IT security

Ransomware was most popular cyber crime tool in 2017

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

By

• 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

By

• 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

By

• 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

By

• 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

By

• 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

By

• 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

By

• 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

By

• 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

By

• 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

By

• 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

By

• 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

By

• 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

By

• 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

Skygofree Android spyware active since 2014, say researchers

Powerful, highly advanced spyware has been targeting Android mobiles for the past four years, security researchers have discovered Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Beware fake Meltdown and Spectre patches

Security experts have warned that cyber attackers will be quick to use the Meltdown and Spectre exploits, but the first attempt to capitalise on them has come in the form of fake updates Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

How to fix the Meltdown and Spectre chip flaws

In this week’s Computer Weekly, as CIOs come to terms with the Meltdown and Spectre processor flaws that make every computer a security risk, we examine how to protect your IT estate. We find out how Alexa-style voice recognition smart speakers can help with CRM strategies and open up new sources of customer data. And we look at how the public sector is implementing DevOps and the benefits being delivered. Read the issue now. Continue Reading

Most UK enterprise mobiles not patched for Meltdown and Spectre

Very few UK enterprise mobile devices have been patched against the recently discovered Meltdown and Spectre exploits and almost a quarter cannot be patched, a study shows Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Meltdown and Spectre a big deal for enterprises

Although consumers are relatively unaffected by the recently disclosed security vulnerabilities in most modern processors, enterprises need to take the threat seriously. Computer Weekly looks at how enterprise IT and security professionals should be approaching these threats Continue Reading

Why GDPR is great for SMEs

SME laggards facing potential fines for non-compliance should wake up and smell the tasty carrot of a leaner, smarter business post-GDPR Continue Reading

IT Priorities 2018: Growing interest in hybrid IT in ASEAN

CIOs and IT professionals in Southeast Asia have earmarked hybrid infrastructure as a top priority in 2018, in spite of waning interest across the wider Asia-Pacific region Continue Reading

By

• Aaron Tan, Informa TechTarget

London cyber security careers fair highlights opportunities

A cyber security careers fair in London on 17 January 2018 is aimed at anyone thinking of a career in the field, including experienced professionals and students Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Ohio computer programmer faces 16 criminal charges over monitoring thousands of computers

A 28-year-old computer expert has been charged for monitoring thousands of computers, using a form of malware he created Continue Reading

By

• Zach Emmanuel, Computer Weekly

Spectre of IT vulnerability looms large

In some ways the Meltdown and Spectre flaws represent a risk that goes to the very heart of computing. This microprocessor flaw has resulted in major network, server, PC and mobile hardware firms ... Continue Reading

By

• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor

Why GDPR is great for SMEs

SME laggards facing potential fines for non-compliance should wake up and smell the tasty carrot of a leaner, smarter business post-GDPR Continue Reading

By

• Jim Mortleman

Call for statutory regulation of police number plate cameras amid concerns over accuracy

The UK’s automatic number plate recognition database – one the largest non-military data-gathering systems – records up to 1.2 million false readings of number plates every day. It should be subject to statutory regulation, says an independent watchdog Continue Reading

By

• Bill Goodwin, Investigations Editor

Check Point finds AdultSwine malware in Google Play apps

Security researchers have discovered new malware code hidden in game apps, mainly aimed at youngsters Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Intel makes security-first pledge

As it scrambles to deal with the Meltdown and Spectre processor exploits, Intel has made a series of security commitments Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

F-Secure highlights another critical Intel security issue

As Intel scrambles to issue security updates to address the Meltdown and Spectre exploits, researchers have highlighted another, unrelated, critical security issue that could affect millions of corporate laptops Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

How secure are smart energy grids?

