IT security

Most NHS trusts have failed their cyber security assessments, NHS Digital admits

NHS Digital deputy CEO Rob Shaw told Public Accounts Committee all 200 trusts assessed for cyber security, both before and after the WannaCry attack, have failed their assessments Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

How to manage application security risks and shortcomings

A lack of proper testing, communication and insight into best practices all contribute to application security shortcomings. Kevin Beaver explains how to manage the risks. Continue Reading

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• Kevin Beaver, Principle Logic, LLC

UK leads international crackdown on Luminosity spyware

Law enforcement agencies shut down international support network for a hacking tool that allowed cyber criminals to gain remote control of victims’ computers Continue Reading

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• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Security Think Tank: Take care of security basics before automating

How can organisations evolve their security operations teams to do more automation of basic tasks and cope with dynamic IT environments? Continue Reading

By

• Greg Temm

Many UK firms ill-equipped to deal the cloud security risks

Many UK firms do not have the security tools, processes and skills required to ensure their cloud implementations are secure, a security researcher and advocate warns Continue Reading

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• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Lauri Love plans to use ‘internet as a force for good’

Engineering student Lauri Love says he plans to help businesses fight cyber crime, after the court of appeal ruled that he can be tried in the UK for allegedly hacking US computer systems, rather than face extradition to the US Continue Reading

By

• Julia Gregory and Niels Ladefoged

Security Think Tank: How automation can reduce the load on the security operations team

How can organisations evolve their security operations teams to do more automation of basic tasks and cope with dynamic IT environments? Continue Reading

By

• Paddy Francis

3, 2, 1, GDPR: How to be prepared on 25 May

There are seven key areas organisations should review to ensure compliance with the General Data Protection Regulation, and even though the deadline is less than four months away, it is still not too late to start Continue Reading

By

• Omer Tene, IAPP

NCSC shows how first year affected cyber attacks on the UK

Initiatives by the UK’s National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) have detected and prevented millions of online commodity attacks, the agency’s first annual report shows Continue Reading

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• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Appeals court rules Lauri Love will not be extradited over US hacking charges

The lord chief justice, Lord Burnett, says 33-year-old engineering student Lauri Love will not be extradited to the US to face hacking charges, in a landmark legal decision, and the Crown Prosecution Service should bring proceedings against Love in the UK Continue Reading

By

• Bill Goodwin & Julia Gregory

NHS WannaCry review highlights need for accountability and skills

Lessons-learned report on ransomware attack calls for local NHS organisations to put cyber security bosses on their boards and consider suspending IT access to staff who have not completed cyber security training Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

Safer Internet Day: Building online safety practices with young people

Many organisations around the UK are contributing to the important work on making the internet a safer place for everyone Continue Reading

By

• Julian David, TechUK

Researchers discover malicious Chrome extensions

Security researchers have discovered a new botnet delivered via malicious Chrome extensions designed to hijack computers to mine cryptocurrency and record victims’ every move Continue Reading

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• Warwick Ashford, Security Editor

Government backs national cyber policy and strategy competition

London is to host a national cyber policy and strategy competition, which has the backing of government, industry and academia Continue Reading

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• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Security Think Tank: Approaches to strengthening security operations

How can organisations evolve their security operations teams to do more automation of basic tasks and cope with dynamic IT environments? Continue Reading

By

• Rory Alsop

GDPR: Don’t panic, but seize the chance to build trust, says ICO

With the compliance deadline for the EU’s GDPR just 112 days away, the UK’s information commissioner has urged organisations not to panic, but to seize the chance to build trust with customers Continue Reading

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• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

As Gov.uk Verify concerns mount, is GDS about to lose control of digital identity policy?

There’s a growing body of opinion that the government’s flagship digital identity system, Gov.uk Verify, has now become a major hindrance to the development of the UK’s digital identity ... Continue Reading

By

• Bryan Glick, Editor in chief

Appeal Court to give landmark verdict on Lauri Love extradition

The Appeal Court will decide whether Lauri Love, who has serious health issues, should be extradited to the US to face hacking charges, or face trial in the UK. The landmark case is the first test of legal protections introduced by Theresa May to protect vulnerable people Continue Reading

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• Bill Goodwin, Investigations Editor

Google Q4 results show businesses are buying into its public cloud

The Google Cloud Platform is earning the search engine giant $1bn per quarter. Expect more cloud investment this year Continue Reading

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• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor

CIO interview: Aaron Powell, CDO, NHS Blood and Transplant

NHS Blood and Transplant chief digital officer Aaron Powell explains why pushing a digital transformation agenda has a real impact on people’s lives Continue Reading

By

• Mark Samuels

Europe’s shameful role in spy-tech exports that led to torture and jail

Governments in Europe actively assisted in government oppression in Iran, Bahrain and Russia by providing states with sophisticated surveillance equipment. The European Parliament is pressing for changes in the law to restrict exports of spy-technology to countries with poor human rights records Continue Reading

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• Marietje Schaake, European Parliament

Faster data is a safer bet for risk exposure

Betting platform service supplier FSB Technology (UK) has used GridGain’s in-memory database to support its existing PostgreSQL transactional system Continue Reading

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• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor

Dutch Filmworks disrupts piracy fight by imposing download fines

Netherlands’ privacy watchdog grants film production company permission to collect IP addresses as part of its fight against illegal downloading Continue Reading

By

• Tijs Hofmans

ASEAN nations among worst hit by cryptocurrency-mining operation

Thailand, Vietnam and Indonesia recorded high download numbers for the XMRig software that was surreptitiously slipped into user devices to mine Monero Continue Reading

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• Aaron Tan, Informa TechTarget

Industrial cyber security continues to be poor, warns report

The number of internet-accessible industrial control systems is increasing every year, researchers warn Continue Reading

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• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Businesses urged to patch against cryptocurrency-mining botnet

Researchers have uncovered further evidence that cyber criminals are cashing in on the popularity of cryptocurrencies, with the discovery of a global cryptocurrency-mining botnet Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Security Editor

Security Think Tank: Automating basic security tasks

How can organisations evolve their security operations teams to do more automation of basic tasks and cope with dynamic IT environments? Continue Reading

By

• Petra Wenham

Privacy lessons from the fitness fiasco

Most of us already recognise that technology has the potential to wipe out our privacy, if checks and balances are not in place – or at least I hope we do! What’s scary then in the recent hoo-hah ... Continue Reading

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• Bryan Betts, Freeform Dynamics

Dutch companies not ready for GDPR despite approaching deadline

Organisations in the Netherlands are racing towards General Data Protection Regulation compliance, but there is still much to be done Continue Reading

By

• Tijs Hofmans

Facebook reports $15.9bn profit after ‘hard’ year

Facebook has reported a strong fourth quarter and a strong year with quarterly profit up 20% and annual profit up 56%, but chief Mark Zuckerberg admits it has been a challenging 12 months Continue Reading

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• Warwick Ashford, Security Editor

Thousands of Universal Credit claimants unable to use Gov.uk Verify to apply for benefits

Government research shows that barely one-third of benefits claimants can successfully apply for new Universal Credit digital service using flagship online identity system Continue Reading

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• Bryan Glick, Editor in chief

Many businesses still using outdated security, says Troy Hunt

Too many businesses are using out-of-date approaches to security, a world-renowned cyber security author and trainer warns Continue Reading

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• Warwick Ashford, Security Editor

GDPR requests to take thousands of hours a month, says survey

A recent survey predicts organisations will potentially face thousands of customer requests about their personal information every month, with many unprepared for GDPR compliance Continue Reading

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• Antony Adshead, Storage Editor

Security Think Tank: Don’t automatically automate security

How can organisations evolve their security operations teams to do more automation of basic tasks and cope with dynamic IT environments? Continue Reading

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• Simon Persin, Turnkey Consulting

UK finance sector cyber security pros admit shocking practices

UK financial sector IT security teams face immense challenges that are undermining business opportunities and continuity in financial services, a survey reveals Continue Reading

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• Warwick Ashford, Security Editor

Navigating ASEAN’s patchy cyber security landscape

Cyber resilience remains low across Southeast Asia, a regional economic powerhouse that is increasingly susceptible to cyber threats as its digital economy grows Continue Reading

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• Aaron Tan, Informa TechTarget

IT Priorities 2018: Why IT must change its approach to Windows 10

Windows 10 is set to be a top priority for IT departments this year, but it should be seen as more than just a desktop operating system upgrade Continue Reading

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• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor

Data breach disclosure law will lift Australia’s cyber security game

New rules underscore Australia’s recent efforts to tackle cyber security challenges on the local and international stage Continue Reading

By

• Stuart Kennedy

Security Think Tank: Establish best practice before automating security processes

How can organisations evolve their security operations teams to do more automation of basic tasks and cope with dynamic IT environments? Continue Reading

