Privacy and data protection
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News
05 Jun 2023
Bank of International Settlement sets up channel secure from quantum breach
The Bank of International Settlement has worked with two of Europe's central banks to explore preventing the security risks posed by quantum computers Continue Reading
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News
01 Jun 2023
Met Police director of intelligence defends facial recognition
The Met Police’s director of intelligence has appeared before MPs to make the case for its continuing use of facial-recognition technology, following announcements from the force and the Home Office that they intend to press on with its adoption Continue Reading
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News
16 Mar 2023
TikTok banned on UK government devices
The UK government has followed in the footsteps of its US and European counterparts and banned the use of Chinese social media app TikTok on official devices Continue Reading
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News
16 Mar 2023
Rubrik customer, partner data exposed in possible Clop attack
Rubrik was supposedly compromised by the Clop ransomware gang via a zero-day vulnerability in a managed file transfer software package it uses Continue Reading
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News
15 Mar 2023
Chinese Silkloader cyber attack tool falls into Russian hands
A loader tool used by Chinese cyber criminals seems to have been enthusiastically taken up in recent weeks by Russian ransomware operators Continue Reading
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News
14 Mar 2023
NatWest introduces limits on crypto trading to prevent fraud
UK bank says its retail customers will benefit from daily and monthly limits on the amount they can pay into cryptocurrency exchanges Continue Reading
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News
14 Mar 2023
NCSC warns over AI language models but rejects cyber alarmism
The UK's NCSC has issued advice for those using the technology underpinning AI tools such as ChatGPT, but says some of the security doomsday scenarios being proposed right now are not necessarily realistic Continue Reading
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News
14 Mar 2023
AI interview: Elke Schwarz, professor of political theory
Elke Schwarz speaks with Computer Weekly about the ethics of military artificial intelligence and the dangers of allowing governments and corporations to push forward without oversight or scrutiny Continue Reading
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News
13 Mar 2023
MI5 to oversee new National Protective Security Authority
The new National Protective Security Authority will address various national security threats including state-sponsored cyber espionage against UK targets Continue Reading
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News
10 Mar 2023
Technology minister Michelle Donelan defends data reforms
Secretary of state Michelle Donelan has defended the government’s new data reforms as providing certainty for businesses while simultaneously retaining high standards of data protection, but industry figures are having mixed reactions Continue Reading
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News
08 Mar 2023
UK government introduces revised data reform bill to Parliament
Designed in close collaboration with technology businesses, the UK government is re-introducing an updated version of its Data Protection and Digital Information Bill to Parliament, which civil society groups say upends key safeguards Continue Reading
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News
08 Mar 2023
How ForgeRock is tackling identity management
ForgeRock CEO Fran Rosch has set the identity and access management software supplier on a path to deliver a frictionless identity experience without compromising security or privacy Continue Reading
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News
07 Mar 2023
Nine in 10 enterprises fell victim to successful phishing in 2022
Egress annual email security risk report breaks down impacts of email-based phishing attacks and data loss, and the effect these can have on organisations in terms of staff retention and morale Continue Reading
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News
07 Mar 2023
Taking back control: Could a distributed model breed a better AI?
AI tools such as ChatGPT are trained on datasets scraped from the web, but you don’t have much say if your data is used. Technologist Bruce Schneier says it’s time to give control of AI training data back to the people Continue Reading
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Podcast
06 Mar 2023
Podcast: 2023 compliance and storage outlook
Geopolitical instability casts its shadow as organisations must think about cyber attacks, data location and what to do if things change quickly. We talk to Mathieu Gorge, CEO of Vigitrust Continue Reading
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News
03 Mar 2023
White House unveils National Cybersecurity Strategy
The strategy will focus on ensuring closer collaboration on cyber security between government and industry, while giving software and other tech companies a bigger role in combatting threats due to their resources and expertise Continue Reading
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News
02 Mar 2023
Uber introduces dynamic pricing algorithm in London
The dynamic pricing algorithm will allow Uber to set variable pay and pricing levels, but drivers are concerned about how their personal data will be used and the impact the algorithm will have on their livelihoods Continue Reading
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News
02 Mar 2023
AI interview: Michael Osborne, professor of machine learning
Artificial intelligence researcher speaks with Computer Weekly about the implications of a market-driven AI arms race and the overwhelming dominance of the private sector over the technology Continue Reading
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News
02 Mar 2023
WH Smith staff data accessed in cyber attack
The retailer has said that customer data has not been affected by the incident as it is held in different systems, and that investigations into the attack are ongoing Continue Reading
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News
02 Mar 2023
Salt Labs identifies OAuth security flaw within Booking.com
Security flaw in Booking.com OAuth implementation could be used to launch account takeovers, but researchers discovered and flagged the issue before it could be exploited in the wild Continue Reading
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News
01 Mar 2023
Data breaches in Australia on the rise, says OAIC
Cyber security incidents were the cause of most data breaches, which rose by 26% in the second half of 2022, according to the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner Continue Reading
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News
24 Feb 2023
UK police have ‘culture of retention’ around biometric data
A culture of retention around biometric data in UK policing is damaging public trust, says UK biometrics commissioner, who is calling for clear regulation to govern police use of biometric technologies Continue Reading
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News
22 Feb 2023
Researchers find new bug ‘class’ in Apple devices
A group of vulnerabilities in Apple products that stem from the ForcedEntry exploit used by spyware firm NSO constitutes a whole new class of bug, say researchers at Trellix Continue Reading
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News
22 Feb 2023
Institute for Government cautions government to draw right lessons from pandemic
The Institute for Government has published a policy document warning government not to draw wrong lessons from data sharing during pandemic Continue Reading
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News
20 Feb 2023
Singapore organisations struggle to operationalise threat intelligence
Organisations in the city-state were satisfied with the quality of their threat intelligence, but they struggled to operationalise the information due to talent shortages and other challenges Continue Reading
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News
20 Feb 2023
Twitter 2FA changes bring more risks than benefits
Twitter’s approach to nudging users away from insecure SMS-based 2FA is being questioned over its logic Continue Reading
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News
16 Feb 2023
Mock crime prediction tool profiles MEPs as potential criminals
Developed by Fair Trials, the example crime prediction tool uses the same information as police systems to assess the likelihood of someone committing a crime in the future Continue Reading
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Opinion
16 Feb 2023
Security Think Tank: New trends and drivers in cyber security training
Self-paced, interactive, bite-sized learning is becoming the optimum path for cyber security training in the workplace, says John Tolbert of KuppingerCole Continue Reading
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News
16 Feb 2023
How to tame the identity sprawl
Organisations should find a comprehensive way to gain full visibility into their digital identities and leverage automation to tame the identify sprawl Continue Reading
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News
15 Feb 2023
Royal Mail refused to pay £66m LockBit ransom demand, logs reveal
Leaked chat logs reveal Royal Mail has supposedly refused to pay a £66m ransom demand from the LockBit ransomware gang Continue Reading
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News
14 Feb 2023
UK authorities clamp down on illegal crypto ATMs
The Financial Conduct Authority and West Yorkshire Police have disrupted a number of illegal crypto ATMs Continue Reading
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News
14 Feb 2023
Researcher exposes crypto scam network exploiting YouTube
A massive network of fake YouTube videos promoted by automated sock puppet accounts is reeling in hundreds of cryptocurrency enthusiasts and persuading them to hand over their money, WithSecure researchers found Continue Reading
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Opinion
14 Feb 2023
How to protect your business from fraud during a recession
This winter, the chilly winds of a global recession have fraudsters turning up the heat. PJ Rohall of SEON Fraud Fighters shares some guidance on how to bundle up against fraud Continue Reading
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News
13 Feb 2023
Russian spear phishing campaign escalates efforts toward critical UK, US and European targets
Russian hacking group Seaborgium refines its tactics in a continuation of attacks against targets including not-for-profit organisations with geopolitical affiliations Continue Reading
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News
13 Feb 2023
Investigatory Powers Act: Home Office proposes rethink of safeguards on bulk data collection
David Anderson KC will review the safeguards on intelligence service and police use of bulk datasets following a Home Office assessment that they are 'disproportionate'. Continue Reading
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News
13 Feb 2023
Police tech needs clear legal rules, says biometrics regulator
Police use of artificial intelligence and facial recognition needs to be controlled by strict rules and mechanisms to ensure public trust Continue Reading
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Feature
13 Feb 2023
Cyber security training: How to be as secure as is practicably possible
If you cannot secure all the people all the time, how should a business approach cyber security training and awareness programmes? Continue Reading
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News
10 Feb 2023
Social media platform Reddit breached in phishing attack
An unspecified threat actor obtained access to internal documents, code and business systems at Reddit after stealing employee credentials in a phishing attack Continue Reading
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News
09 Feb 2023
How Check Point is keeping pace with the cyber security landscape
Check Point Software CEO Gil Shwed talks up the company’s growth areas, its approach to cloud security and the impact of generative AI on cyber security Continue Reading
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News
08 Feb 2023
Russian hacking group Seaborgium targets SNP MP Stewart McDonald
Scottish National Party MP Stewart McDonald says his personal emails have been hacked by a group linked to the Russian state in a targeted phishing attack Continue Reading
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News
08 Feb 2023
Prolific social media fraudster jailed for three years
Ramzan Abubakarov of Hendon will serve three-year prison sentence after using Telegram to coordinate series of frauds which netted almost £2m Continue Reading
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News
08 Feb 2023
Campaigners lament lack of movement on Computer Misuse Act reform
Westminster has opened a new consultation on proposed reforms to the Computer Misuse Act of 1990, but campaigners who want the law changed to protect cyber professionals have been left disappointed Continue Reading
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News
08 Feb 2023
India launches homegrown BharOS
The homegrown Android-based mobile operating system could reduce India’s reliance on foreign software, but uncertainties around market adoption and software updates remain Continue Reading
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News
07 Feb 2023
LockBit cartel finally claims Royal Mail ransomware attack
The LockBit ransomware gang claims it has stolen sensitive data from Royal Mail and will leak it later this week if its demands go unmet Continue Reading
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News
06 Feb 2023
Cops make arrests and seize drugs after hacking Exclu encrypted messaging app
Police in the Netherlands, Belgium and Poland raided 80 addresses after covertly intercepting messages from the Exclu encrypted messaging app Continue Reading
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News
06 Feb 2023
Online banks still riddled with cyber security flaws, report says
Online bank Virgin Money was found to have the weakest online and application security measures in a Which? study but Nationwide, TSB and The Co-Operative Bank all failed on multiple points, too. Continue Reading
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News
06 Feb 2023
The Security Interviews: How to overcome data protection compliance challenges
Complying with the vast swathe of data protection legislation around the world is complex, especially for smaller organisations without the necessary expertise. Could the compliance process be simplified, and if so, how? Continue Reading
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News
03 Feb 2023
LockBit gang confirms Ion cyber attack as disruption continues
The LockBit ransomware cartel has taken responsibility for this week’s attack on financial software firm Ion, and is threatening to leak stolen data on Saturday 4 February Continue Reading
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News
03 Feb 2023
FCA cracks down on misleading promos by social media influencers
Social media is becoming a major part of the FCA’s work in clamping down on misleading financial advertising and promotions, with multiple influencers rapped for their behaviour Continue Reading
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News
03 Feb 2023
MEPs vote to amend platform worker directive
MEPs have voted in favour of amendments to the European Commission’s platform worker directive that would introduce a presumption of employment and increase algorithmic transparency Continue Reading
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Opinion
02 Feb 2023
Security Think Tank: Getting the training and development mix right
Rob Dartnall, CEO at SecAlliance and chair of Crest’s UK Council, describes the need for formal, varied and continuous development in the cyber security sector Continue Reading
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News
02 Feb 2023
Suspected LockBit ransomware attack causes havoc in City of London
A suspected LockBit ransomware attack on trading software firm Ion has caused chaos for City of London traders Continue Reading
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News
02 Feb 2023
Arnold Clark customer data was stolen in Play ransomware attack
Arnold Clark confirms data leaked on dark web was stolen from its systems in ransomware attack Continue Reading
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News
01 Feb 2023
Romance fraudsters stole £65m from Brits since 2020
Online romance fraudsters have scammed Brits out of £65m in the past three years, according to retail bank TSB Continue Reading
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News
01 Feb 2023
NCSC for Startups inducts four companies into programme
Four more startups are set to join the NCSC accelerator, which helps the UK government develop technology and approaches to pressing cyber security challenges Continue Reading
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News
01 Feb 2023
CryptoRom scam abuses Apple and Google app stores to claim victims
Sophos researchers report on two fake apps used by romance scammers to lure victims into parting with their money, both of which were able to escape the attention of Apple and Google app store safeguards Continue Reading
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News
01 Feb 2023
Innovative Technology deploys age estimation tech in shops and pubs
A company involved in Home Office-led trials of biometric age estimation technologies has begun rolling out its hardware to UK shops and pubs so they can use its facial recognition algorithm to assure customers’ ages Continue Reading
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News
01 Feb 2023
UK Cyber Council and ISACA launch audit, assurance programme
The UK Cyber Security Council has teamed up with ISACA to partner on a new audit and assurance programme for security pros Continue Reading
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News
31 Jan 2023
MI5 unlawfully collected and held millions of people’s data
Secretive court finds MI5 knowingly acted unlawfully in use of bulk surveillance warrants, and the Home Office continued granting warrants despite information the agency was operating outside the law Continue Reading
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News
30 Jan 2023
Data of 10 million JD Sports customers accessed in cyber attack
Data on 10 million people who shopped online at JD Sports over a two-year period was accessed and potentially stolen in a cyber attack Continue Reading
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News
26 Jan 2023
Zero-trust implementations remain work in progress
Just one in 10 large enterprises are expected to have mature and measurable zero-trust programmes in place by 2026, study finds Continue Reading
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News
25 Jan 2023
NCSC exposes Iranian, Russian spear-phishing campaign targeting UK
Spear-phishing campaigns likely linked to Iranian and Russian espionage activity are targeting persons of interest in the UK, warns the NCSC Continue Reading
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News
25 Jan 2023
Arnold Clark cyber attack claimed by Play ransomware gang
A cyber attack that struck car dealer Arnold Clark prior to Christmas has been claimed as the work of the Play ransomware cartel Continue Reading
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News
25 Jan 2023
Boards struggle to resolve cyber risk in digital supply chains
Accelerated digitisation of supply chains is introducing more cyber risk for which many organisations seem unprepared, according to the BSI’s annual report on supply chain risk Continue Reading
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News
25 Jan 2023
Japan researchers develop new data encryption method
Researchers from Tokyo University of Science have combined the best of homomorphic encryption and secret sharing in a new method to handle encrypted data Continue Reading
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News
24 Jan 2023
Chinese IoT suppliers expose UK businesses to espionage and data theft
Chinese companies supplying network components, known as IoT modules, post a greater long-term threat to UK security than the now banned 5G supplier Huawei, according to a study by a Chinese expert and former diplomat Continue Reading
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Feature
24 Jan 2023
IT’s shift to the cloud: Veeam’s data protection report in detail
With half of servers in the cloud, most backup and nearly all disaster recovery cloud-centric, the shift to the cloud is significant – but container backup is one area that is yet to settle down Continue Reading
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News
24 Jan 2023
SSRF attacks hit 100,000 businesses globally since November
There has been a dramatic increase in attacks exploiting the ProxyNotShell/OWASSRF exploit chains to target Microsoft Exchange servers Continue Reading
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News
24 Jan 2023
Fake online contest makes Yahoo! most phished brand of Q4 2022
Yahoo! was the most frequently phished brand during the last three months of 2022, according to a report Continue Reading
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Opinion
23 Jan 2023
The rise of fraud in pop culture is impacting consumers’ digital trust
Shows such as The Tinder Swindler and Inventing Anna were big money-earners for Netflix in 2022, but Onfido’s Mike Tuchen says their popularity risks damaging consumer trust Continue Reading
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News
23 Jan 2023
Royal Society calls on public sector to pilot privacy tech
The Royal Society says public sector bodies should lead the way in piloting privacy-enhancing technologies to unlock the value of data without compromising privacy and data rights, but lack of standards and incentives mean adoption is slow Continue Reading
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News
23 Jan 2023
NCSC warning over cyber risk to charity sector
Cash-strapped charities without the resource to tackle their resilience deficit are increasingly at risk from malicious actors, says the NCSC Continue Reading
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News
22 Jan 2023
Royal Mail making limited progress on ransomware recovery
Royal Mail asks customers to hold back from sending post overseas as some services get back on track, while a report warns that disruptive attacks on critical infrastructure are set to become more common Continue Reading
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News
20 Jan 2023
Veeam survey finds ransomware blocks digital transformation
Annual report shows secular trend to the cloud and increased use of containers, but prevalence of ransomware attacks means digital transformation is hindered Continue Reading
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News
19 Jan 2023
International post resumes thanks to Royal Mail ‘workarounds’
Royal Mail has resumed limited international services after putting in place operational workarounds to bypass the impact of a ransomware attack Continue Reading
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News
19 Jan 2023
KFC, Pizza Hut parent shuts UK restaurants after cyber attack
A ransomware attack on Yum! Brands, the parent organisation of restaurants including KFC and Pizza Hut, was forced to shut approximately 300 outlets in the UK following a ransomware attack by an unspecified group Continue Reading
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News
19 Jan 2023
Mailchimp suffers third breach in 12 months
Email marketing service Mailchimp has suffered its third data breach in a year, but has been praised for being open about its latest attack Continue Reading
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News
19 Jan 2023
Newham Council rejects use of live facial-recognition tech by police
Live facial-recognition technology should not be used by police in Newham until biometric and anti-discrimination safeguards are in place, according to a motion passed unanimously by the council, but the Met Police and the Home Office have indicated they will not suspend its use Continue Reading
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News
18 Jan 2023
David Anderson KC to review UK surveillance laws
Home Office commissions independent review of the Investigatory Powers Act, known as the snoopers’ charter. It will include a review of bulk datasets and government access to internet connection records held by phone and internet companies Continue Reading
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News
18 Jan 2023
Oracle and CBI: companies cautious, selective in 2023 IT, business investment
Oracle and the CBI are seeing much the same picture of cautious technology investment of UK businesses in 2023, in the context of long Covid and the energy price inflation crisis Continue Reading
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News
18 Jan 2023
Ukraine cyber teams responded to more than 2,000 attacks in 2022
The Ukrainian authorities responded to more than 2,000 major cyber incidents during 2022, and are blocking thousands more potential attacks every day Continue Reading
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News
17 Jan 2023
Cloudflare urged to clamp down on pirates, counterfeiters
A whitepaper produced by brand protection specialist Corsearch calls on Cloudflare to do more to stop online content piracy and sales of counterfeit goods Continue Reading
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News
17 Jan 2023
Royal Mail promises ‘workarounds’ to restore services after ransomware attack
Royal Mail CEO Simon Thompson apologises to customers whose businesses are being disrupted by a ransomware attack and promises a ‘workaround’ will be in place in the near future Continue Reading
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News
16 Jan 2023
The Security Interviews: Protecting your digital self
Our digital self – the virtual presence of who we are online – has a pervasive influence in the real world. People make judgements based on these digital depictions, so what can be done to ensure positive representation? Continue Reading
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E-Zine
16 Jan 2023
CW EMEA: Protecting the privacy of schoolchildren
In this month’s CW EMEA, we look at how schools in Germany have stopped using Microsoft Office 365 over lack of clarity over how data is collected, shared and used. We also delve into how former UK spy boss Richard Dearlove leaked names of MI6 secret agent recruiters in China to back an aggressive right-wing US campaign against tech company Huawei. Read the issue now. Continue Reading
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News
14 Jan 2023
Experts concerned over silence around government obligation to review UK surveillance laws
The government is required to review the UK’s surveillance law, the Investigatory Powers Act, but experts say they are in the dark about its plans. The National Crime Agency’s operation Venetic has highlighted the need for urgent reforms Continue Reading
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News
13 Jan 2023
Cabinet Office looks to expand public data sharing for digital ID
Cabinet Office seeks feedback on proposed legislation to enhance data sharing across the public sector, in support of the UK government’s ambition to have a single sign-on identity-check system for all public services Continue Reading
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News
13 Jan 2023
LockBit cartel suspected of Royal Mail cyber attack
The still-developing cyber incident at Royal Mail may be the work of the infamous LockBit ransomware operation Continue Reading
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News
12 Jan 2023
UK government completes trials of age estimation technology
Government-led trials of age estimation and verification technologies for the sale of alcohol in nightlife venues and supermarkets have been completed, with both government and retail lobbyists pushing for legislation that would allow retailers to adopt the tools for alcohol sales Continue Reading
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News
12 Jan 2023
Chrome vulnerability could have led to widespread data theft
A dangerous vulnerability in Google Chrome and Chromium-based browsers could have put billions of users’ files at risk of being stolen Continue Reading
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News
12 Jan 2023
Guardian confirms Christmas 2022 cyber attack was ransomware
Guardian Media Group bosses confirm the 20 December cyber attack that left staff locked out of its London office and disrupted several key systems was an untargeted ransomware attack Continue Reading
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News
11 Jan 2023
NHS data platform costing £480m to supersede Covid-19 data store underway
NHS England has invited suppliers to tender for a data platform that will supersede the Covid-19 data store controversial for the involvement of data analytics firm Palantir Continue Reading
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News
11 Jan 2023
Davos 2023: Pervasive cyber crime and cyber security gaps pose severe risk to organisations
Governments and organisations face tough trade-offs as they balance immediate problems caused by economic recession, energy shortages and rising interest rates with longer-term risks, including the impact of global warming Continue Reading
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News
11 Jan 2023
What’s happening with quantum-safe cryptography?
Chinese researchers claim quantum technology is reaching a point where a quantum device will soon be able to crack RSA 2048 public key encryption Continue Reading
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News
08 Jan 2023
Vulnerable organisations to get free Cyber Essentials support
Charities and legal aid firms are among those to be offered free security checks and certifications from the National Cyber Security Centre Continue Reading
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News
06 Jan 2023
Proposed digital fraud refund rules risk excluding many victims
Proposals to establish a fraud refund mechanism in the UK risk excluding many victims of digitally enabled fraud, a major bank has warned Continue Reading
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News
06 Jan 2023
Vice Society cyber gang targeted multiple UK schools
The Vice Society ransomware gang has made a habit of attacking educational institutions, and now appears to have struck multiple schools, colleges and universities in the UK Continue Reading
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News
06 Jan 2023
Meta to appeal £345m fine for Facebook and Instagram privacy breaches
Social media company Meta is to appeal after the Irish Data Protection Commission fined the company for breaching GDPR Continue Reading
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News
05 Jan 2023
Fallout from Guardian cyber attack to last at least a month
The Guardian newspaper’s offices remained shut into the New Year following a supposed ransomware attack, with disruption likely to last some time Continue Reading
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Feature
05 Jan 2023
Securing low Earth orbit represents the new space race
The barriers to launching satellites into low Earth orbit are falling fast, and that brings new cyber security challenges Continue Reading
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News
03 Jan 2023
Test of digital ID tech at Surrey nightclub proclaimed success
The majority of visitors to a Camberley venue who piloted a digital identification app developed by 1account said they found it easy to use and preferred it to standard physical ID Continue Reading
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News
02 Jan 2023
China and India governments among top targets for cyber attackers
Chinese and Indian governments targeted by hacktivists and ransomware groups out to make statement or expose flaws in their respective security postures Continue Reading