The improved efficiency of smart grids need to be weighed against the cost of security - presenting a unique opportunity for the tech sector and a new market for security companies Continue Reading

By

• Peter Ray Allison

Mobile app flaws are a risk to industrial IT systems, says report

Cyber security vulnerabilities in mobile applications could be exploited to compromise industrial network infrastructure, a report warns Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

CES 2018: Hyundai and Cisco bring SDN to the automobile

Hyundai will debut a new generation of hyperconnected software-defined car in 2019, incorporating a Cisco-designed network platform Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Spyware targets North Korean dissidents via social links, says McAfee

Researchers at security firm McAfee have confirmed that social networks are being used to target North Korean dissidents with spyware Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

CW Middle East: Technology transforms healthcare delivery in Gulf region

The Gulf’s healthcare sector has witnessed exponential growth in the past two decades, driven by a rapidly growing population and a rise in lifestyle-related diseases. Read how technology is helping the region’s healthcare sector cope with demand. Also in this issue, find out how an initiative at Avaya hopes to use blockchain networks to help make the citizens of Dubai happy, and how the Dubai Electricity and Water Authority’s smart transformation is progressing. Continue Reading

Nuclear weapons’ cyber attack risk relatively high, says report

With the potential for catastrophic consequences from a nuclear weapons detonation attack, it is crucial to have the most robust nuclear policies in place, says an international affairs think-tank Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

EC underlines need for data transfer agreement post-Brexit

The European Commission has emphasised the importance of having a data transfer agreement in place after the UK leaves the European Union Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Cyber criminals exploit Oracle WebLogic flaw

Researchers are urging companies to apply a security update to patch a flaw in Oracle’s WebLogic Server component that is being exploited to mine cryptocurrency Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Margot James takes over as digital minister after government reshuffle

Former minister for business succeeds Matt Hancock after his promotion to secretary of state Continue Reading

By

• Bryan Glick, Editor in chief

UAE tech growth prompts firms to review internal IT security

As IT becomes more prominent in the UAE economy, more and more internal connections between people and systems are created, all of which need to be secured Continue Reading

By

• Alicia Buller

ICO fines Carphone Warehouse £400,000

Mobile retailer hit with one of the highest fines for putting personal data at risk as UK privacy watchdog warns that more stringent data protection laws will apply from 25 May 2018 Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Spectre: How reverse-engineering a microprocessor revealed a fundamental flaw

Researchers have published their work on Spectre, a flaw that affects every modern CPU. We find out what went wrong from one of the engineers Continue Reading

By

• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor

Max Schrems champions NGO to fight for GDPR rights

Privacy activist whose legal challenge of Facebook led to the scrapping of the Safe Harbour Agreement says crowdfunding a new type of non-government organisation is essential to deliver privacy rights Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Meltdown and Spectre: Making a case for greater public cloud use

The Meltdown and Spectre CPU vulnerabilities constitute the greatest test yet of the public cloud provider community’s data security claims, says Caroline Donnelly, while providing enterprise IT ... Continue Reading

By

• Caroline Donnelly, Senior Editor, UK

Meltdown and Spectre a big deal for enterprises

Although consumers are relatively unaffected by the recently disclosed security vulnerabilities in most modern processors, enterprises need to take the threat seriously. Computer Weekly looks at how enterprise IT and security professionals should be approaching these threats Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Hold The Front Page: Common Sense Prevails In IT Security Shock!

IT is overloaded with slick marketing terms that have little or no substance behind them – the classic “solution searching for a problem” scenario but… just occasionally the complete opposite prevails Continue Reading

By

• Steve Broadhead, Broadband Testing

Countdown to GDPR

In this week’s Computer Weekly, with the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) coming in to force this year, we look at the challenges for businesses to comply by the 25 May deadline. We examine the future for HPE as CEO Meg Whitman steps down. And we find out how the move to hyper-converged systems affects your backup strategy. Read the issue now. Continue Reading

Cyber attacks in 2017 drive Nordic security efforts

The volume of cyber attacks last year has increased boardroom focus on security in the Nordic region Continue Reading

By

• Eeva Haaramo

Intel to set up new group to focus on hardware security

Chip maker is reportedly planning to form a new group to focus on hardware security as it scrambles to limit the impact of recently discovered security flaws in chip designs Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Top UK and US firms still overestimating GDPR readiness

Less than five months before the compliance deadline for the EU’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), most top UK and US firms are still overestimating their state of readiness, a study suggests Continue Reading

Sweden steps up cyber defence measures

Sweden is tightening up its cyber security defences as part of a wider national security strategy Continue Reading

By

• Gerard O'Dwyer

Florida warns 30,000 medical records may have been exposed

The health agency in the US state of Florida has warned that the records of up to 30,000 Medicaid patients may have been exposed when the agency’s IT systems were breached Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Get tooled up to meet GDPR requirements