By

• Mike Gillespie

Cyber security salaries will rise 7% in 2018, says research

Salaries for increasingly popular technology roles such as cyber security are set to rise over the next year Continue Reading

By

• Clare McDonald, Business Editor

Government surveillance regime unlawful, court rules in Tom Watson case

Appeal court ruled in favour of Labour MP Tom Watson in a legal battle with the government over the UK’s surveillance laws, leading to calls to rethink controversial Investigatory Powers Act Continue Reading

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• Bill Goodwin, Investigations Editor

IT Priorities 2018: Data protection a top priority ahead of GDPR

Data protection continues to be a key focus for IT security investment for European firms in 2018, as does the emphasis on cloud and mobile security as companies move to these technology platforms Continue Reading

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• Warwick Ashford, Security Editor

Most online retail sites put customers at risk of phishing

Most top online retail sites fail to protect consumers from phishing attacks, a study has revealed Continue Reading

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• Warwick Ashford, Security Editor

Davos: Cyber risks grow as countries turn towards protectionism

The cost of natural disasters is now at record levels, but the cost of cyber crime is far higher. The World Economic Forum hopes to persuade governments to work together on the problem, but with isolationist politics back in fashion, can it succeed? Continue Reading

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• Bill Goodwin, Investigations Editor

Davos: Disintegration of the internet could create economic turmoil

Politicians and business leaders will discuss the risks posed by fake news, cyber attacks, and artificial intelligence to jobs, political stability and global security, at the World Economic Forum in Davos Continue Reading

Davos debates global tech risks

In this week's Computer Weekly, world leaders at Davos discuss the growing reliance on technology and how to tackle the political and economic threats of the digital age. Our latest buyer's guide examines mobile app development. And we look at the biggest challenges facing CIOs in 2018 - including digital skills, automation, innovation and diversity. Read the issue now. Continue Reading

Security Think Tank: Humans and AI machines in harmony

How can organisations evolve their security operations teams to do more automation of basic tasks and cope with dynamic IT environments? Continue Reading

By

• Piers Wilson, IISP

Millennials set to disrupt authentication, shows IBM study

Young adults are lax on passwords, but are more comfortable than older generations with biometric and multifactor authentication, an IBM study shows Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Security Editor

GDPR’s latest gift? Class action privacy cases

Europeans will in future be able to bring US-style class actions for (alleged) privacy violations, instead of having to sue individually and expensively. It’s thanks to a little-known clause of the ... Continue Reading

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• Bryan Betts, Freeform Dynamics

NGO to fight for GDPR rights set to launch

A new breed of NGO aimed at helping EU citizens fight for privacy rights under the GDPR is set to launch after achieving the minimum funding required Continue Reading

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• Warwick Ashford, Security Editor

Hefty fines confirmed for CNI providers with poor cyber security

The government has confirmed that critical infrastructure providers with poor cyber security face fines of millions of pounds as the National Cyber Security Centre publishes new guidance for the industry Continue Reading

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• Warwick Ashford, Security Editor

Business cyber crime up 63%, UK stats show  

Despite an overall decrease in fraud and computer misuse in 2017, the latest Office for National Statistics (ONS) reports show that incidents involving computer misuse and malware against business are way up Continue Reading

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• Warwick Ashford, Security Editor

How blockchain can secure the IoT

By doing away with a central authority in internet of things (IoT) networks, blockchain technology can reduce the risk of IoT devices being compromised by a single point of security failure Continue Reading

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• Aaron Tan, Informa TechTarget

ICO launches data protection excellence award

UK’s privacy watchdog launches data protection excellence award to mark international Data Protection Day, as security suppliers issue data protection tips and guidelines Continue Reading

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• Warwick Ashford, Security Editor

UK likely to remain strategic EU data protection partner

Head of European Union’s independent data protection authority says UK is likely to remain a strategic partner in data protection after Brexit Continue Reading

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• Warwick Ashford, Security Editor

Government sets out further details of Digital Charter

The government’s charter aims to tackle challenges and risks brought by technology in “an effective and responsible way”, thereby boosting the digital economy Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

IoT security risks need immediate action, says report

The security failings in today’s internet-connected devices will only become more pervasive unless action is taken immediately, according to industry experts Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Security Editor

Ransomware was most popular cyber crime tool in 2017

Detections of ransomware increased by more than 90% last year compared with 2016 Continue Reading

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• Warwick Ashford, Security Editor

Hours lost on patching Meltdown and Spectre flaw

IT administrators have already lost hours installing the processor patch from Intel, which causes PCs to lock up and systems to crash and slow down Continue Reading

By

• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor

Sharing is caring, but is it safe?

