gorge, CEO of Vigitrust, talks you through the key areas needed for compliance in storage of data subjects’ data and how to find it quickly on request Continue Reading

By

• Antony Adshead, Storage Editor

Cyber criminals earn up to $2m a year, study shows

Academic study reveals just how lucrative cyber crime can be, with top-level cyber criminals out-earning government leaders and university graduates Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Technology is a lifesaver for NHS Blood and Transplant

In this week’s Computer Weekly, we talk to the CDO of the NHS’s blood and transplant agency about how digital transformation is proving to be a real lifesaver. Our latest buyer’s guide examines the state of public cloud. And we find out how Ireland is expecting a Brexit dividend to boost its tech sector when the UK leaves the EU. Read the issue now. Continue Reading

Ransomware top cyber threat, DBIR shows

Ransomware remains the top cyber security threat to organisations, humans continue to be significant weakness and HR departments are a top target, according to the latest Verizon Data breach investigations report Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Cyber threat to UK business greater than ever, report reveals

The cyber threat to UK business is “bigger than ever” and the best way to defend against it is collaboration between government, law enforcement and business, a report shows Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Security of big data fashions a whole new look with GDPR

As data managers scramble to protect their precious lakes of washed and unwashed data from the evils of hacking, malware, ransomware and botnets, there comes a privacy regulation of European Union origin that could change the way many U.S. companies protect their data from inside and outside forces. For some U.S. companies doing business in Europe and preparing for compliance, the EU's General Data Protection Regulation could be a well-intended enforcer of better data governance practices. But for businesses forced to change their old data protection habits, GDPR can be a four-letter word.

The April issue of Business Information opens with our editor's note and historical insights into the fundamental differences in attitude between the U.S. and Europe when it comes to protecting the data privacy of customers. As data breaches mount, however, the U.S. government -- willing or not -- may have to take steps beyond current regulations to ensure companies increase their security of big data.

Along those lines, our cover story examines some GDPR rules that can directly impact U.S. companies doing business overseas and, in the process, their data governance and ethics procedures. With the noted lack of maturity in data governance and security tools, we see in another feature how IT teams are addressing data security issues upfront in do-it-yourself ways when deploying big data systems.

Also in this issue, a GDPR compliance expert advises data managers on the best ways to prepare for a regulation that puts more control of information in the hands of users, the internet of things and edge computing could be compromising the security of big data and surveys show that companies place data protection among the top reasons for escalating their security spending.

 Continue Reading

GDPR requirements put focus on data ethics, governance

The General Data Protection Regulation makes privacy paramount and reinforces the practice of good data governance. Will a new focus on data ethics be an important side effect? Continue Reading

By

• Jack Vaughan

U.S. data protection laws fall short in the age of big data

Data breaches and a history of data abuse led the EU to adopt GDPR, but it might take massive scale data security crises for the U.S. to legislate similar data protection laws. Continue Reading

By

• Bridget Botelho, Editorial Director, News

Security professionals admit patching is getting harder

Vulnerable systems need patching to avoid being attacked by security exploits, yet many businesses find it hard to apply patches quick enough Continue Reading

By

• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor

Who do you trust to censor social media?

Calls to censor Facebook and its rivals are growing – but society needs to consider carefully the motivations of those making such demands Continue Reading

By

• Tim Worstall, Adam Smith Institute

Security Think Tank: Cryptojacking can be costly

How can organisations best defend against cryptojacking? Continue Reading

By

• Emma Bickerstaffe, Information Security Forum (ISF)

More than one in 10 employees fall for social engineering attacks

Employees download malicious files, click phishing links, correspond with hackers, and even share contact information for their colleagues, a report reveals Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Facebook data scandal a game changer, says ICO

Facebook’s controversial data sharing with London-based data mining firm Cambridge Analytica is a game changer, according to the UK’s privacy watchdog Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Security Think Tank: Six tips for securing your organisation against cryptojacking

