IT security

US jails LulzSec hacker Cody Kretsinger

The US has jailed a member of hacktivist group LulzSec for a year for his role in breaching computer systems at Sony Pictures Entertainment in 2011 Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Conficker makes way for web-based attacks, says Microsoft

Web attacks emerge as top threat as businesses finally begin to win the battle against Conficker and other worms, says Microsoft Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

How to create a good information security policy

Information security policies provide vital support to security professionals, yet few organisations take the time to create decent policies Continue Reading

By

• Andi Scott

One man’s mission to uncover a WWII decryption machine

How Brian Randell unlocked the secrets of Colossus, the world’s first programmable computer. Continue Reading

By

• Caroline Baldwin, Freelance editor and journalist

Anonymous hacks North Korean websites for a second time

Members of the Anonymous hacktivist collective claim to have again hacked several prominent North Korean websites Continue Reading

Google reaches deal with EU competition authorities

Google has reportedly reached a deal with European Union (EU) competition authorities over concerns about its business practices Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Google has another go at allaying EU competition concerns

Google has submitted a fresh set of proposals to address European concerns about its business practices and avoid punitive action Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Bots and web apps among top threats to data security, says Check Point

Bots, viruses, breaches and attacks are a constant and real threat to the information security of organisations Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Windows XP end of support: What to do next

CIOs may not wish to carry on running a 12-year-old desktop OS, but thousands of incompatible applications leave many with no choice Continue Reading

By

• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor

Porn websites pose malware risk, says researcher

Browsing popular pornography internet sites pose a growing risk of malware infection, according to a security researcher Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

South Korea accuses North Korea of launching cyber attacks

South Korea blames North Korea for the cyber attacks that shut down thousands of computers at broadcasters and banks two weeks ago Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Effective print security for SMBs

Analysts Louella Fernandes and Clive Longbottom discuss how integrated print management provides SMBs with a simple and scalable approach for print security. Continue Reading

Case Study: 192business switches to tokenisation to speed up business processes

Online payment card verification firm 192business uses tokenisation to speed up its processes and protect credit card details from fraud Continue Reading

US Army practises poor data security on mobile devices

Pentagon inspector general finds smartphones and tablets the US Army buys are not configured to protect sensitive data and allow remote wipe Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Anonymous threatens to declare cyber war on North Korea

Anonymous hacktivist collective has threatened North Korea with cyber war if leader Kim Jong-un does not resign and install free democracy Continue Reading

Google closer to action from European privacy regulators

Google is another step closer to action by privacy regulators across Europe for failing to change the way it manages user data Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

UK government sets up cyber security fusion cell

A cyber security “fusion cell” for cross-sector threat data sharing aims to put government, industry and information security analysts side-by-side Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Employees ignore security rules, say infosec pros

Most information security professionals believe corporate employees wilfully ignore security rules, survey at RSA Conference 2013 reveals Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Securing the hypervisor: expert tips

There are many potential security issues with the various components of a virtualised infrastructure, and nowhere is this more of a concern than with the hypervisor platforms that host virtual systems and application instances Continue Reading

By

• Dave Shackleford, Voodoo Security

Malware in counterfeit software to cost business $114bn in 2013

Dealing with malware in counterfeit software will cost global enterprises an estimated $114bn in 2013, says research firm IDC Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

How to configure Mac OS X Server

This step by step guide shows you how to configure Max OS X Server. Continue Reading

Six security issues to tackle before encrypting cloud data

Concern about security and privacy is likely to drive adoption of cloud encryption, but there are six security issues businesses should tackle Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Case study: Hamilton Fraser embraces BYOD with MobileIron

How insurance firm Hamilton Fraser is using MobileIron to enable employees to bring their own devices while following company policy Continue Reading

By

• Jennifer Scott, TechTarget

CIO Interview: Matthew Oakeley, global IT head of Schroders

Matthew Oakeley talks to Karl Flinders about his role as global IT head at investment management company Schroders Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

US authorities investigate hack of Michelle Obama and other high-profile people

US authorities are investigating hackers who allegedly stole financial information belonging to US first lady Michelle Obama Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

The Deloitte Consumer Review: A more secure customer

This report from Deloitte assesses the impact of cybercrime on consumers and offers advice to businesses on how to respond. Continue Reading

Information security trends

This report from CompTIA, based on original research, assesses the current trends in information security. Continue Reading

Phishing emails sent in pairs to lend authenticity, says training company

Phishing emails are now being deployed in pairs to create the illusion of authenticity, says security awareness training company PhishMe Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Microsoft releases four critical security updates

Microsoft is to release four “critical” patches in its monthly Patch Tuesday security update, according to the advance notice. Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Territorial Army on the hunt for information assurance professionals

TA to recruit IT security professionals into the Royal Signals to strengthen cyber operations Continue Reading

By

• Kayleigh Bateman, Computer Weekly

What is RSA's build, buy, partner strategy?