In this guest post, Prakash Sadagopan, director of field systems engineering at F5 Networks Asia-Pacific, discusses mobile security issues and what enterprises can do to stay secure. The boom of ... Continue Reading

By

• Aaron Tan, Informa TechTarget

Security spending not on most-effective controls, report reveals

While planned spending on IT security is up globally, so too are data breaches, with evidence mounting that hackers are hitting the bottom line, a global security survey reveals Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Security Editor

Most UK organisations unaware of new data protection laws

The UK’s digital and culture secretary is urging businesses and charities to prepare for stronger data protection laws in the light of new information Continue Reading

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• Warwick Ashford, Security Editor

GDPR worries hit cloud storage investments, says survey

NetApp-sponsored survey finds lack of customer confidence in cloud service providers’ retention of GDPR-affected data has led organisations to rethink and scale back cloud investments Continue Reading

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• Antony Adshead, Storage Editor

AI is moving towards acceptance in cyber security, says Check Point

Artificial intelligence is well on its way to being a useful tool in the cyber security professional’s kit, but according to Check Point, there are still big challenges to overcome Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Sweden puts government IT outsourcing under increased scrutiny

Government introduces rules to tighten security in IT outsourcing deals following a very public data leak last year Continue Reading

By

• Eeva Haaramo

Two-thirds of startups ill-prepared for GDPR

While most startups collect personal data, a survey reveals that many are not very well prepared for compliance with the EU’s forthcoming data protection regulation Continue Reading

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• Warwick Ashford, Security Editor

NHS organisations to get cyber security alerts service

As part of a deal between NHS Digital and Microsoft, NHS organisations will be able to get a threat detection service, alerting them to any cyber security issues Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

Dark web Dream Market drives cyber fraud industry

An international operation shut down the AlphaBay and Hansa marketplaces in July 2017, but new ones have sprung up on the dark web, with one in particular helping to drive cyber fraud Continue Reading

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• Warwick Ashford, Security Editor

Do website design platforms pose too big a security risk?

Cloud-based website design platforms are booming in popularity because of their simplicity and affordability, but business security should be considered carefully when using such services Continue Reading

By

• Gamil Jassin

Intel recalls botched Spectre fix

The inventor of Linux, Linus Torvalds, vents his frustration and suggests Intel has no plans to fix Spectre flaw Continue Reading

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• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor

Mastercard sets biometric ID deadline for banks

Mastercard has committed to guaranteeing that every one of its customers will have access to biometric authentication services by April 2019 Continue Reading

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• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Thousands of critical systems affected by serious security flaws

Multiple and serious vulnerabilities have been found in a software management system widely used in corporate and industrial control environments, researchers warn Continue Reading

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• Warwick Ashford, Security Editor

Facebook offers funding to secure the internet

Facebook has announced that it is offering funding for research into ways of improving internet security Continue Reading

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• Warwick Ashford, Security Editor

New controversies as Trump passes US Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act

The amended Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, which seeks to legitimise US surveillance on foreigners, has been signed off by president Trump Continue Reading

By

• Kevin Cahill

Interview: Kaspar Korjus, Estonian e-Residency lead

As the number of people signing up to become Estonian e-residents exceeds the country’s birth rate, Computer Weekly speaks to the man heading up the programme Continue Reading

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• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Uncontrolled cyber attacks on UK cyber defenders’ radar

Uncontrolled cyber attacks are just as much a threat as targeted attacks, according to the UK’s cyber defence agency, which continues to consider a major cyber attack imminent Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Security Editor

Many councils admit they are not ready to upgrade from Windows 7

With less than two years to go before Microsoft stops supporting Windows 7, a study has found many councils may struggle to meet this deadline Continue Reading

By

• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor

China’s Yitu eyes ASEAN market with facial recognition know-how

Facial recognition software specialist Yitu, which recently won a face identification accuracy contest in the US, has already nabbed regional clients such as Singapore’s Certis Cisco Continue Reading

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• Aaron Tan, Informa TechTarget

Will banking regulations create a new Big Bang?