We look at options for tools to help organisations comply with the EU’s General Data Protection Regulation Continue Reading

By

• Renee Murphy

IT Priorities 2018: ANZ ups ante on cloud services and software

Organisations in Australia and New Zealand are bullish on IT spending, particularly in cloud infrastructure services, cloud applications and all-flash storage arrays Continue Reading

By

• Aaron Tan, Informa TechTarget

Patch systems against Meltdown and Spectre, urges ICO

UK’s data protection watchdog is calling for organisations to apply security updates to mitigate against exploits of microprocessor flaws as soon as possible to safeguard personal data Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

2018 could be year of critical infrastructure attacks, says report

The coming year is likely to see an increase in the number of cyber attacks on critical national infrastructure (CNI), according to a report based on experts’ forecasts Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Apple confirms all devices affected by Meltdown and Spectre

Apple has confirmed that all iPhones, iPads and Mac computers are affected by the recently discovered microprocessor exploits as the financial services industry assesses the risk Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Plugging Singapore’s cyber security skills gap

Some 20 teams of cyber security industry professionals and tertiary students in Singapore pitted their skills against one another in a competition aimed at plugging the cyber security skills gap in ... Continue Reading

By

• Aaron Tan, Informa TechTarget

Zero in on your zero-day vulnerabilities

A zero-day attack comes, by definition, out of the blue. You cannot predict its nature or assess how much damage it might cause, but you can take some basic steps to protect yourself from a potentially crippling cyber strike Continue Reading

By

• Graeme Park

Meltdown and Spectre: AWS, Google and Microsoft rush to patch cloud chip flaws

Amazon, Google and Microsoft rush to fix chip flaws that could leave cloud customers at risk of having their data accessed or stolen by other users Continue Reading

By

• Caroline Donnelly, Senior Editor, UK

Critical Intel security patch will slow PCs, servers and Macs

AMD shares rise on news that the performance of millions of Windows PCs, Linux servers and Apple Macs is to be impacted by critical updates for a recently discovered security flaw in Intel chips manufactured in the past 10 years Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

What the EU’s new data protection regime means for ASEAN

A large proportion of businesses in the regional economic grouping will be affected by Europe’s General Data Protection Regulation, but awareness of the new rules remains low, even in countries with existing data protection laws Continue Reading

By

• Aaron Tan, Informa TechTarget

IoT botnet DDoS attacks predicted after exploit code published

Security researchers are urging businesses to ensure they are prepared for large-scale DDoS attacks following the online publication of code to exploit a vulnerability in Huawei HG532 routers Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Top IT priorities for Nordic CIOs in 2018

Nordic CIOs tell Computer Weekly about their intentions for the year ahead Continue Reading

By

• Eeva Haaramo

Top UK and US firms still overestimating GDPR readiness

Less than five months before the compliance deadline for the EU’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), most top UK and US firms are still overestimating their state of readiness, a study suggests Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Ransomware to hit cloud computing in 2018, predicts MIT

Ransomware targeting cloud services is one of the six biggest cyber threats likely to face organisations in 2018, according to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Top 10 Australia IT stories of 2017

Australia capped the year with a slew of game-changing technology initiatives, from bolstering its supercomputing infrastructure and productivity of police officers to outlining an ambitious space programme Continue Reading

By

• Aaron Tan, Informa TechTarget

Antimalware software: How can Windows 10 disable it?

Kaspersky Lab recently accused Windows 10 of acting as an antivirus block to third-party antimalware software. Discover how your software is being blocked and how this can be fixed. Continue Reading

By

• Nick Lewis

Top 10 IT security stories of 2017

Here are Computer Weekly's top 10 IT security stories of 2017 Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Top 10 cyber crime stories of 2017

Here are Computer Weekly’s top 10 cyber crime stories of 2017 Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

UK government blames North Korea for WannaCry cyber attack

The UK and US governments say a North Korean group was responsible for the ransomware attacks that hit the NHS and other organisations globally this year Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

On digital identity in the UK - and the likely future for Gov.uk Verify

Did you know the UK government has a minister for identity? It’s Baroness Susan Williams, whose full responsibilities go under the grander title of minister of state for countering extremism. ... Continue Reading

By

• Bryan Glick, Editor in chief