Computer Weekly takes a closer look at RSA's build, buy, partner strategy Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

The security risk sweeping Europe

Never have we been so open about the information we share online, without so little concern for our privacy. Social media can be a threat to a company, not just to what information an employee chooses to disclose, but because social media sites are prime targets for cybercrime. In this issue of CW Europe read how the increase in social media usage has created new privacy concerns for businesses. Continue Reading

Enterprise Security Architecture – an outsourcer's view

Alan Jenkins, chief security officer of outsourcing specialist, T Systems, explains the company's approach to enterprise security architecture. Continue Reading

Enterprise Security Architecture

Mark Brown, Director for Advisory Risk & Information Security at Ernst & Young offers advice to security leaders on developing a robust Enterprise Security Architecture. Continue Reading

Security the future: Keeping up with the business

Gareth Lindahl-Wise, group information security manager at British American Tobacco, explains the company's approach to enterprise security architecture. Continue Reading

How to tackle big data from a security point of view

Before leaping into big data, companies must be clear what they are trying to achieve, otherwise their investment will be wasted Continue Reading

By

• Peter Wood, First Base Technologies LLP

How to configure Mac OS X Server

How to secure Mac OS X Server using global password policies and data loss prevention Continue Reading

By

• Rob Buckley

RSA 2013: Suppliers need to prepare for new security vulnerability handling standards

Software makers and online service providers need to prepare for two ISO standards on vulnerability handling processes due by the end of 2013 Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

350,000 different types of spam SMS messages were targeted at mobile users in 2012

350,000 different variants of unsolicited spam SMS messages were accounted for in 2012, with 53,000 variants logged for December alone Continue Reading

By

• Caroline Baldwin, Freelance editor and journalist

Health records should be protected like bank details, says BCS

The BCS and NHS say people should protect their online medical records in the same way they look after their bank details Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

RSA 2013: Obama cyber order will have significant effect, says DoHS

President Barack Obama’s executive order on cybersecurity is a “very big deal” says Mark Weatherford, deputy under-secretary for cybersecurity at the US Department of Homeland Security (DoHS). Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Virtualization Security: Protecting Virtualized Environments

This extract from the book Virtualization Security, includes a 30% discount for Computer Weekly readers. Continue Reading

Music companies critical of Google’s anti-piracy efforts

Music companies have accused Google of failing to fulfil a pledge not to give prominent rankings in search results to websites offering illegal music downloads. Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

The Demise in Effectiveness of Signature and Heuristic Based Antivirus

Anti-virus technology is failing to protect organisations from malicious attacks. Security professionals should look at alternative strategies, the NNC group argues in this report. Continue Reading

Bad outsourcing decisions cause 63% of data breaches

Bad outsourcing decisions nearly two-thirds of data breaches investigated by security firm Trustwave in the past year Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

How to find the most vulnerable systems on your internal network

Most corporate networks share common vulnerabilities, but many could be mitigated with education in “hacker thinking” for technical staff Continue Reading

By

• Peter Wood, First Base Technologies LLP

IT expert in Microsoft monopoly case faces £2.5m legal fight

A computer expert who advised the European Commission in its investigation into anti-competitive behaviour by Microsoft faces £2.5bn legal battle Continue Reading

By

• Bill Goodwin, Computer Weekly

Social media: A security challenge and opportunity

Generation Y workers are posing increasing security challenges to their employers as they share data unreservedly Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

EU cyber strategy aimed at boosting preparedness and cooperation

The European cyber security strategy addresses insufficient national preparedness and boosting co-operation in the region, says the EC Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Business avoids cloud over fear of government snooping

Almost half of IT professionals are deterred from keeping sensitive data in the cloud because of fear of government intervention and possible legal action, a survey has revealed Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Technology in the dock

In this issue of CW Europe we take a look at tablet security, through a range of case studies, highlighting the benefits and downfalls of mobile computing. You will also find information about the European Parliament’s decision to provide a new single patent law regulation and one court to cover intentions across the continent. Continue Reading

Twitter strengthens login security after hacker attack

Days after a hacking attack, it has emerged that Twitter plans to strengthen its login security with two-factor authentication Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Twitter resets a quarter of a million accounts after hacker attack

Twitter has reset the passwords of 250,000 accounts after detecting and shutting down a hacker attack last week. Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Why has NAC, like DLP, failed to take off?

