Privacy and data protection
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News
15 Mar 2024
London Mayor’s Office reprimanded over data breach
The London Mayor’s Office has been reprimanded by the ICO after an internal error exposed the data of people who had made complaints against the Metropolitan Police Continue Reading
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News
14 Mar 2024
Questions raised over NHS deletion of thousands of emails during whistleblower tribunal
NHS doctor Chris Day has won the right to challenge a tribunal ruling that found no procedural unfairness when an NHS trust deleted thousands of emails. The case that raises wider questions about the use of electronic evidence Continue Reading
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News
15 Mar 2024
London Mayor’s Office reprimanded over data breach
The London Mayor’s Office has been reprimanded by the ICO after an internal error exposed the data of people who had made complaints against the Metropolitan Police Continue Reading
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News
14 Mar 2024
Questions raised over NHS deletion of thousands of emails during whistleblower tribunal
NHS doctor Chris Day has won the right to challenge a tribunal ruling that found no procedural unfairness when an NHS trust deleted thousands of emails. The case that raises wider questions about the use of electronic evidence Continue Reading
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News
13 Mar 2024
US authorities move a step closer to banning TikTok
Lawmakers in Washington DC have moved a step closer to enacting a broad national ban on controversial video app TikTok in the US, with global ramifications Continue Reading
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Podcast
11 Mar 2024
Podcast: Immutable storage essential against ransomware, but...
...not all immutable storage is created equal. That’s the message from Paul Speciale of Scality, who looks at immutable storage, its variants and what’s needed to secure data Continue Reading
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News
11 Mar 2024
Dutch organisations vulnerable to deepfake fraud
With the information many employees share on social media, Dutch companies are especially vulnerable to a new form of fraud Continue Reading
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News
07 Mar 2024
PSNI chief denies ‘industrial’ use of surveillance powers against journalists
PSNI chief constable John Boutcher has agreed to provide a report on police surveillance of journalists and lawyers to Northern Ireland’s policing watchdog Continue Reading
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News
07 Mar 2024
NI Policing Board pressed to open inquiry into PSNI spying on journalists’ phones
Amnesty International and the Committee on the Administration of Justice have asked Northern Ireland’s policing watchdog to open an inquiry into the Police Service of Northern Ireland’s use of surveillance powers against journalists Continue Reading
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News
06 Mar 2024
Apple patches zero-days amid ‘foundational’ post-quantum update
Apple’s iOS 17.4 update not only fixes zero-day flaws that are being actively exploited, but includes important new security protocols to safeguard users against future attacks Continue Reading
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News
05 Mar 2024
ALPHV/BlackCat gang vanishes amid ransomware ‘turmoil’
Mystery surrounds the apparent disappearance of the ALPHV/BlackCat cyber crime gang amid reports that a prominent US victim paid a $22m ransom Continue Reading
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News
05 Mar 2024
Open Rights Group accuses LiveRamp of ‘unlawful’ data processing
Privacy campaigners at Open Rights Group have submitted formal complaints to UK and French data regulators about allegedly unlawful data processing by online advertising firm LiveRamp Continue Reading
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News
05 Mar 2024
American Express customers exposed through third-party breach
US card giant warns customers that their personal details may have been exposed after a third party experienced a systems breach Continue Reading
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News
01 Mar 2024
Fancy Bear sniffs out Ubiquiti router users
The authorities have warned users of Ubiquiti EdgeRouter products to take remedial action after a number of devices were hijacked into a malicious botnet by a Russian cyber espionage unit Continue Reading
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News
01 Mar 2024
APAC firms bullish on IT spending
More than half of organisations plan to spend more on key areas such as cyber security, generative AI and cloud in a sign of growing optimism across the region Continue Reading
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News
29 Feb 2024
Home Office GPS tagging of asylum seekers breaches data protection law
The Information Commissioner’s Office has issued an enforcement notice against the Home Office after finding its programme to tag asylum seekers with GPS monitors breaches data protection law Continue Reading
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News
29 Feb 2024
Okta doubles down on cyber in wake of high-profile breaches
Okta launches Secure Identity Commitment to shore up its technology in the wake of a damaging breach and elevate best practice around identity Continue Reading
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News
29 Feb 2024
Police arrested journalists as part of surveillance operation to identify confidential sources
Three police forces took part in surveillance operations between 2011 and 2018 to identify sources that leaked information to journalists Trevor Birney and Barry McCaffrey, the Investigatory Powers Tribunal hears Continue Reading
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News
28 Feb 2024
New version of ALPHV/BlackCat ransomware hits victims
An updated version of the ALPHV/BlackCat ransomware has been spotted in the wild amid a series of attacks on American healthcare providers, prompting a new alert from the authorities Continue Reading
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Feature
28 Feb 2024
Storage technology explained: Ransomware and storage and backup
We look at ransomware attacks, and the importance of good backup practice as well as immutable snapshots, air-gapping, network segmentation, AI anomaly detection and supplier warranties Continue Reading
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News
27 Feb 2024
Hycu uses AI to develop APIs for SaaS application backup
SaaS applications don’t usually come with built-in data protection, but Hycu plans to tackle that gap in the market with AI to generate the connectors needed to backup user data Continue Reading
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News
27 Feb 2024
Microsoft president commits to Azure open platform for AI
Brad Smith sets out Microsoft’s ambitions to make Azure the best platform to host foundational AI models, and train and run AI applications Continue Reading
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News
26 Feb 2024
Storage and backup spend in 2024 targets risk and resilience
The TechTarget and ESG spending intentions survey finds big bias towards averting risk and building organisational resilience, but on-premise storage a significant planned outlay Continue Reading
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News
23 Feb 2024
ConnectWise users see cyber attacks surge, including ransomware
ConnectWise ScreenConnect users who have yet to patch against a critical vulnerability are now being targeted by a barrage of cyber attacks, including ransomware Continue Reading
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News
21 Feb 2024
Australian data breach report highlights supply chain risks
The OAIC has called for organisations to proactively address privacy risks from outsourcing personal information handling to third parties Continue Reading
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News
21 Feb 2024
How Indian fintechs can address compliance issues
Fintechs will need to bolster their know-your-customer practices and establish self-regulatory mechanisms, among other measures, to address compliance issues that have come under the spotlight Continue Reading
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News
20 Feb 2024
LockBit locked out: Cyber community reacts
Reaction to the takedown of the LockBit ransomware gang is enthusiastic, but tempered with the knowledge that cyber criminals are often remarkably resilient Continue Reading
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News
20 Feb 2024
US extradition of Julian Assange is ‘state retaliation’ for exposing war crimes, court hears
Lawyers argue that the US extradition case against WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange is politically motivated and in is breach of the UK-US extradition treaty Continue Reading
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Definition
20 Feb 2024
Advanced Encryption Standard (AES)
The Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) is a symmetric block cipher chosen by the U.S. government to protect classified information. Continue Reading
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News
20 Feb 2024
LockBit gang members arrested in Poland and Ukraine
The UK’s National Crime Agency and its global partners have shared more details on their audacious takedown of the LockBit ransomware operation, including news of two arrests Continue Reading
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News
20 Feb 2024
Government agrees law to protect confidential journalistic material from state hacking
The government will update Investigatory Powers Act to require secret intelligence agencies to seek independent approval before accessing confidential journalistic material obtained by bulk hacking, but journalists remain vulnerable to other bulk surveillance powers Continue Reading
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News
15 Feb 2024
WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange faces last appeal against ‘political’ extradition
WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange is seeking leave to appeal against extradition to the US in a case that could have chilling implications for journalists reporting on national security Continue Reading
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News
14 Feb 2024
Microsoft: Nation-state hackers are exploiting ChatGPT
Threat actors from China, Iran, North Korea and Russia have all been probing use cases for generative AI service ChatGPT, but have yet to use such tools in a full-blown cyber attack Continue Reading
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News
14 Feb 2024
Dutch Supreme Court approves use of EncroChat evidence
Defence lawyers plan appeal to European Court of Human Rights after Supreme Court upholds a conviction based on intercepted messages from the EncroChat encrypted phone network Continue Reading
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News
14 Feb 2024
Southern Water customer data was taken in ransomware attack
Southern Water has started to contact customers whose data was stolen in a January 2024 ransomware attack on its systems Continue Reading
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News
14 Feb 2024
Met Police to scrap and replace ‘racist’ Gangs Violence Matrix
A database used by the Metropolitan Police to identify and track people linked with gang violence is being decommissioned and replaced. The decision follows a long-running controversy over its discriminatory impacts on young black people, but campaigners warn that racial discrimination will persist with new tool Continue Reading
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Podcast
14 Feb 2024
Podcast: What is the impact of AI on storage and compliance?
Start now looking at artificial intelligence compliance. That’s the advice of Mathieu Gorge of Vigitrust, who says AI governance is still immature but firms should recognise the limits and still act Continue Reading
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News
14 Feb 2024
Security experts: Investigatory powers plans will delay security updates
Cyber security experts warn that government proposals to amend the Investigatory Powers Act will limit tech companies’ ability to respond to security threats and could hamper the use of end-to-end encryption Continue Reading
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Podcast
13 Feb 2024
Podcast: What are snapshots? Can they replace backup?
We talk to Shawn Meyers, field CTO at Tintri, who defines snapshots, why they are no substitute for backups, and the effect on recovery of snapshot granularity Continue Reading
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News
13 Feb 2024
What will result from Cohesity’s Veritas acquisition?
The $7bn backup giant will leverage huge assets in enterprise customer base, compliance and governance intelligence, AI, R&D, and Kubernetes backup and storage Continue Reading
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Opinion
12 Feb 2024
Executives must face down state-sponsored hacking groups targeting firmware
State-backed groups have ratcheted up the pressure for cyber security professionals and executives. But that’s not an excuse to cede them the territory. Continue Reading
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Feature
12 Feb 2024
Trends driving cyber security in 2024
While cyber security breaches are not going away, emerging threats are driving new and innovative approaches to IT security Continue Reading
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News
08 Feb 2024
Why open data is needed in the battle to address homelessness
Centrepoint needed to send FOIs to more than 300 local authorities in England to access required information Continue Reading
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News
08 Feb 2024
Executive alleged to be behind EncroChat encrypted phone network arrested
A businessman allegedly behind EncroChat, an encrypted phone network that was used by organised crime groups, has been extradited from the Dominican Republic to France Continue Reading
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News
07 Feb 2024
NCSC warns CNI operators over ‘living-off-the-land’ attacks
Malicious, state-backed actors may well be lurking in the UK’s most critical networks right now, and their operators may not even know until it is too late, warn the NCSC and its partners Continue Reading
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News
07 Feb 2024
Dozens of surveillance companies are supplying spyware to governments, says Google
Google’s Threat Analysis Group has identified 40 companies involved in selling and supplying security exploits and spyware services to governments Continue Reading
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News
07 Feb 2024
How Iranian cyber ops pivoted to target Israel after 7 October attacks
Microsoft has shared new intelligence on how Iranian government-aligned threat actors have turned their fire on Israel over the past four months Continue Reading
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News
07 Feb 2024
South Staffs Water faces group action over Clop ransomware attack
South Staffordshire Plc, the parent company of South Staffordshire and Cambridge Water, is facing legal action from customers whose data was compromised in a 2022 Clop ransomware attack Continue Reading
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Definition
07 Feb 2024
encryption
Encryption is the method by which information is converted into secret code that hides the information's true meaning. Continue Reading
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News
07 Feb 2024
AI ID specialist Onfido in talks to be bought by Entrust
UK-based cyber unicorn Onfido agrees to enter talks to be acquired by Entrust Continue Reading
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News
06 Feb 2024
UK’s McPartland Cyber Review to probe trust in technology
The UK government has launched a cyber security review that will investigate how best to give businesses the confidence they need to use new technologies Continue Reading
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News
06 Feb 2024
Inquiry to explore cyber risk to Sunak-Starmer showdown
The UK’s Joint Committee on National Security Strategy is opening an inquiry into securing the democratic process ahead of the next general election Continue Reading
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News
06 Feb 2024
UK and France push for international agreement on spyware
The UK and France are hosting diplomats, big tech companies and civil society groups, in a two-day conference in London targeting the proliferation of spyware tools and ‘hackers for hire’ Continue Reading
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E-Zine
06 Feb 2024
Generative AI – an early adopter’s experience
In this week’s Computer Weekly, as IT leaders start to implement GenAI in their organisations, we look at the experiences of one early adopter. Our latest buyer’s guide examines the key security trends for 2024. And Microsoft’s head of identity talks about a future without passwords. Read the issue now. Continue Reading
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Feature
05 Feb 2024
IT security strategy: Assessing the risks of generative AI
Most industry watchers see 2024 as the year when generative AI and large language models will begin moving into enterprise IT Continue Reading
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Feature
02 Feb 2024
UK police facial recognition explained: What you need to know
In this essential guide, Computer Weekly looks at the use of facial recognition technology by UK police forces, including the points of contention around its deployment so far and where it’s heading next Continue Reading
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News
01 Feb 2024
Welsh workers’ AI experiences shaped by uneven power dynamics
Workers in Wales are being negatively affected by the unregulated introduction of artificial intelligence into workplaces due to asymmetric power dynamics Continue Reading
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Definition
31 Jan 2024
consumer data
Consumer data is the information that organizations collect from individuals who use internet-connected platforms, including websites, social media networks, mobile apps, text messaging apps or email systems. Continue Reading
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30 Jan 2024
Chat control: Tech companies warn ministers over EU encryption plans
Tech companies have written to EU ministers to urge them to back the European Parliament, rather than the European Commission, over proposed regulations to police child abuse. Continue Reading
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E-Zine
30 Jan 2024
Tech companies warn EU over encryption plans
In this week’s Computer Weekly, tech companies are calling on the European Commission to rethink plans to weaken internet encryption – we explore the issues. We talk to credit rating agency Moody’s about why it thinks now is the time to start investing in quantum computing. And we examine how a different approach to recruitment could ease the datacentre sector skills gap. Read the issue now. Continue Reading
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News
29 Jan 2024
Lords question legality of police facial recognition
Lords committee ‘deeply concerned’ about the rapid expansion of live facial recognition by UK police, which it says is progressing without any real oversight or accountability Continue Reading
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Feature
29 Jan 2024
What developers need to know about LLMs in the enterprise
We look at the main areas enterprise developers need to consider when building, testing and deploying enterprise applications powered by large language models Continue Reading
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Opinion
26 Jan 2024
Security Think Tank: Expect more from GenAI in 2024
But 2024 also feels slightly different; the past 12 months have seen generative AI burst on to the scene, and this year its impact will continue to be felt, says Turnkey Consulting's Harshini Carey. Continue Reading
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Opinion
26 Jan 2024
Quantum, AI and geopolitical conflict: '24 will be a big year for cyber
With big trends like quantum, generative AI and geopolitical conflict, 2024 looks set to be a big year in security, but defenders have an unparalleled opportunity to harness these trends for good, says Quorum's Federico Charosky Continue Reading
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News
26 Jan 2024
Akira ransomware gang claims Lush cyber attack
The Akira ransomware gang claims to have stolen over 100GB of data from cosmetics manufacturer and retailer Lush Continue Reading
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Opinion
26 Jan 2024
Security Think Tank: What to expect in cyber this year
Risk arising from insecure generative AI, an explosion in mainstream acceptance of zero-trust, and increasingly tight cyber insurance policies will all be high on the agenda in 2024, writes Forrester senior analyst Alla Valente Continue Reading
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Opinion
26 Jan 2024
Bulk sender authentication: More vital than ever
With new guidelines from Google and Yahoo governing bulk emails coming into force in February 2024, here's what you need to know to keep your sales and marketing lists compliant Continue Reading
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Definition
24 Jan 2024
encryption key management
Encryption key management is the practice of generating, organizing, protecting, storing, backing up and distributing encryption keys. Continue Reading
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News
24 Jan 2024
WebKit vulnerability sparks Apple’s first major security update of 2024
A zero-day in the open source WebKit browser engine that powers Safari has sparked Apple’s first major patch roll-out of the new year Continue Reading
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News
24 Jan 2024
Southern Water confirms cyber attack after Black Basta claims
Southern Water, which supplies millions of customers in southeast England, has confirmed it has fallen victim to a cyber attack, although its services appear to be running normally Continue Reading
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News
24 Jan 2024
AI will heighten global ransomware threat, says NCSC
The benefits of artificial intelligence to cyber criminals being well-known, the NCSC now assesses it’s likely AI will soon be widely used to enhance ransomware attacks Continue Reading
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Podcast
23 Jan 2024
Podcast: Storage and compliance outlook for 2024
Interesting times ahead in 2024 as we talk to Mathieu Gorge, CEO of Vigitrust, about updates to EU regs, PCI, NIST, post-Brexit divergence and 60 national elections across the globe Continue Reading
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News
23 Jan 2024
Leak of 26 billion records may prove to be ‘mother of all breaches’
The discovery of a dataset comprising 26 billion stolen records may prove to be record-breaking in both its size and the danger it poses to ordinary people Continue Reading
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News
23 Jan 2024
SEC bitcoin hack was result of SIM-swapping
A cyber attack on the US financial regulator earlier in January 2024 occurred after hackers took over one of its mobile phone accounts in a so-called SIM-swapping attack Continue Reading
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News
22 Jan 2024
Chat control: Tech companies warn ministers over EU encryption plans
Tech companies have written to EU ministers to urge them to back the European Parliament, rather than the European Commission, over proposed regulations to police child abuse Continue Reading
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News
19 Jan 2024
ICO prompts confusion over police cloud legality
The UK data regulator has suggested that, despite major data protection concerns, it is likely to greenlight police cloud deployments because of an information-sharing agreement with the US government Continue Reading
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News
19 Jan 2024
Neighbouring Kent councils hit by simultaneous cyber attacks
Canterbury, Dover and Thanet Councils in Kent have all been struck by simultaneous cyber attacks knocking systems offline, with indications of a link between all three Continue Reading
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Opinion
18 Jan 2024
Powering up cyber security defences with AI
AI holds great promise when it comes to securing valuable, and vulnerable, data, but security teams face some challenges if they are to get the best out of it, writes IBM’s Christopher Meenan Continue Reading
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Feature
17 Jan 2024
Cloud-to-cloud backup: What it is and why you (probably) need it
Basic cloud data protection is just not enough. Several loopholes leave business data vulnerable and that means additional cloud-to-cloud backup should be seriously considered Continue Reading
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News
17 Jan 2024
Victims of 2023 Capita data breaches head to High Court
More than 5,000 people impacted by data breaches arising from two cyber incidents affecting outsourcer Capita have joined a group action lawsuit Continue Reading
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Blog Post
17 Jan 2024
Tape is back on the main menu
The news that another of the big players in global file systems, Hammerspace, has integrated tape access into its data orchestration software should remind us all that tape’s modern incarnations ... Continue Reading
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News
17 Jan 2024
Singapore proposes governance framework for generative AI
AI Verify Foundation and Infocomm Media Development Authority have proposed a governance framework for generative AI to address the risks and concerns about the emerging technology Continue Reading
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News
16 Jan 2024
Kaspersky shares Pegasus spyware-hunting tool
Kaspersky has developed a way of easily exposing the presence of Pegasus spyware on iOS devices and believes its methodology may also help users identify other such surveillance malware Continue Reading
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News
15 Jan 2024
British Library catalogues back online after ransomware attack
The British Library has restored online access to its main catalogue of nearly 40 million items on a limited basis as it continues the long and arduous process of recovering from a ransomware attack Continue Reading
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News
15 Jan 2024
Russia hacked ex-MI6 chief’s emails – what they reveal is more Dad’s Army than deep state
A Russian hacking group that published emails of ex-MI6 chief Richard Dearlove claimed to have uncovered a conspiracy, but it was more Dad’s Army than the ‘deep state’, Computer Weekly and Byline Times reveal Continue Reading
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News
15 Jan 2024
NCA director sacked after WhatsApp and email security breaches
Nikki Holland, former director of investigations at the NCA, was sacked for “misconduct” after sending sensitive NCA information over personal email and WhatsApp Continue Reading
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News
12 Jan 2024
UK government seeks public views on impacts of AI-generated porn
The government’s Pornography Review will look in part at the use of AI throughout the industry to generate sexually explicit content without people’s consent Continue Reading
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News
10 Jan 2024
SEC social media hack highlights value of MFA
The US SEC briefly appeared to approve new bitcoin trading rules after a social media account was targeted by troublemakers, proving the value of MFA once again Continue Reading
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News
10 Jan 2024
Scotland ‘sleepwalking’ to mass surveillance with DPDI Bill
The independent checks and balances over biometrics and biometric-enabled surveillance must be strengthened to prevent Scotland from sliding into a surveillance state along with the rest of the UK Continue Reading
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News
09 Jan 2024
Babuk Tortilla ransomware decryptor made available
A joint effort between Cisco Talos, Avast and the Dutch police will bring relief to many victims of a variant of the Babuk ransomware known as Tortilla Continue Reading
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News
09 Jan 2024
Study reveals cyber risks to US elections
With the 2024 US presidential election cycle beginning, a study produced by Arctic Wolf has highlighted big gaps in preparedness and resourcing at government bodies across the US Continue Reading
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Blog Post
09 Jan 2024
The future of CISOs in APAC
This is a guest post by Geoffrey Coley, regional chief technology officer for Asia-Pacific at Veritas Technologies The pace at which the cyber threat landscape is evolving with the use of malicious ... Continue Reading
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News
08 Jan 2024
British Library ransomware attack could cost up to £7m
The cost of recovering the British Library’s ransomware-stricken IT systems could be up to £7m, it has emerged Continue Reading
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News
08 Jan 2024
Inside the Met Police’s investigation into EncroChat crime gangs
The Met’s senior investigating officer responsible for investigating criminals using the EncroChat encrypted phone network tells the inside story of the UK’s biggest organised crime bust in a BBC podcast series released this week Continue Reading
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Opinion
05 Jan 2024
Mind the gap: AI leaders pulling ahead as LLMs take off
Advice on how to implement large language models safely within an enterprise IT environment Continue Reading
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News
03 Jan 2024
Fighting money laundering with AI
Mike Foster, CEO of SymphonyAI Sensa-NetReveal, talks up how AI can be used to fight financial crime and how the company’s technology can augment existing AML investments Continue Reading
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News
02 Jan 2024
China’s UNC4841 pivots to new Barracuda ESG zero-day
The Chinese state threat actor behind a series of cyber attacks on Barracuda Networks customers embarked on a campaign targeting the supplier’s email security products in the run-up to Christmas Continue Reading
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News
29 Dec 2023
Top 10 India IT stories of 2023
We recap the year’s top 10 stories in India, including the country’s datacentre boom and innovations in space and agriculture technologies Continue Reading
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News
29 Dec 2023
Top 10 AI regulation stories of 2023
From the UK government’s publication of its long-awaited AI whitepaper to its convening of the world’s first AI Safety Summit, here are Computer Weekly’s top 10 AI regulation stories of 2023 Continue Reading
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News
28 Dec 2023
Top 10 technology and ethics stories of 2023
Here are Computer Weekly’s top 10 technology and ethics stories of 2023 Continue Reading
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News
27 Dec 2023
Top 10 police technology stories of 2023
Here are Computer Weekly’s top 10 police technology stories of 2023 Continue Reading
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News
22 Dec 2023
Top 10 government IT stories of 2023
In the year that gave life to four new government departments, Whitehall bosses have continued to fly the flag for technology, with mixed results and success. Here are the stories that made waves in 2023 Continue Reading