How can organisations best defend against cryptojacking? Continue Reading

By

• Adrian Davis, (ISC)²

IoT security cannot be an afterthought: it must be the foundation of design

As technologies for the internet of things mature, developers need to make security by design a fundamental part of their products Continue Reading

By

• Julian David, TechUK

Business increases use of encryption in the cloud

The use of encryption has seen double-digit growth in the past year due to a number of security-related drivers, a study has revealed Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Why businesses must think like criminals to protect their data

Cyber criminals use three main methods of operation to steal commercial data. Understanding their mindset can help organisations put the right defences in place Continue Reading

By

• Andy Barratt, Coalfire

HSBC IT whistleblower faces extradition to Switzerland

Hervé Falciani, who stole data from thousands of private banking customers, is apprehended in Spain following the issuing of an international arrest warrant Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Facebook among 30 organisations under investigation by the ICO

Facebook is among 30 organisations under investigation by the UK’s privacy watchdog for misusing personal data for political and other purposes Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Retail sector top cyber attack target

The retail sector was the top cyber attack target in 2017, as cyber attacks evolved to become more organised and structured, a report reveals Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Business should note Facebook data sharing, say security advisers

Businesses that use Facebook and have employees that use it should take note that data is shared with potential cyber attackers, security advisers warn, as Facebook reveals the Cambridge Analytica data exploitation scandal may affect 87 million users Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Security Think Tank: Deal with cryptojacking to avoid security vulnerability

How can organisations best defend against cryptojacking? Continue Reading

By

• Paddy Francis

More than 1.5 billion business and consumer files exposed online

With just over a month to go before the GDPR compliance deadline, more than 1.5 billion data files are exposed online without adequate protections, a report reveals Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Only newer systems will get Intel firmware updates for Spectre chip flaw

Intel will not issue patches for legacy processors, so older systems and legacy embedded applications will remain vulnerable to Spectre exploits Continue Reading

By

• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor

Interview: GDPR will give Dutch privacy watchdog its teeth

The Netherlands’ privacy watchdog has not handed out fines so far because there has been no reason to, says the organisation’s chairman, Aleid Wolfsen Continue Reading

By

• Tijs Hofmans

Security Think Tank: User vigilance key to cryptojacking defence

How can organisations best defend against cryptojacking? Continue Reading

By

• Tim Holman, 2-sec

Ransomware puts pressure on incident response

Cyber attackers switched focus to ransomware attacks in 2017 putting pressure on incident response, while human error was responsible for two-thirds of compromised records, a study shows Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Average attacker dwell time nearly six months for EMEA, study shows

Firms in Europe, the Middle East and Africa take nearly six months to detect cyber attacks on average, a report reveals Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

InfiniSync backup ‘bunker’ gives zero RPO for critical apps

Infinidat launches InfiniSync “black box” as off-site storage on-site, plus new Infinibox PB-scale array, cloud storage service Neutrix Cloud and InfiniGuard backup appliance Continue Reading

By

• Antony Adshead, Storage Editor

IT decision-makers trust Facebook less and are changing policies

As Facebook scrambles to contain the damage from the Cambridge Analytica data exploitation scandal, a survey reveals that a majority of IT decision-makers have lost trust in the social networking firm Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

UK firms failing to make financial plans for cyber attacks

Most UK firms are failing to plan for the financial impact of cyber attacks, a survey by Lloyds Bank has revealed Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Security Think Tank: Use awareness, education and controls to halt cryptojacking

How can organisations best defend against cryptojacking? Continue Reading

By

• Maxine Holt, Omdia

Data breaches revealed at four US retail chains

The Easter weekend has seen another round of data breaches, further underlining that many companies are still failing to take the necessary steps to protect customer data Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Future of internet regulation is focus of Lords inquiry

Inquiry will seek evidence on whether or not the law is up to the job of regulating online platforms such as Facebook, and what improvements can be made Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

 Automation and gamification key to cyber security

The use of automation and gamification are key to winning the fight against cyber criminals in the face of the skills’ shortage, a study investigating challenges facing IT security teams reveals Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Lawyers more influential than IT staff in cloud deployments

