Privacy and data protection
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News
18 Mar 2024
Spring Budget risks funding legally questionable police tech
Open legal questions around how UK police are using facial recognition and cloud technology could undermine the £230m investment committed in the Spring Budget to “time and money-saving technology” for police Continue Reading
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News
17 Mar 2024
UK’s AI ambitions pointless while cyber security is still neglected
The UK’s AI ambitions may be at considerable risk without stronger cyber defences across the private and public sectors Continue Reading
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News
23 Dec 2021
Top 10 cyber security stories of 2021
Cyber security dominated the headlines in 2021, making it hard to gain a clear picture of what to pay attention to. What is an IT buyer to do? Continue Reading
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News
20 Dec 2021
Top 10 artificial intelligence stories of 2021
This year, artificial intelligence has moved to operationalisation, explainability and regulatory frameworks. Here are Computer Weekly’s top 10 artificial intelligence stories for 2021 Continue Reading
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Opinion
17 Dec 2021
Security Think Tank: When will they ever learn?
Security learning is a career-long process, so as 2021 draws to a close, participants in the Computer Weekly Security Think Tank sum up the most important cyber lessons they’ve taken away from the past 12 months Continue Reading
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14 Dec 2021
Online Safety Bill puts user protection onus on platform providers
The Online Safety Bill will place new duties and responsibilities on online platforms accessible from the UK, but as it currently stands, it contains several grey areas Continue Reading
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News
10 Dec 2021
Julian Assange can be extradited to the US to face espionage and hacking charges, court rules
High Court overturns decision not to extradite WikiLeaks founder after US government gives assurances over his treatment Continue Reading
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News
09 Dec 2021
UK and US to collaborate on privacy innovation contest
Joint UK-US innovation challenge contest centring on privacy-enhancing technology announced at Summit for Democracy in Washington DC Continue Reading
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News
08 Dec 2021
UK privacy chief denies conflict of interest in new role
UK information commissioner will join a private law firm that represents technology companies she used to regulate, raising questions about conflicts of interest and drawing ‘revolving door’ criticisms Continue Reading
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News
08 Dec 2021
Number of .uk domain suspensions at record low
Statistics from Nominet show how effective law enforcement action against cyber crime in the UK is paying off Continue Reading
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News
02 Dec 2021
Millions of credit card details for sale on dark web for as little as 75p
The credit card details of millions of people from across the world can be bought by criminals using the dark web for as little as $1 Continue Reading
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News
01 Dec 2021
Kaspersky introduces cyber policy for bionic devices
Cyber firm Kaspersky has become one of the first organisations in the world to develop and implement a security policy covering the use of bionic devices and other forms of human augmentation Continue Reading
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Opinion
01 Dec 2021
A ‘whole of society’ approach to cyber may be on the horizon
Nominet Cyber managing director David Carroll reflects on the NCSC’s latest annual review amid 2021’s fast-evolving threat landscape Continue Reading
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News
30 Nov 2021
Compliance, device management a challenge for NHS cyber teams
Information gleaned by asset visibility specialist Armis reveals that despite improvements, some daunting security challenges still dog the NHS Continue Reading
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News
30 Nov 2021
HP patches bugs in over 150 printer models
More than 150 HP multifunction printers are at risk of compromise through a series of newly disclosed vulnerabilities, one of them wormable Continue Reading
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News
29 Nov 2021
ICO warns facial recognition company Clearview AI it could face £17m fine over privacy breaches
The UK’s information commissioner has issued a preliminary decision to fine Clearview over £17m for breaching UK data protection law and invited the company to make representations Continue Reading
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News
29 Nov 2021
British Army picks Immersive Labs for cyber training
The British Army will make Immersive Labs’ security training platform available to all serving personnel Continue Reading
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News
26 Nov 2021
UK’s surveillance culture may be normalising use of tech for abuse
Intense surveillance of public spaces by UK authorities may be playing a part in the normalisation of cyber stalking in intimate relationships Continue Reading
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News
25 Nov 2021
Government must prove its plans to police encryption work, says ex-cyber security chief
Ciaran Martin, the former UK cyber security chief, says the government must explain how it can access encrypted communications without damaging cyber security and weakening privacy Continue Reading
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News
25 Nov 2021
UK consumers warned of increase in credit card application fraud
There has been a sharp rise in fraudsters using stolen personal details to open credit card accounts Continue Reading
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News
24 Nov 2021
Consumer cyber bill to protect mobiles, smart devices
Product Security and Telecommunications Infrastructure Bill will reinforce protections for consumer devices and mandate improvements to default security settings Continue Reading
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News
24 Nov 2021
Apple sues under-fire malware firm NSO
Lawsuit alleges spyware firm NSO Group targeted Apple’s users, adding to the pressure on the under-fire company Continue Reading
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News
24 Nov 2021
Police tech introduced with little scrutiny or training
A Lords inquiry into the adoption of advanced algorithmic technologies by police in England and Wales has been told that new tools are being introduced without proper training and with little scrutiny of their impacts Continue Reading
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News
23 Nov 2021
Schrems accuses Irish DPC of trying to block publication of Facebook documents
Austrian lawyer Max Schrems has filed a complaint after the Irish data protection commissioner put his privacy organisation under pressure to sign a non-disclosure agreement Continue Reading
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News
22 Nov 2021
Black Friday cyber warning for 4,000 card-skimming victims
NCSC warns thousands of small retailers that their websites are being exploited to steal customer data Continue Reading
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Feature
19 Nov 2021
Cloud storage compliance pitfalls: Post-pandemic and post-Brexit
We look at the key areas of cloud storage compliance that can trip you up, with shared responsibility with cloud providers and data residency among the most important Continue Reading
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News
18 Nov 2021
Sky ECC provided free cryptophones to a Canadian police force
Internal emails disclosed in a US court show how Sky Global supplied sample encrypted phones to a Canadian police force before its phone users became subject to an international police investigation Continue Reading
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News
18 Nov 2021
AstraZeneca looks at the bigger picture in enterprise social media
How do you work with people in different time zones and from different cultures and what happens when people leave the company? Continue Reading
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News
18 Nov 2021
Cryptophone supplier Sky Global takes legal action over US government website seizures
Canadian tech company Sky Global has filed a legal motion claiming that the US government unlawfully seized the company’s internet sites following police investigations into the use of its cryptophones by organised crime Continue Reading
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News
17 Nov 2021
Security startups line up on Cyber Runway
Some 108 cyber security startups representing the UK’s most cutting-edge innovators are to join Plexal’s Cyber Runway accelerator Continue Reading
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News
16 Nov 2021
One-fifth of NCSC-supported cyber incidents linked to Covid-19
National Cyber Security Centre has helped to thwart multiple cyber incidents that could have seriously disrupted the UK’s response to the pandemic Continue Reading
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Answer
16 Nov 2021
What are 3 best practices for storage encryption at rest?
Consider the fine print of encrypting data at rest. For example, access control permissions can make or break a storage encryption plan. Continue Reading
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News
15 Nov 2021
UK government proposes new rules for digital supply chain security
Proposals could see IT service providers legally required to adhere to the NCSC’s Cyber Assessment Framework, among other things Continue Reading
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News
11 Nov 2021
HPE’s Aruba networking unit hit by cyber attack
Undisclosed threat actor compromised data buckets used to run the Aruba Central cloud environment using a stolen access key Continue Reading
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News
11 Nov 2021
Scale of crime-as-a-service economy a growing concern, say researchers
The cyber criminal underground continues its evolution towards a service-based economy Continue Reading
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Opinion
11 Nov 2021
The ICO is right to push back against government meddling
Some criticisms of the ICO are justified, but the answer to that is not to give Whitehall more oversight over the data protection regulator, argues legal expert Edward Machin Continue Reading
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News
11 Nov 2021
Lloyd v Google Supreme Court verdict brings end to privacy class actions against big tech in UK
A ruling by the Supreme Court has left it financially unviable for individuals to bring class actions in the UK against big tech companies for privacy breaches Continue Reading
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News
10 Nov 2021
EU artificial intelligence regulation risks undermining social safety net
Europe’s proposed artificial intelligence regulation will not adequately protect people from European governments' increasing use of the technology in social security decisions and resource allocation, says Human Rights Watch Continue Reading
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News
09 Nov 2021
Yoti develops age estimation algorithm for under-13s
Age estimation technology developed by Yoti is being pitched as a way of helping social media platforms and other online businesses protect younger internet users from harm Continue Reading
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News
08 Nov 2021
Gig economy workforce nearly trebles over five years
Over four million people in England and Wales now work for gig economy platforms at least once a week, marking a nearly threefold increase since 2016 Continue Reading
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News
08 Nov 2021
How cosmetics retailer Lush made over its approach to authentication
Evolving approaches to IT at cosmetics retailer Lush meant the organisation’s previous approach to authentication was no longer up to scratch. Find out how it overcame this hurdle Continue Reading
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News
04 Nov 2021
The Netherlands works on resilience with large-scale national cyber exercise
For the Netherlands, the biggest challenge in a large-scale cyber crisis is to maintain speed while exercising due care Continue Reading
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News
03 Nov 2021
Spyware firm NSO and others added to US banned Entity List
US government bans target Israeli spyware makers and cyber firms in Russia and Singapore Continue Reading
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News
03 Nov 2021
Facebook self-imposes facial recognition moratorium
Facebook and Meta have committed to halting their use of facial recognition technology and deleting the biometric data of more than a billion people by the end of 2021, but will retain the underlying algorithms and software for potential use in future products Continue Reading
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News
03 Nov 2021
UK’s Labour Party hit by third-party data breach
Data on Labour Party members was recently compromised in an apparent cyber attack on a third-party data processor Continue Reading
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News
03 Nov 2021
BlackMatter ransomware crew shuts down, leaves victims in a bind
The BlackMatter ransomware gang appears to be winding down its activities, possibly due to pressure from law enforcement Continue Reading
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News
03 Nov 2021
Adelaide healthcare network digitises manual processes
The Central Adelaide Local Health Network has digitised manual processes in more than 20 speciality areas to improve patient experience and alleviate the workloads of frontline staff Continue Reading
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News
02 Nov 2021
Electronic waste excluded from COP26 agenda
Data sanitation industry group calls on UK government to add electronic waste to the climate summit’s agenda Continue Reading
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News
02 Nov 2021
Convicted Silk Road admin stripped of £500k in crypto earnings
Jailed Silk Road administrator Thomas White, aka Cthulhu, has been ordered to hand over more than £490,000 of illicit earnings Continue Reading
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02 Nov 2021
Security Think Tank: Optimising privacy, post-GDPR
Airbus CyberSecurity CTO Paddy Francis explores the impact of regulation on data protection, and how it has changed how one goes about optimising data privacy in the enterprise Continue Reading
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E-Zine
02 Nov 2021
What the Budget means for UK technology
In this week’s Computer Weekly, we look through the Chancellor’s Autumn Budget and Spending Review to find what it means for the UK tech sector. As COP26 starts, we assess the green credentials of the IT industry. And we hear one CTO’s experiences of learning the privacy lessons of GDPR. Read the issue now. Continue Reading
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News
01 Nov 2021
Businesses and governments urged to take action over Trojan Source supply chain attacks
Businesses and governments have been put on alert to guard against Trojan Source hacking attacks Continue Reading
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News
01 Nov 2021
MPs and Lords grill Facebook over online safety efforts
Facebook answers British lawmakers’ questions about the social media giant’s efforts to ensure the safety of its users, as part of legislative security of the government's proposed online safety bill Continue Reading
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Feature
29 Oct 2021
Online Safety Bill puts user protection onus on platform providers
The Online Safety Bill will place new duties and responsibilities on online platforms accessible from the UK, but as it currently stands, it contains several grey areas Continue Reading
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News
29 Oct 2021
Facebook rebrands to Meta amid continuing controversies
Facebook has changed its corporate name to Meta to support its work on the next generation of “social technologies”, but concerns around trust and privacy persist Continue Reading
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Definition
29 Oct 2021
data at rest
Data at rest is a term that is sometimes used to refer to all data in computer storage while excluding data that is traversing a network or temporarily residing in computer memory to be read or updated. Continue Reading
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News
28 Oct 2021
CIA sought revenge against Julian Assange over hacking tool leaks, court hears
The CIA discussed kidnapping Julian Assange after WikiLeaks published thousands of documents revealing its arsenal of hacking tools, defence lawyers tell a London court Continue Reading
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News
28 Oct 2021
Illegal state surveillance in Africa ‘carried out with impunity’
Analysis of surveillance laws and practices in six African countries finds that existing privacy laws are failing to protect citizens from illegal digital surveillance, which is being facilitated and enabled by global tech companies Continue Reading
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News
28 Oct 2021
How ransomware crews pile on the pressure to get victims to pay
Sophos researchers share some of the more common tactics ransomware gangs use to pressurise their victims into paying up Continue Reading
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News
27 Oct 2021
‘No-one extradited from UK to US has committed suicide,’ US tells court in Assange appeal
US government claims that a district judge has given WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange a ‘trump card’ to avoid extradition Continue Reading
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News
27 Oct 2021
Government commits millions to security investment
Spending Review adds more than £750m of funding to improve cyber security resilience across government Continue Reading
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News
26 Oct 2021
DarkMarket takedown results in 150 arrests
A coordinated operation by law enforcement has seen 150 taken into custody amid allegations of buying or selling illicit goods on the dark web Continue Reading
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Definition
26 Oct 2021
encryption key
In cryptography, an encryption key is a variable value that is applied using an algorithm to a string or block of unencrypted text to produce encrypted text or to decrypt encrypted text. Continue Reading
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News
22 Oct 2021
MEPs vote to expand Europol data mandate
The European Parliament has voted in favour of expanding Europol’s mandate to process data and develop AI tools, but critics claim it contradicts a previous vote which opposed using new technologies to predict crime Continue Reading
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News
20 Oct 2021
US intelligence agencies issue advisory on BlackMatter gang
Joint advisory on ransomware gang warns about potential of further attacks on critical infrastructure providers Continue Reading
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News
20 Oct 2021
Police IT buyers should compel suppliers to prove AI claims
House of Lords told that UK law enforcement bodies should use their position as buyers to compel private sector suppliers to divulge more information about how their AI-powered technologies work Continue Reading
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Feature
19 Oct 2021
Back on the office network: What are the risks for mobile users?
Many people are returning to offices and bringing their mobile devices with them. What are the cyber security implications of this? Continue Reading
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Blog Post
18 Oct 2021
Time to take a step back on police use of facial recognition
We’ve all seen the detective shows on TV. The cops find a CCTV picture of the likely “perp”. The put-upon junior detective is tasked with wading through a database of photos in the hope of finding ... Continue Reading
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News
18 Oct 2021
How Samlesbury, Lancashire became the home of the National Cyber Force
The National Cyber Force, a new branch of the military, is gearing up to fight battles in cyber space from the fields of Lancashire. Its presence is expected to bring a high-tech renaissance to the region Continue Reading
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News
14 Oct 2021
Apple scheme to detect child abuse creates serious privacy and security risks, say scientists
Apple’s plan to automatically scan photos to detect child abuse would unduly risk the privacy and security of law-abiding citizens and could open up the way to surveillance, say the world’s top cryptographic experts Continue Reading
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News
14 Oct 2021
NHS Digital enhances in-house cyber awareness drive
Keep IT Confidential campaign aims to help NHS staff understand more about security threats and learn how to reduce risk Continue Reading
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Opinion
14 Oct 2021
Encryption protects the marginalised – and it’s under threat
Encryption keeps marginalised groups connected and safe, but new regulatory attempts to break it put them at risk Continue Reading
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News
13 Oct 2021
FCA warns over future hybrid working security risks
Earlier this week, the Financial Conduct Authority issued fresh guidance to regulated organisations on keeping hybrid workers safe and secure Continue Reading
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News
13 Oct 2021
Former signals intel leader named godfather of UK security
Sixth annual Security Serious Unsung Heroes Awards honours former Royal Corps of Signals colonel and infosec pioneer John Doody Continue Reading
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News
13 Oct 2021
Australia unveils ransomware action plan
The Australian government has established a task force to address the ransomware menace and is proposing legislation to mandate reporting of ransomware incidents by businesses Continue Reading
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News
12 Oct 2021
BCS calls on government to retain protections against AI
BCS, the Chartered Institute for IT, wants the government to retain protections that allow people to have decisions about them made by an AI reviewed by humans if needed Continue Reading
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News
12 Oct 2021
Ban UK police use of facial-recognition, House of Lords told
Experts giving evidence to the House of Lords have said that UK police use of facial-recognition technology is disproportionate and ineffective, and further questioned the utility of algorithmic crime ‘prediction’ tools Continue Reading
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News
11 Oct 2021
Covid-19 will loom over cyber strategy for years to come
In remarks delivered to a Chatham House conference, NCSC head Lindy Cameron reflects on the security challenges facing the UK, and sets out some plans for the future Continue Reading
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News
11 Oct 2021
Sensitive documents to stay with whistleblower after deadline for agreement for their return passes
A deadllne to agree the safe return of the sensitive banking details of former and current NatWest Group customers has passed without agreement Continue Reading
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News
11 Oct 2021
Singapore refreshes cyber security strategy
The city-state updates its national cyber security strategy to shore up the security of critical infrastructure and enterprises while growing its cyber security industry, among other goals Continue Reading
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News
08 Oct 2021
Craft beer specialist Brewdog fixes serious app vulnerability
Vulnerability in brewer’s mobile app could have resulted in serious consequences for its shareholders and customers Continue Reading
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News
07 Oct 2021
ICO expresses concerns over its future independence
In its response to the government’s data protection consultation, the Information Commissioner’s Office has raised worries over its future ability to function independently of government interference Continue Reading
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News
07 Oct 2021
Uber faces legal action over ‘racist’ facial verification system
Two UK-based unions are taking Uber to court, claiming their members have been unfairly dismissed as a result of misidentification by the company’s facial verification system Continue Reading
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News
07 Oct 2021
Twitch data breach investigations continue
Investigations are ongoing into a 125GB data breach that hit livestreaming platform Twitch, apparently the work of hacktivists Continue Reading
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News
06 Oct 2021
US lawmakers propose ransomware reporting rules
Former presidential candidate Elizabeth Warren lends her support to a bill that would require corporate ransomware victims to disclose more information about their attacks to the authorities Continue Reading
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Opinion
06 Oct 2021
Security Think Tank: Responsible vulnerability disclosure is a joint effort
By working hand-in-hand, developers and security researchers can both play a vital role in ensuring newly-discovered vulnerabilities are addressed appropriately, writes Paddy Francis of Airbus CyberSecurity Continue Reading
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News
06 Oct 2021
Gaming service Twitch hacked, data leaked
Users of livestreaming platform Twitch may be at risk after a 125GB torrent of data was leaked Continue Reading
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News
06 Oct 2021
Apache web server users urged to patch immediately
New zero-day in Apache HTTP Server is already being actively exploited and must be addressed immediately Continue Reading
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News
06 Oct 2021
Auto-enrolment begins for Google multi-factor authentication
Google has started to turn on multi-factor authentication on consumer accounts by default, and aims to auto-enrol 150 million users by the end of 2021 Continue Reading
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Opinion
05 Oct 2021
ICO cookie consent: How will the plan affect businesses?
A data privacy and compliance expert considers what the ICO’s proposals for an overhaul of cookie consent procedures could mean for businesses Continue Reading
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Opinion
04 Oct 2021
Security Think Tank: Embracing vulnerability management for the greater good
When it comes to vulnerability management, CISOs should define a responsible disclosure policy so that they can receive and manage identified vulnerabilities transparently, practically and collaboratively, says Paul Watts of the ISF Continue Reading
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News
04 Oct 2021
How GYG Singapore moved to paperless contracts
The Singapore franchisee of Mexican cuisine specialist Guzman y Gomez has turned to electronic agreements and digital signatures to ease the administrative burden on its HR team Continue Reading
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News
01 Oct 2021
Met Police purchase new retrospective facial-recognition system
Retrospective facial-recognition software purchased for £3m by the Met Police will be deployed in coming months amid continuing controversy around the use of biometric technologies by law enforcement bodies Continue Reading
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News
01 Oct 2021
Amnesty International exploited in malware campaign
According to new intelligence from Cisco Talos, Amnesty International’s branding and profile is being used as part of a new malware campaign that exploits people’s fears of the notorious Pegasus spyware app Continue Reading
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News
01 Oct 2021
JVCKenwood hit by Conti ransomware attack
Nearly 2TB of data was stolen from Japanese electronics firm in a Conti ransomware hit Continue Reading
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News
30 Sep 2021
UK consumers would collectively pay over £1bn a year for control of their data
UK consumers are willing to pay a small fee per month to have control of the data they share with Google and Facebook Continue Reading
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Definition
30 Sep 2021
Secure Electronic Transaction (SET)
Secure Electronic Transaction (SET) is a system and electronic protocol to ensure the integrity and security of transactions conducted over the internet. Continue Reading
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News
28 Sep 2021
Digital regulators need discrete but cooperative remits
The UK’s information commissioner has told MPs that digital economy regulators need discrete remits backed up by strong information sharing powers to both provide clear focus as well as allow for greater cooperation between their disparate but interlinked regimes Continue Reading
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News
27 Sep 2021
Women and BAME people bear brunt of cyber crime impact
Cyber crime has a disproportionate impact on women and BAME people, according to a new report Continue Reading
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News
27 Sep 2021
Dubai International Finance Centre’s data protection law to be boosted by new federal regulation
New UAE data protection regulation on the horizon a year after a Dubai-specific law came into force Continue Reading
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Opinion
24 Sep 2021
Facial recognition cannot be a standalone authentication method
As more organisations look to facial recognition to improve their digital identity practices, they must remember that it cannot stand in isolation Continue Reading
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News
24 Sep 2021
How Australia punches above its weight in cyber security
Australia is playing to its strengths in niche areas such as governance and deep tech to punch above its weight in the cyber security industry Continue Reading