In this week's Computer Weekly, we look at two important new financial services regulations, PSD2 and open banking, which promise to revolutionise the industry by opening up customer data. We ask security researchers to explain the Spectre and Meltdown processor flaws and how to tackle them. And we examine the NVMe protocol and its likely benefits for storage technologies. Read the issue now. Continue Reading

Taking complexity out of cyber security

The key to improving the cyber security posture of organisations is to keep complexity at bay, according to a senior Microsoft executive Continue Reading

By

• Aaron Tan, Informa TechTarget

GDPR: Not too late to ensure real risks will be addressed

With just four months to go before the General Data Protection Regulation compliance deadline, there is a growing anxiety in many parts of the regulated community that their GDPR plans may not be fit for purpose Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Security Editor

UK urged to up spending on cyber defence

Cyber attacks that target military and civilian operations are one of the biggest threats facing the UK, according to a top military officer, but security experts say cyber defence spending must be carefully considered Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Security Editor

Almost a quarter of London businesses unaware of GDPR

Nearly one in four London businesses unaware of new data protection regulation, a survey has revealed, with just months before the compliance deadline Continue Reading

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• Warwick Ashford, Security Editor

Norwegian healthcare breach alert failed GDPR requirements

Norwegian healthcare authorities failed General Data Protection Regulation requirements for notifying those affected by a personal data breach by waiting a week before disclosing a breach discovered on 8 January 2018 Continue Reading

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• Warwick Ashford, Security Editor

Judge will take time to seek answers from EU court over Max Schrems Facebook privacy fight

The Irish High Court will take time to decide what questions to put before the European Court of Justice in a case with significant implications for EU and US trade and the privacy of EU citizens Continue Reading

By

• Bill Goodwin, Investigations Editor

Privacy International warns of global risk to citizens if Microsoft loses US data access appeal

Privacy International warns of widespread privacy violations if Microsoft loses US data access appeal Continue Reading

By

• Caroline Donnelly, Senior Editor, UK

European Parliament votes to restrict exports of surveillance equipment

European Parliament votes to tighten export controls to restrict supply of surveillance and encryption technology to states with poor human rights records amid fears British companies may not have to comply after Brexit Continue Reading

By

• Bill Goodwin, Investigations Editor

Cyber attackers exploiting trust in FTP servers

Some cyber attackers are exploiting trust in FTP servers to distribute malware, security researchers warn Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Security Editor

Powerful Zyklon malware exploiting MS Office flaws

Cyber attackers are exploiting three recently discovered vulnerabilities in Microsoft Office to spread multifunction Zyklon malware, security researchers warn Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Security Editor

The rights and wrongs about GDPR compliance

We explore some common myths surrounding the forthcoming General Data Protection Regulation Continue Reading

By

• Jimmy Desai

Create security culture to boost cyber defences, says Troy Hunt

Security suffers when there is tension between software developers and security professionals, but it is common in many organisations, says world-renowned security blogger and trainer Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Cyber attackers upped their game in 2017, warns report

Cyber attackers ranging from criminals to nation states have upped their game in the past year, “moving the needle” in terms of tactics, techniques and procedures, a report by a cyber security firm warns Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Next-gen Mirai botnet targets cryptocurrency mining operations

A variant of the Satori botnet, a successor of the IoT device hijacking Mirai botnet, is designed to hijack cryptocurrency mining operations, syphoning off newly created digital coins Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Meltdown and Spectre: to patch or not to patch

As IT recoils from the Spectre and Meltdown chip exploits, companies face patches that are incompatible, leading to crashes, reduced performance and lock-ups Continue Reading

By

• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor

Business needs to reduce cyber threat to payment card data

Cardholder data is a prime target for cyber criminals, and that is only likely to increase in the coming year, according to a cloud-based secure payments firm Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

North Korean hackers tied to cryptocurrency attacks in South Korea

North Korea's Lazarus Group targeted South Korean cryptocurrency exchanges and users in late 2017, but may soon go after exchanges and users in other countries, warns report Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Davos: Disintegration of the internet could create economic turmoil

Politicians and business leaders will discuss the risks posed by fake news, cyber attacks, and artificial intelligence to jobs, political stability and global security, at the World Economic Forum in Davos Continue Reading

By

• Bill Goodwin, Investigations Editor

Vulnerability exploit report shows importance of patching

Latest vulnerability exploit report by security firm AlienVault shows the most popular vulnerabilities remain exploited for several years Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

LeakedSource operator could face up to 10 years in jail

Canadian man accused of selling stolen identities and passwords on website Continue Reading

By

• Zach Emmanuel, Computer Weekly

Sweden pilots surveillance technology to combat terrorism and crime

The Swedish police and security agencies are trialling surveillance equipment to help them respond to terrorism and crime more quickly Continue Reading

By

• Gerard O'Dwyer