Why are organisations not investing in systems that are designed to keep malicious actors out of their networks? Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

IT Security Purchasing Intentions 2013 - Europe

TechTarget surveyed 250+ IT pros about security media purchasing in Europe. Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Encryption is safe bet, says SafeNet

Encryption is the only thing that can give peace of mind to CIOs and CISOs, says Dave Hansen, president and CEO of security firm SafeNet Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

ICO hits Sony with £250,000 data breach penalty

The Information Commissioner’s office (ICO) has fined Sony Computer Entertainment Europe £250,000 for breaching the Data Protection Act Continue Reading

BYOD: People pay for devices to use for work

Over half of employees buy their own devices for work use, according to new report from mobile device management specialist Good Technology Continue Reading

By

• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor

Why has DLP never taken off?

Why is data loss prevention (DLP) technology not being adopted if it provides the very protection most businesses need? Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Security visualisation

This article is guideline of how to generate a visual representation of a given dataset and use in the evaluation of known security vulnerabilities Continue Reading

Oracle rushes out patches for Java zero days

Oracle has released two out-of-band security updates for the latest zero day vulnerabilities in Java Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Disable Java to protect from latest zero-day

Security researchers are warning of a zero-day vulnerability in all versions of Java, including the latest Java 7 update 10 Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Software piracy international in scope, says Fast

The scale of software piracy is both international in scope and military in its execution, says the Federation Against Software Theft (Fast) Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

UK Border Agency tenders for security systems

The UK Border Agency (UKBA) and Border Force is tendering for an integrated border security system Continue Reading

By

• Kathleen Hall, TechTarget

Misuse of social media could wreak havoc, warns World Economic Forum

The rapid spread of false information through social media poses a growing threat to business and society, the World Economic Forum has warned Continue Reading

By

• Bill Goodwin, Computer Weekly

Parliamentary commission calls for electrified banking ring fence

A parliamentary report on plans to separate retail and investment banking calls for legislation to prevent breaches of the ring fence Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Ernst & Young email keyword analysis identifies fraudsters

Fraud investigators have revealed the most common words used in email conversations by employees engaged in rogue trading and fraud Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Business priorities: what to protect, monitor and test

How information security professionals can prioritise what to protect, monitor and test in the light of current budget and resource constraints Continue Reading

Top 10 cyber crime stories of 2012

Ten articles that illustrate some of the major trends in cyber crime in 2012 Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Shore up your organisation’s fleet with the right MDM

There are many mobile device management products, but approaches vary. We outline how to choose the right one for your business Continue Reading

By

• Adrian Bridgwater

Mazars outsources access management

Global accountancy firm Mazars has outsourced the management of access to Oracle and Sharepoint applications for 6000 global staff Continue Reading

Securing Macs in the enterprise

A Mac can be more secure than Windows, yet just as insecure; it is harder to configure, easier to use; will not fit in the enterprise, but does not need to. Continue Reading

By

• Rob Buckley

How to preserve forensic evidence in the golden hour after a breach

There is a golden hour at the outset where a clear head and good planning can make or break any subsequent forensic investigation Continue Reading

By

• Martin Roots, NIIP

Ghost Shell hacktivists publish over a million credentials

The Ghost Shell group, an offshoot of the Anonymous hacking collective has published the log-in details from 1.6 million accounts Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

UK CIOs see EU regulation as key

A third of UK CIOs are more concerned with EU regulation, such as the data protection directive, than their own local laws, a study has revealed. Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Audits and compliance requirements for cloud computing

Even as India Inc experiments with the cloud, security concerns play spoilsport. These cloud computing audit and compliance tips will make your journey easier. Continue Reading

By

• Narendra Sahoo, Vista Infosec

UK government jobs website exploited by hackers

Hackers have been able to exploit security flaws in a new government jobs website to steal personal information about job applicants Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Highlights from PwC’s State of Information Security Survey, India 2013

We bring you excerpts from PwC’s India survey on the state of information security as part of this photofeature. Continue Reading

By

• SearchSecurity.in staff

How to secure Macs in the enterprise

Apple computers are becoming increasingly used in the enterprise - we look at how to securely introduce Macs in the corporate network Continue Reading

By

• Rob Buckley

VMworld Europe Case Study: Bull SAS

Bull SAS collaborated with suppliers to build a private cloud platform capable of keeping sensitive data secure. Continue Reading

2012 Cost of Cyber Crime Study: UK

The 2012 Cost of Cyber Crime Study: United Kingdom is independently conducted by Ponemon Institute. The benchmark study, sponsored by HP Enterprise Security is based on a representative sample of 38 organisations in various industry sectors. Continue Reading

IT Security Purchasing Intentions 2013

This in-depth research from Computer Weekly and TechTarget reveals the IT security spending priorities of businesses in the UK and Europe. Continue Reading

Zero-day exploit for Yahoo Mail goes on sale

Hacker sells $700 zero-day exploit for Yahoo Mail that allows attacker to use cross-site scripting vulnerability to steal cookies and hijack accounts Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Security needs to be integral part of life, says McAfee

The world is becoming increasingly connected and security and privacy are integral to modern society, says Raj Samani, CTO of McAfee Europe Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Deception, proactive defenses can better protect IP, says expert

Deceptive environments, phony data in the enterprise can fool attackers and increase the cost of hacking, says noted cybersecurity expert Paul Kurtz. Continue Reading

By

• Robert Westervelt, TechTarget

Cyber criminals target Skype, Facebook and Windows users

Cyber criminals targeted users of Skype, Facebook and Windows using multiple Blackhole exploits in October, according to security firm GFI Software Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Nasa to encrypt data after latest breach

Nasa is to encrypt all its mobile computers after the loss of a laptop containing personal information about more than 10,000 staff Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Many UK firms underestimate cost of data breaches, study finds

Many UK organisations are still failing to understand the implications and costs of data breaches, a study has revealed Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Mobile Security Strategies

This exclusive report for Computer Weekly members explains the security risks and challenges of using mobile devices in the enterprise. Continue Reading

Secure your data – protect your business

This guide for C-level executives explains the risks faced by businesses and the practical solutions they can take to secure their data. Continue Reading

The Global State of Information Security Survey 2013: Key Findings

This global study examines the state of cyber-security and the impact of cyber crime and offers advice to businesses on reducing the risks. Continue Reading

Hacking attempts to top one billion in Q4, predicts NCC Group

One billion hacking attempts will be made globally in the final quarter of 2012, according to information assurance firm NCC Group Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Gartner: BYOD will encourage self-support

Self-support communities will offset the cost and manpower of providing a helpdesk for staff who use their own devices, according to Gartner Continue Reading

By

• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor

Twitter apologises for unnecessary hacking warnings

Twitter has apologised after telling members their accounts had been hacked and forcing them to reset their passwords Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Stuxnet hit Chevron’s systems, the energy giant admits

US energy giant Chevron has revealed that it was hit by the Stuxnet virus in 2010 Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Maltego and advanced exploit writing: The PDF tutorial collection

Right from how to write advanced custom exploits to perform reconnaissance using Maltego, you can find it all in this comprehensive PDF tutorial collection. Continue Reading

By

• SearchSecurity.in Staff

Police arrest man for DDoS attacks on Theresa May sites

Police have arrested a 41-year-old man in connection with a cyber attack on websites connected to home secretary Theresa May Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Apple iOS 6.0.1 update fixes four security holes

iOS platform gets an update to 6.0.1 to fix security and stability problems. WebKit holes and kernel faults list among Apple’s list of patched bugs. Continue Reading

By

• SearchSecurity.in Staff

Using ESAPI to fix XSS in your Java code

Customized validation routines are the norm in Indian organizations for fixing vulnerabilities. OWASP’s ESAPI framework may prove to be a better option. Continue Reading

By

• Celia Rexselin Aloysius, Contributor

Parliamentary committee joins criticism of draft communications data bill

Home secretary Theresa May faced stern criticism before a Parliamentary committee hearing evidence on the Draft Communications Data Bill Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst