Privacy and data protection

Top 10 cyber crime stories of 2019

Here are Computer Weekly’s top 10 cyber crime stories of 2019 Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Top 10 cyber security stories of 2019

Here are Computer Weekly’s top 10 cyber security stories of 2019 Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Using data for good, not evil

This is a guest blog post by Cindi Howson, Chief Data Strategy Officer, ThoughtSpot. Nothing illustrates the double-edged nature of data use more vividly than the recent general election in the UK. ... Continue Reading

By

• Brian McKenna, Enterprise Applications Editor

Finnish government supports local authorities in cyber security initiative

The Finnish government has committed resources to a cyber security project aimed at local authorities Continue Reading

By

• Gerard O'Dwyer

EU court opinion finds EU-US data transfers lawful but raises questions over Privacy Shield

The Advocate General of the European Court says standard contractual clauses are lawful, but raises questions over the impact of US surveillance on the legality of Privacy Shield Continue Reading

By

• Bill Goodwin, Computer Weekly

Top 10 artificial intelligence stories of 2019

Here are Computer Weekly’s top 10 artificial intelligence stories of 2019 Continue Reading

By

• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor

Human factors are critical to securing digital transformation

Sourcing the latest cyber security technology to support digital transformation projects is all well and good, but it’s meaningless if you fail to address your organisational culture and the people within it Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Facebook: Legality of EU-US data sharing to be decided by Court of Justice

The Advocate General of the European Court of Justice will give an opinion on the legality of EU-US data transfers that could have major implications for big tech companies and US government mass surveillance practices Continue Reading

By

• Bill Goodwin, Computer Weekly

Top 10 Australia IT stories of 2019

Here are Computer Weekly’s top 10 Australia IT stories of 2019 Continue Reading

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• Aaron Tan, TechTarget

Group-IB CEO talks up global threat landscape

Public attribution of cyber attacks could backfire while a global cyber norms framework won’t emerge until a catastrophic incident occurs, says the head of Singapore-based Group-IB Continue Reading

By

• Aaron Tan, TechTarget

Can Europe legally share data with the US? A court far away is about to decide

The European Court of Justice will deliver an opinion on whether Europe can legally continue to send private data about European citizens to the US Continue Reading

By

• Kevin Cahill

Security Think Tank: Data-centric security requires a holistic approach

The belief that effective perimeter security is the best way to protect data is a fallacy that is being repeatedly exposed. We must recognise the need for a data-centric security model to protect data from both internal and external threats, but what does this mean for security professionals? Continue Reading

By

• James Walsh, Fieldfisher

Barco fixes ClickShare wireless flaw, but users still at risk

Supplier patches a major vulnerability in its popular ClickShare wireless presentation system with a firmware upgrade, but experts warn that users are not out of the woods yet Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

We can’t allow fake news and disinformation to upend our democracy

Fake news, misinformation and cyber attacks are part of our political process – now is the time to act Continue Reading

By

• Andrew Roughan, Plexal

Alarm bells ring, the IoT is listening

With Christmas bearing down on us, a series of vulnerability disclosures has drawn attention to the parlous state of IoT security, and serves as a timely warning to people planning to buy smart devices as gifts Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Security Think Tank: Data-centric security requires context and understanding

The belief that effective perimeter security is the best way to protect data is a fallacy that is being repeatedly exposed. We must recognise the need for a data-centric security model to protect data from both internal and external threats, but what does this mean for security professionals? Continue Reading

By

• Eoin Keary

CW Europe: Deutsche Bank creates innovation division

German banking giant Deutsche Bank is opening a division focused on innovation which will be led by former SAP executive Bernd Leukert. It will create agile teams with business and infrastructure divisions leading teams of technologists, using agile principles. Also read why China’s Huawei has offered governments an anti-industrial espionage commitment, and how software robots are helping social workers in Sweden. Continue Reading

Sweden’s first GDPR fine sets regulatory tone

 Continue Reading

Security Think Tank: Risk-based response critical to protect data

The belief that effective perimeter security is the best way to protect data is a fallacy that is being repeatedly exposed. We must recognise the need for a data-centric security model to protect data from both internal and external threats, but what does this mean for security professionals? Continue Reading

By

• Simon Persin, Turnkey Consulting

Rapid evolution of quantum computing a concern for CISOs

With the race to achieve so-called quantum supremacy hotting up, security pros are concerned that it will outpace the development of appropriate safeguards, according to a report Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

The art of surveillance: the Stasi archives and the Investigatory Powers Act

A photographic exhibition captures the chilling impact of surveillance in the UK and the former German Democratic Republic Continue Reading

By

• Rose Butler, Sheffield Hallam University

Scottish Justice Committee wants extra powers for biometrics commissioner

Members of Scottish Parliament in the Justice Committee have welcomed the creation of a biometrics commissioner for Scotland, but want ensure that they have the ‘necessary teeth’ for the job Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

Public sector still losing user devices in high numbers

The Ministry of Justice has lost 354 smartphones, PCs, laptops and tablets in the past 12 months, according to a Freedom of Information request, and other government departments are in the same boat Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Jailed hacker ordered to pay back £270k

An Essex man jailed in April over malware offences dating back years has been ordered to pay back the profits of his crime spree, and sell valuable assets Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

How commodities firm ED&F Man solved its threat detection challenges

After a minor server breach, leading commodities trader turned to Vectra’s Cognito service to expose hidden threats, spot privilege misuse, and conduct conclusive investigations Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Dutch government must facilitate and coordinate a broad eID system

The Dutch government should push for an electronic ID system for its citizens that works across the public and private sectors, according to a report Continue Reading

By

• Kim Loohuis

Cyber security takes its place alongside UK’s armed services

Head of armed services says cyber security will take its place alongside the army, navy and air force as a key pillar of the UK’s defence strategy Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Security Think Tank: Is data more or less secure in the cloud?

Misconfigured cloud environments are increasingly identified as the source of damaging data breaches and leaks, raising serious questions for enterprises. Where does responsibility for data security in the cloud lie, and how can security professionals best work with their teams and cloud providers to resolve the problem? Continue Reading

By

• Benoit Heynderickx, Information Security Forum

Great Cannon DDoS operation fires on Hong Kong protesters

AT&T’s security unit has evidence that China is pressing its Great Cannon DDoS tool into service once again, specifically to target pro-democracy protests in Hong Kong Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Security Think Tank: Time for a devolution of responsibility

The belief that effective perimeter security is the best way to protect data is a fallacy that is being repeatedly exposed. We must recognise the need for a data-centric security model to protect data from both internal and external threats, but what does this mean for security professionals? Continue Reading

By

• Mike Gillespie

Two Russians indicted over Dridex and Zeus malware

The US Department of Justice has indicted two Russian citizens over their alleged role in the distribution of the virulent Bugat, or Dridex, and Zeus banking trojans Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Black Hat Europe: Mental health websites are leaking user data

At Black Hat Europe in London, researchers reveal the extent to which confidential data is being leaked to third parties by online mental health websites Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Aviatrix VPN vulnerability left user endpoints wide open

Immersive Labs has disclosed a serious vulnerability in VPN supplier Aviatrix’s enterprise client that could have granted hackers elevated user privileges across enterprise targets Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Black Hat Europe: Red teams and blue teams must evolve in the 2020s

The red team versus blue team dichotomy is somewhat arbitrary and risks pigeonholing skilled security professionals into certain roles, says Facebook’s Amanda Rousseau Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Security Think Tank: Optimise data-centric strategies with AI

The belief that effective perimeter security is the best way to protect data is a fallacy that is being repeatedly exposed. We must recognise the need for a data-centric security model to protect data from both internal and external threats, but what does this mean for security professionals? Continue Reading

By

• Stuart Lyons, PA Consulting

General Election 2019: Which manifesto is best for the UK’s tech sector?

Computer Weekly breaks down each political party’s technology policies ahead of the upcoming General Election to see how they compare Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

Cyber security: How to avoid a disastrous PICNIC

Fieldfisher’s David Lorimer examines how individual employees often facilitate cyber attacks, and what can be done to reduce the risk Continue Reading

By

• David Lorimer, Fieldfisher

Tenable buys Indegy to integrate IT and OT security

Acquisition of industrial security specialist Indegy will create a unified, risk-based platform spanning both IT and OT security for Tenable Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Podcast: The Computer Weekly Downtime Upload – Episode 39

In this week’s episode of the Computer Weekly Downtime Upload podcast, Caroline Donnelly and Brian McKenna are joined by Bill Goodwin and Sebastian Klovig Skelton to discuss their stories about Facebook’s machinations against app developers and competitors Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor
• Bill Goodwin, Computer Weekly
• Brian McKenna, Enterprise Applications Editor

Security Think Tank: In-depth protection is a matter of basic hygiene

The belief that effective perimeter security is the best way to protect data is a fallacy that is being repeatedly exposed. We must recognise the need for a data-centric security model to protect data from both internal and external threats, but what does this mean for security professionals? Continue Reading

By

• Petra Wenham

Chinese web users take more risks than Brits or Americans

A research paper published by the University of Birmingham seems to show that differences in cultural values have an impact both on risky behaviour online and legal regulation Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Top Android apps at risk from StrandHogg vulnerability

Researchers at Promon say all of the 500 most-downloaded Android apps are at risk from a newly discovered vulnerability Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Cyber criminal RAT busted by cops

Police forces around the UK have arrested nine people as part of an international operation targeting users of a remote access trojan Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

TfL locks down Oyster accounts to ward off credential stuffing

Mandatory password reset for all travellers who use Oyster and contactless payment systems follows minor breach incident earlier in 2019 Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Hack Friday: This Christmas, fight back against cyber criminals

It’s nearly Christmas, and cyber attacks and fraud attempts in the retail sector are ramping up. Is it time to panic? And is there anything we can do beyond hammering home the message around basic cyber security hygiene? Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Get ready for CCPA: Implications for UK businesses

The California Consumer Privacy Act, a wide-ranging data privacy and consumer protection law, comes into effect on 1 January 2020. How does CCPA differ from the EU GDPR regulations and what are the responsibilities for UK businesses operating in the US? Continue Reading

By

• Peter Ray Allison

The Security Interviews: Do cyber weapons need a Geneva Convention?

On a cold afternoon in Finland, F-Secure’s Mikko Hypponen discusses cyber weapons and nation state threats, and explains why arms limitations treaties might one day expand to include malware and other threats Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Australia’s Fenner Dunlop ditches tape backups for cloud

Australian manufacturer of conveyor belts Fenner Dunlop has freed up its IT staff to focus on future projects by moving tape backups to the cloud Continue Reading

By

• Beverley Head

Top APAC security predictions for 2020

More attacks on critical infrastructure, supply chain vulnerabilities and file-less attacks are some of the security threats that enterprises should keep an eye on next year Continue Reading

By

• Aaron Tan, TechTarget

Enterprises muddled over cloud security responsibilities

A McAfee study suggests that 2020 will be a big year for cloud adoption, but confusion still persists over who is responsible for securing it Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Facebook undermined rivals in bid to dominate global messaging

Facebook used buyouts and bullying tactics towards competitors to grow its business empire, documents leaked to Computer Weekly reveal Continue Reading

By

• Bill Goodwin, Computer Weekly
• Crina Boros

General Election 2019: The Conservatives’ technology policies and digital plans

With the UK gearing up for its third general election in four years, Computer Weekly outlines the Conservative and Unionist Party’s main technology policies and digital plans, as laid out in its manifesto Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

AI may open dangerous new frontiers in geopolitics

Truly artificial intelligence has the potential to provoke an international geopolitical crisis, warns F-Secure’s Mikko Hypponen Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Uber app exploit posed safety risk to passengers

A flaw in Uber’s system meant thousands of trips in London were taken with unauthorised drivers at the wheel Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Tim Berners-Lee launches nine principles for the web

Inventor of the worldwide web sets out Contract for the Web to protect its freedom, data privacy and access for all Continue Reading

By

• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor

Conservatives propose national cyber crime force

Manifesto also says Tories would “empower the police to safely use new technologies like biometrics and artificial intelligence, along with the use of DNA, within a strict legal framework” Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Mystery surrounds leak of four billion user records

Threat researchers uncover four billion user records on a wide-open Elasticsearch server but who left them there is a mystery Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

IT chiefs recognise the risks of artificial intelligence bias

Artificial intelligence promises to change the way businesses operate. IT leaders are now taking bias in AI algorithms seriously Continue Reading

By

• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor

Some 29,000 UK web domains suspended for criminal activity

Domain suspensions for criminal activity over the past year has dropped for the first time since 2014 Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Druva eyes data protection for IoT workloads

Cloud data protection software supplier Druva is looking at a comprehensive platform that will protect data generated by IoT workloads Continue Reading

By

• Aaron Tan, TechTarget

Labour pledges review of NCSC in UK security overhaul

The UK's National Cyber Security Centre may get expanded powers under a Labour government Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Security Think Tank: Stopping data leaks in the cloud

Misconfigured cloud environments are increasingly identified as the source of damaging data breaches and leaks, raising serious questions for enterprises. Where does responsibility for data security in the cloud lie, and how can security professionals best work with their teams and cloud providers to resolve the problem? Continue Reading

By

• Cath Goulding, Nominet

F-Secure’s Blackfin challenges perceptions of how AIs think

New research project aims to develop adaptive, autonomous and collaborative AI agents, and challenges the notion that machine intelligence should merely mimic human intelligence Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Senators raise questions over Facebook’s monitoring of phone users’ locations

After Facebook publishes a blog post with conflicting statements, two US senators ask for clarification on how the company collects location data from its users Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

Mimecast blocked 99 billion suspicious emails in third quarter

Latest threat intelligence report reveals the scale of the threat posed by malicious emails, with the transport, legal and financial sectors hit hardest Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Massive increase in fraud attacks on TSB customers during IT meltdown

There was a massive spike in attempts by fraudsters to steal from TSB customers when the bank’s IT systems failed in 2018 Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Conservatives slammed over social media trickery

The Conservative Party has been caught spreading online disinformation during the General Election campaign for a second time Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Public sector risks downplayed by senior IT leaders

Sophos reveals a significant cyber security perception gap between senior IT and security leaders in the public sector and their front-line teams Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Macy’s Magecart breach presages Christmas fraud spike

US retailer Macy’s admits some customer data was accessed by unknown actors during a week-long Magecart attack Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Anti-stalkerware coalition calls time on intrusive abusers

New coalition plans to tackle the scourge of stalkerware as a tool of domestic and other forms of abuse Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Businesses failing to wipe data from old endpoints

Organisations are not taking adequate precautions to sanitise data held on endpoints when refreshing their PC or mobile device estates Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Notorious hackers claim responsibility for Labour DDoS

Hackers claiming to represent Lizard Squad say they were behind a distributed denial of service attack on the UK’s Labour Party Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Home Office Brexit app contains multiple security flaws

The Home Office’s Brexit app may be putting EU citizens’ personal data at risk Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Cyber criminals tool up for Christmas fraud season

Organised criminals are trying to cash in on the festive retail boom with both brand new and tried-and-tested techniques Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

What the EU’s decision on Facebook means for social media

Recent ruling by the Court of Justice of the European Union will have global implications for social media companies and any organisations that host online content Continue Reading

By

• Peter Ray Allison

11 new 5G hacks enable user device tracking and monitoring

Researchers at Purdue University and the University of Iowa publish details of several new 5G mobile network vulnerabilities Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Business leaders fibbing to cover up lax security posture

Nominet study finds evidence that many businesses tout the robustness of their security posture as a selling point even though their security teams lack confidence in themselves Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Attack on Labour shows need for DDoS defence but should alarm few

After being hit by two DDoS attacks in the space of 24 hours, many commentators are convinced the UK’s Labour Party is the victim of foreign interference in the General Election campaign. It probably isn’t Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Business must engage with consumers to boost AI

Artificial intelligence is set to become a core part of business, but to get the most from it, enterprises need to engage with consumers to focus personalisation Continue Reading

By

• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor

Taking responsibility for security in the cloud

From accidental leaks to full-on data breaches, maintaining security across cloud services is becoming a headache for enterprises. What questions should organisations be asking of their cloud service provider and, ultimately, whose responsibility is cloud security anyway? Continue Reading

By

• Peter Ray Allison

Cyber risk insurance is more than just insurance

Insurance companies such as Chubb are offering incident response services and security tools to help companies improve their cyber security posture and better cope with cyber attacks Continue Reading

By

• Aaron Tan, TechTarget

Nordic SMEs lack the money needed for cyber security

Businesses and governments in Denmark and Norway are working together to address a cyber security shortfall for SMEs in each country Continue Reading

By

• Gerard O'Dwyer

‘Robust’ security foils cyber attack on Labour Party

Labour claims to have been the victim of a cyber attack, but says it is confident no data leaked Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Morrisons in new appeal over data breach fine

The Supreme Court has heard an appeal from retailer Morrisons as it attempts to overturn prior judgments holding it liable for a 2014 leak of employee data Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Security Think Tank: Base cloud security posture on your data footprint

Misconfigured cloud environments are increasingly identified as the source of damaging data breaches and leaks, raising serious questions for enterprises. Where does responsibility for data security in the cloud lie, and how can security professionals best work with their teams and cloud providers to resolve the problem? Continue Reading

By

• Rob Clyde, Isaca

Security Think Tank: Cloud security is a shared responsibility

Misconfigured cloud environments are increasingly identified as the source of damaging data breaches and leaks, raising serious questions for enterprises. Where does responsibility for data security in the cloud lie, and how can security professionals best work with their teams and cloud providers to resolve the problem? Continue Reading

By

• Paddy Francis

Amazon Ring video doorbell flaw left users open to attack

A vulnerability in Amazon’s Ring video doorbells left the internet-of-things devices open to a variety of attacks Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Security in the supply chain – a post-GDPR approach

A year and a half after the introduction of the EU’s General Data Protection Regulation, Fieldfisher's James Walsh reviews the fundamentals of supply chain security Continue Reading

By

• James Walsh, Fieldfisher

Saudis recruited Twitter employees to spy on critics

Court documents reveal how the Saudi Arabian government targeted Twitter employees as part of a coordinated effort to gather information on known dissidents Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

CW Benelux: Dutch banks fight money laundering

Dutch banks are sharing expertise and resources to help reduce money laundering through their accounts. Also read in this issue how companies could lose loyal IT staff because salary rises do not match those at rival employers, and why a Dutch province is pioneering a no-code software development platform. Continue Reading

Trend Micro insider breach exposes need for data-centric protection

Simple measures could have saved consumer security product supplier from insider breach Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

How Facebook’s ‘Switcheroo’ plan concealed scheme to kill popular apps

Leaked documents reveal how Facebook used and abused app developers, cut off data to competitors, gave privileged access to its friends and used privacy as a cover story Continue Reading

By

• Bill Goodwin, Computer Weekly
• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor
• Duncan Campbell , 2QQ Ltd, Sussex University

Professional cyber criminals command $75k per annum

An ill-advised career in cyber crime is potentially almost as well-paying as a job as a threat researcher in the industry, according to Tenable researchers Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Lawmakers study leaked Facebook documents made public today

Computer Weekly publishes cache of leaked documents disclosed to Congress Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor
• Bill Goodwin, Computer Weekly

What changes are needed to create a cyber-savvy culture?

PA Consulting's Cate Pye considers the people and process changes that are necessary to build a security aware business culture Continue Reading

By

• Cate Pye, PA Consulting

Huawei: 5G growth will be maintained with or without US tech supply

Huawei dismisses US tech sabre-rattling and claims it will continue robust business growth in 5G with or without US suppliers Continue Reading

By

• Joe O’Halloran, Computer Weekly

Security Think Tank: Adapt security posture to your cloud model

Misconfigured cloud environments are increasingly identified as the source of damaging data breaches and leaks, raising serious questions for enterprises. Where does responsibility for data security in the cloud lie, and how can security professionals best work with their teams and cloud providers to resolve the problem? Continue Reading

By

• Maxine Holt, Omdia

Ransomware authors seeking new ways to avoid being spotted

Sector analysis from Sophos has revealed some insight into how malware authors are adapting to thwart cyber security controls Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

The benefits of API-first software development

In this week’s Computer Weekly, we find out how organisations are using an API-based approach to software development to boost digital initiatives. We examine the potential pitfalls in using cloud storage. And we talk to the Department for Work and Pensions about its four-year project to move from outsourced IT to the cloud. Read the issue now. Continue Reading

ICO launches data security campaign for UK General Election

Information commissioner Elizabeth Denham launches campaign to remind the public of their rights when personal data is used for political purposes Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor