Privacy and data protection

Uber fined $148m for data breach cover-up

US court hits Uber with heavy fine which security industry commentators hope will encourage firms to take cyber security more seriously and resist the urge to cover up data breaches Continue Reading

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• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Australian teen Apple hacker avoids jail time

“Fan” who broke into Apple’s mainframe from his home in Melbourne has avoided prison because the information he gathered was recovered Continue Reading

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• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

ICO threatens fines for outstanding fees

The UK’s privacy watchdog has issued warning letters to organisations, including some NHS trusts and government organisations, for failing to pay a new data protection fee Continue Reading

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• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Financial services firms face potential security bombshell

UK financial services are facing a security crisis over outdated services and applications, a survey shows Continue Reading

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• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Why the government should rethink the UK’s surveillance laws

The European Court of Human Rights has made clear that the Snoopers’ Charter is an unlawful violation of people’s rights and freedoms Continue Reading

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• Megan Goulding

Fujitsu teams up with UTCs on cyber security training

Fujitsu, University Technical Colleges across England and other private sector partners have joined forces to help address the cyber security skills gap Continue Reading

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• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

PCI DSS compliance falls despite security benefit

Despite the benefits of the payment card industry security standard, there is a concerning downward trend in compliance, a report reveals Continue Reading

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• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

MI5 admits to ‘unlawful’ spying on Privacy International

The UK's intelligence agencies acted unlawfully by intercepting communications data on NGO, Privacy International, the UK's most secret court ruled. Continue Reading

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• Bill Goodwin, Computer Weekly

WannaCry and NotPetya inspiring new attacks

Designs and techniques used in 2017’s global cyber attacks have inspired a new breed of malware that exploits software vulnerabilities, according to a McAfee report Continue Reading

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• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Mac OS Mojave zero-day warning

The latest version of Apple’s Mac operating system contains a vulnerability that could be exploited by attackers to access protected files, a researcher warns Continue Reading

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• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Business leaders expect suppliers to ensure they are cyber secure

Most UK business leaders expect suppliers to be cyber secure and nearly a third of businesses would terminate contracts because of suppliers’ security failings, a survey has revealed Continue Reading

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• Warwick Ashford, Security Editor

Europol cyber crime report highlights emerging threats to enterprise security

Research highlights increase in sophistication of ransomware attacks, while revealing details of new and emerging threats to enterprises Continue Reading

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• Tasmin Lockwood

Employers turn to wearable technology to help staff manage work-life balance

Companies are realising that there are sound business reasons for ensuring their employees get enough sleep and exercise, so they are turning to wearable technology to help their staff stay healthy, despite the pressures of work Continue Reading

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• Christian Annesley

Singapore government to start bug bounty programme

Singapore’s bug bounty programme will help the authorities identify cyber blind spots and benchmark its defences against skilled hackers Continue Reading

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• Aaron Tan, TechTarget

Cutting through the blockchain hype

Blockchain adoption is still in its infancy, with security challenges standing in the way of more widespread deployment, according to a blockchain expert Continue Reading

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• Aaron Tan, TechTarget

Printing, document capture and compliance risk in the GDPR era

Printers, scanners and mobile devices that capture data from documents all store data in some way or other. How can you be sure to be compliant with GDPR with regard to that data? Continue Reading

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• Antony Adshead, Storage Editor

No Deal Brexit may hinder free flow of personal data from EU to UK

The government’s No Deal Brexit planning document on data protection warns free flow of personal data from EU isn’t guaranteed, and organisations must take action to ensure they will still be able receive data from Europe Continue Reading

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• Lis Evenstad

GCHQ mass surveillance regime was in breach of human rights law, European court rules

The European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg has ruled that the UK’s collection of bulk interception of communications data lacked adequate oversight and safeguards and was in breach of human rights law Continue Reading

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• Bill Goodwin, Computer Weekly

Outcomes-based security is the way forward

Every security technology is effective for a limited time, but understanding data assets and their value to attackers is key to effective cyber defence, according to an industry veteran of 20 years’ experience Continue Reading

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• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Two-thirds of emails not clean, says research

Two-thirds of emails don't make it to the inbox because security systems consider them unsafe, according to research Continue Reading

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• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Cyber criminals outspend businesses in cyber security battle

Cybercriminals are flexing their financial might and UK organisations are facing more attacks as a result Continue Reading

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• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

North Korean programmer charged for WannaCry attacks

The US has charged a member of a group of North Korean hackers linked to the WannaCry, Sony Pictures and other cyber attacks around the world Continue Reading

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• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Ransomware down, but not out, report reveals

Cryptojacking has taken over from ransomware as the top money spinner for cyber criminals, but the threat is not over and spam is also seeing a resurgence as an attack method, a report reveals Continue Reading

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• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

BA praised for swift GDPR-aligned action on data breach

British Airways has been praised for its swift response to a customer data breach, which could be the first test case under the EU’s GDPR and new UK GDPR-aligned data protection laws Continue Reading

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• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Chrome 69 security improvements welcomed

The cyber security community has welcomed the improvements in the latest version of the Chrome browser, especially when it comes to generating strong, unique passwords Continue Reading

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• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Security Think Tank: Eight controls to manage software vulnerabilities

What is the most practical and cost effective way for organisations to identify and remediate high-risk software vulnerabilities? Continue Reading

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• Kevin Murphy

UK and allies call for backdoors in encryption products

The Five Eyes intelligence alliance is calling on tech firms to include backdoors in their encrypted products to give access to law enforcement authorities or face various measures Continue Reading

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• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Majority of UK firms not insured for data breaches

Many UK firms are not insured against information security breaches and data loss, and would have to spend £1m on average to recover from a breach, a report reveals Continue Reading

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• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Security Serious Week to feature flash mob event

“Flash mob” event will create a human collage, highlighting cyber security advice Continue Reading

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• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Fraudulent money transfers are top aim of business email compromise

Business email compromise is increasingly popular with cyber criminals to steal money and information as well as spread malware, security researchers find Continue Reading

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• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Fourth man jailed for iCloud celebrity hacking

The final hacker charged with leaking nude images of female celebrities in 2014 has been jailed Continue Reading

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• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

US and UK days away from European Parliament ultimatum to suspend data transfers to the US

Threat to Privacy Shield as the European Union and US approach a critical European Parliament deadline to suspend data transfers from the EU to the US Continue Reading

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• Kevin Cahill

Improving security is top driver for ISO 27001

Organisations are implementing the ISO 27001 standard in recognition of the fact that cyber attacks are increasingly inevitable and that it is best to be well-prepared to fend off attacks and mitigate their effect Continue Reading

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• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Challenge to anti-GDPR immigration exemption in DPA to go ahead

Two human rights groups are challenging a controversial clause in new UK data protection legislation that they say is in conflict with the EU’s Charter of Fundamental Rights and undermines the General Data Protection Regulation Continue Reading

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• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Sharp rise in business email compromise

Cyber attackers are expanding their attack methods to steal money and to gain access to corporate and employee data, a report reveals Continue Reading

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• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

UK universities targeted by Iranian hackers

UK universities are among those targeted by a cyber threat group associated with the Iranian government Continue Reading

Cryptographic agility is key to post-quantum security

Although post-quantum security is not an issue for all organisations today, an expert believes that those needing to ensure data is secure for decades to come should aim to achieve cryptographic agility above all else Continue Reading

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• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

No Deal Brexit papers warn of stark future for UK tech

The government has published the first of its No Deal Brexit contingency planning notices, containing sobering messages for the UK technology industry Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

European cloud adopters still lack basic security

Despite outpacing the rest of the world, the majority of organisations adopting cloud in Europe, the Middle East and Africa lack basic security, a report reveals Continue Reading

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• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Nearly a third of organisations still not GDPR ready

As the UK and other states implement the EU’s GDPR, many organisations admit they are still not fully compliant, but most claim to be able to respond to data subject access requests Continue Reading

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• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Better the data you know – how GDPR is affecting UK tech companies

As the dust settles from the General Data Protection Regulation, the implications for technology firms in the UK are becoming clearer Continue Reading

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• Rebecca West, Coffin Mew

Superdrug denies data breach

Superdrug has warned online customers it believes may have had personal details exposed, but claims its systems were not compromised, in what could be the first GDPR-related extortion attempt Continue Reading

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• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Veritas aims to boost NetBackup with simplified UI and setup

Two decades-old enterprise product upgraded with backups that can be set in three clicks, down from 30, plus instant VM workload recovery and capacity monitoring and planning Continue Reading

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• Antony Adshead, Storage Editor

Retail and finance top cyber targets

Retail and finance remain the top cyber attack targets, but the second quarter also saw a spike in attacks against the manufacturing industry and an increase in remote desktop attacks, a report reveals Continue Reading

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• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Microsoft announces free election cyber defence tools

Microsoft has revealed it recently disrupted domains associated with a Russian cyber attack group believed to be targeting US political groups ahead of the midterm elections Continue Reading

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• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Malaysia’s financial sector warms up to cloud, but lacks security leadership

Almost two-thirds of Malaysia’s financial services firms are developing a cloud strategy, but not all have a security plan in place Continue Reading

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• Aaron Tan, TechTarget

NHS trusts lose nearly 10,000 patient records a year

Report calls for NHS trusts to work to abolish handwritten notes in hospitals to prevent loss of personal documents and to introduce a patient identity protocol Continue Reading

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• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Planned Australian law raises tech firms’ security concerns

A digital industry group representing some of the world’s largest tech firms is opposed to proposed Australian laws aimed at compelling them to help security agencies and police Continue Reading

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• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Apple confirms teen hacker took no customer data

Teenage “fan” who broke into Apple’s mainframe from his home in Melbourne is believed to have downloaded 90GB of secure files, but no customer data Continue Reading

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• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Global infosec spending to top $114bn in 2018, says Gartner

The need for improved detection, response and privacy is driving the demand for security products and services in response to security risks, business needs and industry changes, Gartner reveals Continue Reading

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• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Inside DevOps, containers and enterprise security

Global corporates are waking up to containers and orchestrated containerisation for software development that is fast and safe. Computer Weekly looks at the best approach to ensure security is not compromised along the way Continue Reading

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• Christian Annesley

Google Chrome flaw puts privacy at risk

Imperva security researcher urges Google Chrome users to update to the latest version after discovering a vulnerability that could be exploited to uncover private data Continue Reading

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• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Businesses urged to patch Microsoft flaw allowing MFA bypass

Security researchers are urging enterprises to update their software after the discovery of a vulnerability that could undermine the security provided by multifactor authentication Continue Reading

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• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Security Think Tank: Outsource security operations, not control

What critical security controls can be outsourced and how do organisations, SMEs in particular, maintain confidence that they are being managed effectively and appropriately? Continue Reading

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• Simon Persin, Turnkey Consulting

ICO strengthens commitment to technology and innovation

Information Commissioner’s Office has demonstrated its commitment to technology and innovation by appointing a new executive director to focus on this area Continue Reading

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• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Most security pros concerned about election infrastructure

A majority of information security professionals believe that election infrastructure is vulnerable to cyber attack, a survey shows Continue Reading

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• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

UK firms concerned about cyber arms race

Continuous investment and activity are key in the cyber arms race, according to Databarracks, as research shows UK firms are worried about keeping up with security challenges Continue Reading

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• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Millions of businesses vulnerable to fax-based cyber attack

Hackers could exploit security vulnerabilities in fax machines to launch cyber attacks in millions of organisations around the world, researchers warn, underlining the need for cyber resilience Continue Reading

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• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Over 146 billion records to be stolen over next five years

The US will bear the brunt of data exfiltration efforts by cyber criminals, though Asia-Pacific nations such as Singapore will not be spared Continue Reading

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• Aaron Tan, TechTarget

Butlin’s warns of potential personal data breach

Holiday camp chain blames cyber breach on a phishing attack, implying that attackers were able to steal user credentials to access customer data – and underlining the need for security awareness training Continue Reading

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• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

ICO fines Emma’s Diary £140,000

The UK’s privacy watchdog has fined a marketing company for illegally collecting and selling personal information for political campaigning Continue Reading

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• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Incomplete visibility a top security failing

Incomplete visibility of IT environments is among the most common basic enterprise security failings, as most organisations are still failing to achieve basic cyber security hygiene, a survey reveals Continue Reading

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• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Cyber security double agents most common in the UK

Cyber security professionals who alternate between criminal and legitimate activities or move full-time into cyber criminal activity are more common in the UK than other countries, a report reveals Continue Reading

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• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Australia calls for interventionist approach in new cyber agenda

The Australian government is forming a cyber defence network comprising security agencies and private sector partners to support a more interventionist approach towards cyber security Continue Reading

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• Aaron Tan, TechTarget

Security Think Tank: Outsource responsibility, not accountability

What critical security controls can be outsourced and how do organisations, SMEs in particular, maintain confidence that they are being managed effectively and appropriately? Continue Reading

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• Vladimir Jirasek, Foresight Cyber

Mobile banking Trojans reach all-time high

Mobile banking Trojans topped the list of cyber threats in the second quarter of the year, according to research by Kaspersky Lab Continue Reading

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• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Half of UK consumers to exercise GDPR rights within a year

More than half of UK consumers will exercise their General Data Protection Regulation rights within a year and almost two-thirds will retract or review data use because of the Facebook-Cambridge Analytica scandal, a study shows Continue Reading

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• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

The value of unified endpoint management

Given the diversity of devices people can use for work, IT needs to look at how it can unify device security Continue Reading

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• Bob Tarzey

Security Think Tank: Almost all security can be outsourced, but not the risk

What critical security controls can be outsourced and how do organisations, SMEs in particular, maintain confidence that they are being managed effectively and appropriately? Continue Reading

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• Emma Bickerstaffe, Information Security Forum (ISF)

UK security centre to launch IoT security standard

The London-based Centre for Strategic Cyber Space and Security Science is working on an internet of things security standard and has roped in participants from eight markets Continue Reading

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• Aaron Tan, TechTarget

Google to alert firms of state-sponsored attacks on G Suite users

As cyber security increasingly becomes a market differentiator, Google has announced that businesses using G Suite cloud-based software can opt in to cyber attack alerts Continue Reading

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• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Security Think Tank: Risk tolerance key to security outsourcing policy

What critical security controls can be outsourced, and how do organisations – SMEs in particular – maintain confidence that they are being managed effectively and appropriately? Continue Reading

By

• Bruce Beam , (ISC)²

Gorgon Group shows simple cyber attacks remain effective

A highly effective cyber attack group that appears to be based in Pakistan is carrying out targeted attacks against nation states at the same time as criminal operations, researchers have found Continue Reading

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• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Reddit breach exposes 2FA flaws

Reddit has reported a password breach despite using 2FA, exposing the weaknesses of two-factor authentication based on mobile text messages Continue Reading

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• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

GDPR harmonised with local laws in Nordic EU states

Sweden provides an interesting challenge for the European Union’s data protection regulation due to its laws around freedom of press and free speech Continue Reading

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• Gerard O'Dwyer

Three Carbanak cyber heist gang members arrested

Three alleged members of the Carbanak gang believed to be responsible for more than 100 cyber heists worldwide have been arrested, US authorities have announced Continue Reading

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• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Security Think Tank: Top things to consider in security outsourcing

What critical security controls can be outsourced, and how do organisations – SMEs in particular – maintain confidence that they are being managed effectively and appropriately? Continue Reading

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• Paddy Francis

Bromium evolves virtualisation-based security

Virtualisation-based security firm Bromium has evolved its technology to offer bidirectional protection for applications and underlying operating systems Continue Reading

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• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Top dark web indicators of compromise

There are 10 common activities on the dark web that indicate a data breach or some other security compromise has taken place, according to a specialist monitoring firm Continue Reading

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• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Security Think Tank: A risk-based approach to security outsourcing

What critical security controls can be outsourced and how do organisations, SMEs in particular, maintain confidence that they are being managed effectively and appropriately? Continue Reading

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• Rory Alsop

UK business overestimating level of consumer trust, study shows

UK consumer trust is low, with the majority of UK businesses admitting to selling customer data, a report reveals Continue Reading

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• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Australia’s health sector reports most data breaches again

In the first full quarter since Australia’s mandatory breach disclosure scheme came into effect, healthcare providers reported the most data breaches amid controversy over the national health record system Continue Reading

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• Beverley Head

Dixons Carphone ups data breach figure to 10 million

Dixons Carphone now believes the number of personal data records affected in 2017’s data breach is nearly 10 times greater than initially thought Continue Reading

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• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Briton ran pro-Kremlin disinformation campaign that helped Trump deny Russian links

A British IT manager and former hacker from Darlington ran a disinformation campaign that duped former US intelligence agents and provided Donald Trump with manufactured “evidence” to deny that Russia interfered with the US election Continue Reading

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• Duncan Campbell , 2QQ Ltd, Sussex University

Pentagon flags risky software suppliers

The Pentagon has drawn up a list of software suppliers that it wants the US military and defence contractors to avoid due to fears of risks to national security Continue Reading

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• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Security Think Tank: Not all security service providers are created equal

What critical security controls can be outsourced, and how do organisations, SMEs in particular, maintain confidence that they are being managed effectively and appropriately? Continue Reading

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• Maxine Holt, Omdia

Search begins for UK’s cyber security Unsung Heroes

The Security Serious cyber awareness campaign has opened nominations for the third annual cyber security Unsung Heroes awards Continue Reading

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• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Burden of data protection rests on firms and governments

A senior executive at Singapore’s Cyber Security Agency stressed the role of corporate data governance and government regulations in raising the bar on cyber security Continue Reading

By

• Ai Lei Tao

Post-quantum security on Airbus’s radar

With quantum computing on the horizon, multinational aerospace and defence firm Airbus is among those organisations that are looking at evolving their cryptography capabilities to stay ahead of technology Continue Reading

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• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Hackers targeting software supply chains, US report warns

A US government report on cyber espionage by China, Russia and Iran says software supply chains are increasingly under attack Continue Reading

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• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Cities key to making data a new form of infrastructure, says Nesta

City governments need to take charge of data use and leverage responsible innovation, as data should not be seen as a saleable commodity, but a common good, according to the innovation foundation Continue Reading

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• Lis Evenstad

Facebook stock price falls on slowing growth forecast

Facebook’s stock price has fallen dramatically in response to a forecast of slower revenue growth in 2018 and lower-than-expected user growth for the second quarter Continue Reading

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• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Smart cities face challenges and opportunities

IHS Markit analysts Noman Akhtar and Kevin Hasley assess the way forward for smart city technology projects around the world Continue Reading

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• Norman Akhtar and Kevin Hasley

Dark web cyber crime markets thriving

The market for cyber criminals’ services is thriving on the dark web, research reveals Continue Reading

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• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

ERP applications are under cyber attack, research confirms

ERP applications are increasingly being targeted by cyber criminals, hacktivists and nation-state actors, a report reveals Continue Reading

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• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Beyond GDPR: ePrivacy could have an even greater impact on mobile

From how we monitor air pollution and manage our public transport systems, to how we enable connected cars and the next generation of 5G mobile services, the forthcoming ePR could have a lasting impact on European society Continue Reading

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• Jade Nester, GSMA

Most firms have software security vulnerability

Most firms have a software vulnerability that can be exploited by cyber attackers, a study has revealed Continue Reading

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• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

What the ICO's Facebook fine teaches us

Legal expert Alexander Egerton considers whether the ICO’s planned £500,000 fine for Facebook is the precursor of a spate of increased fines across the board, or if it shows the ICO’s stance has not changed and will continue to target certain activities Continue Reading

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• Alexander Egerton, Seddons

MPs call for inquiry into smart meter roll-out

Government urged to conduct a review of the roll-out of smart meters for electricity and gas, and to intervene to tackle a number of failures Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Singapore public healthcare sector limits internet use

Healthcare workers who require internet access will have to use separate internet workstations following an unprecedented attack on Singapore’s public healthcare system Continue Reading

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• Aaron Tan, TechTarget