Traditionally considered risk-adverse, lawyers are twice as more influential than in-house technology staff about cloud, research finds Continue Reading

By

• Aaron Tan, Informa TechTarget

Europol operation nabs another 20 cyber criminals

Police have arrested 20 cyber criminals in connection with a €1m fraud operation across Italy and Romania Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Business unaware of scale of cyber threat

Many businesses, especially board members, do not understand the scale of the cyber threat, but international efforts to combat cyber crime are being hampered by political barriers Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Cryptocurrency mining rampant in higher education

Higher education institutions are the biggest target for illicit cryptocurrency mining, data shows Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

How the IT sector can help plug the cyber security skills gap

Businesses have a role to play in plugging the cyber security skills gap by engaging with future talent at a young age, providing more role models for under-represented groups, communicating the nature of the threat, and changing their approach to cyber security recruitment Continue Reading

By

• Frank Stajano, University of Cambridge

Most airports not protected from cyber threats

The chairman of the Israel Airports Authority paints a dismal picture of the state of cyber security in aviation, and offers advice on what can be done to avert the next disaster Continue Reading

By

• Aaron Tan, Informa TechTarget

Consumer group calls for Zuckerberg to step down after data misuse

A social media firm's value is in the size of the network of users it can offer advertisers. But this model is now under the spotlight Continue Reading

By

• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor

Organisations can use GDPR ambiguity to contest fines in court, experts say

Businesses can use the vagueness of the regulation to argue against fines in court, say experts Continue Reading

By

• Zach Emmanuel, Computer Weekly

Majority of European firms unprepared for phishing attacks

Most cyber attacks can be traced back to a phishing email, but more than half of European firms are unprepared to deal with email-based attacks, research has revealed Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Home Office issues guidance on tech to prevent identity fraud

Advice highlights the benefits of using identity document validation to audit and share data on fraudulent documents Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

Facebook announces more privacy control updates

Social media giant updates privacy settings and tools in response to the unfolding controversy over Cambridge Analytica’s use of Facebook data for political campaigns Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Microsoft Word document and zero-day attacks on the rise

Macro-less Microsoft Word document attacks and zero-day malware are on the rise, according to data from WatchGuard Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

AWS ups ante on cloud services for Australian government

Cloud supplier AWS says government agencies can now assess the prospect of running protected workloads, following an independent cloud security assessment Continue Reading

By

• Aaron Tan, Informa TechTarget

Majority of firms fear mobile workers have been hacked

More than half of organisations fear that their mobile workers have been hacked and most are concerned that a growing mobile workforce means increased cyber security risk, a survey reveals Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Fintech professional’s tech predictions: 2 - Smart meter breaches

Energy smart meters will increasingly be targets for cyber attacks Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

UK organisations urged to develop cyber security skills

Managed cloud computing firm Rackspace is calling on UK organisations to do more to develop cyber security skills in the light of research into expertise in cloud security Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Most top UK firms fail to disclose cyber risk testing details

Most of the largest UK companies do not reveal their testing of cyber protection plans and do not share security updates with the board regularly, a Deloitte report reveals Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Facebook could be hit with $2tn fine after FTC inquiry

Facebook could face huge fines as the result of a federal inquiry into the data exploitation scandal, further underlining the importance of personal data protection for all enterprises Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Case study: Berkshire NHS trust provides mental health support through social network

Berkshire NHS is using its Support Hope and Recovery Online Network to provide 24/7 support and advice to service users struggling with mental health issues Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

Police arrest €1bn cyber heist mastermind

Police have arrested a key member of the Carbanak gang believed to be responsible for more than 100 cyber heists worldwide Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

ShopDirect set to use AI to detect fraud on phone calls

The online retailer has signed a contract to use voice authentication technology from Pindrop to tackle fraud and improve customer experience Continue Reading

By

• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor

Blockchain not ready for cross-border bank payments

The use of blockchain in certain parts of the financial services industry is limited at present due to the additional IT work required around its use Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA