Privacy and data protection

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

By

• 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

By

• 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

By

• 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

By

• 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

By

• 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

By

• 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

By

• 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

By

• 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

By

• 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

By

• 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

By

• 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

By

• 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

By

• 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

By

• 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

By

• 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

By

• 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

By

• Aaron Tan, TechTarget

Zero trust security model boosts business confidence

Organisations that combine the zero trust security model with next-gen access are more confident about meeting access control challenges, a study shows Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Cyber security: A work in progress

Piers Wilson, director of the Institute of Information Security Professionals, reflects on the findings of the latest IISP industry survey and suggests there is still more work to do Continue Reading

By

• Piers Wilson, IISP

Huge Singapore data breach shows need for new approach

A major data breach in Singapore underlines the need for a new approach to protecting critical data and applications, say security experts Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

GDPR drives down UK insider threat

The insider threat in European countries is falling post-General Data Protection Regulation, but continues to rise in the US, a study has revealed Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

NCSC report underlines cyber threat for legal firms

Legal firms are a top target for cyber attackers, the latest report from the National Cyber Security Centre shows, emphasising the need for comprehensive cyber defence capabilities Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Uptick in UK privacy awareness, says ICO

The UK’s privacy watchdog, the Information Commissioner’s Office, reports increased public awareness of privacy and information rights issues Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

UK alerted to potential cyber risks of Huawei equipment

A report has raised concerns about the shortcomings of Huawei engineering processes, which it says could put UK telecommunications networks at risk Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Collaborative alliance to advance UK’s cyber security profession

Leading UK organisations in cyber security have united to develop a national professional body in the field Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Uber appoints first privacy and data protection chiefs

Uber is getting its privacy and data protection house in order in the wake of damaging data breaches and in anticipation of the company’s planned stock market launch in 2019 Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

NHS on the hunt for chief data officer

The NHS CDO will report directly to NHS Digital CEO Sarah Wilkinson, get paid up to £176,750 and be responsible for a budget of around £57m Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

Retail cyber security spending ineffective as breaches rise

Cyber attacks on the retail sector are increasing, and although most retailers plan to increase cyber security spending, planned investments are unlikely to be effective, a report reveals Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Cyber security top priority for aircraft makers, says Airbus

There is a high level of collaboration in the aircraft industry on cyber security, but not all other industries are at the same level, according to an industry veteran at multinational aerospace and defence firm Airbus Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Singapore to bolster threat intelligence sharing in financial sector

Singapore’s Cyber Security Agency has partnered the Financial Services Information Sharing and Analysis Centre to glean cyber threat intelligence for the country’s financial industry Continue Reading

By

• Aaron Tan, TechTarget

An insider’s look into the dark web

A principal research scientist at Sophos offers a glimpse into the abysses of the dark web in a bid to uncover what cyber crooks are up to Continue Reading

By

• Aaron Tan, TechTarget

Cryptominers plateau while backdoors shoot up

Illicit cryptocurrency mining appears to be slowing down, but backdoors increased rapidly in the second quarter of the year, a report warns Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

A third of organisations do not have a security expert, survey shows

Around a third of organisations are vulnerable to cyber attacks due to a lack of dedicated in-house cyber security experts, finds Gartner survey Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Mobile devices lost in London underline security risk

The security risk of lost mobile devices is underlined by the fact that almost 26,000 mobile phones and computing devices were lost in London in the past year alone Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Disaster recovery as a service: what you need to know 

Technological advances make disaster recovery as a service possible, but Computer Weekly investigates whether it is practical option for all businesses Continue Reading

By

• Rene Millman

Russian cyber attacks show need for international rules

Russian cyber attacks aimed at influencing foreign elections highlight the need for the international community to agree on rules of conduct and punitive consequences Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

New industry network to bolster data protection in ASEAN

The Data Protection Excellence network will assist organisations and individuals new to data protection laws by providing hands-on training and professional certification courses Continue Reading

By

• Aaron Tan, TechTarget

Injecting evidence into the On-line Child Safety Debate

1 in 10 of those who video chat with strangers have been asked to change or undress on camera … we need open and honest debate, not obfuscation and claims that these are technical matters, too ... Continue Reading

By

• Philip Virgo, Winsafe Ltd

Matching disaster recovery to cyber threats

While it is important to take steps to prevent cyber attacks, they can still happen. That is why disaster recovery practices are equally critical Continue Reading

By

• Nicholas Fearn

Hackers increasingly targeting cloud infrastructure

Cloud infrastructure is a growing target for cyber attackers because of available computing resources, as well as the repositories of valuable data, a report reveals Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Brexit proposal calls for standards alignment and data sharing

Although the government’s Brexit whitepaper focuses on curbing immigration, collaboration on cyber crime, data sharing and services are among the bargaining chips Continue Reading

By

• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor

Security Think Tank: A good password policy alone is not enough

In light of the fact that complex passwords are not as strong as most people think and that most password strategies inevitably lead to people following them blindly, what actually makes a good password and when is a password alone not enough? Continue Reading

By

• Bruce Beam , (ISC)²

Cyber attackers cashing in on ‘hidden’ attack surface

Cyber attackers are cashing in on organisations’ lack of visibility into all online interactions that can involve multiple third parties, a report reveals Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

An exciting time to be in cyber security innovation

Cyber security innovation has received a £1.35m shot in the arm from the UK government with the opening of a new innovation centre in London. Computer Weekly looks at why now is a good time to be working and innovating in this industry Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Cloudian adds Storage Made Easy file-sync-and-share compliance

Object storage maker adds file-sync-and-share with compliance filters from Storage Made Easy to restrict movement of potentially sensitive data between endpoints and datacentres Continue Reading

By

• Antony Adshead, Storage Editor

White-hat hackers find record number of vulnerabilities

White-hat hackers are finding more vulnerabilities than ever before, with crowdsourced security testing continuing to gain popularity, a report reveals Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Security Think Tank: Cracking the code – what makes a good password?

In light of the fact complex passwords are not as strong as most people think, and that most password strategies inevitably lead to people following them blindly, what actually makes a good password and when is a password alone not enough? Continue Reading

By

• Ramsés Gallego, Isaca

Facebook could face ICO fine of up to £500,000

Facebook could face the maximum fine provided by the UK’s previous data protection laws for lack of transparency and security issues relating to the harvesting of data, the UK’s privacy watchdog has revealed Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Hidden costs of data breaches difficult to manage, study finds

The full cost of “mega breaches” can be up to £264m, with the average UK data breach costing £2.69m, a study has revealed Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Lords urge Brexit negotiators to reach agreement on security

Time is running out for the UK and EU to agree on a future security relationship and if negotiators fail to find common ground, all stakeholders stand to lose, warns a Lords’ committee Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Collaborative taskforce launches security intelligence network

BAE Systems, Vodafone, cyber security incubator CyLon and other partners have joined forces in unveiling a manifesto for safeguarding society in the digital age Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Security Think Tank: Passwords alone are not good enough

In the light of the fact that complex passwords are not as strong as most people think, and that most password strategies inevitably lead to people following them blindly, what actually makes a good password and when is a password alone not enough? Continue Reading

By

• Emma Bickerstaffe, Information Security Forum (ISF)

Infosec community welcomes bank sector focus on cyber resilience

The information security community has welcomed regulators’ call on the banking industry to demonstrate their capability to respond to cyber attacks because it highlights the importance of cyber resilience for all businesses Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

ICO Grants Programme launches second round of funding

The ICO is inviting a second round of applications for funding to promote and support independent, innovative research and solutions focused on privacy and data protection Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

European Parliament calls for suspension of Privacy Shield

The Privacy Shield framework that replaced the Safe Harbour agreement for personal data transfers between the EU and the US is under increased pressure due to alleged non-compliance by US firms Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Security Think Tank: How to create good passwords and add security layers

In light of the fact complex passwords are not as strong as most people think and most password strategies inevitably lead to people following them blindly, what actually makes a good password - and when is a password alone not enough? Continue Reading

By

• Simon Persin, Turnkey Consulting

Beware blockchain security blindspots, warns RSA

Companies need to ensure that rushed blockchain and other new technology projects are not introducing security vulnerabilities by gaining granular visibility of network activity, according to RSA Security Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Security Think Tank: Complex passwords provide a false sense of security

In the light of the fact that complex passwords are not as strong as most people think, and that most password strategies inevitably lead to people following them blindly, what actually makes a good password and when is a password alone not enough? Continue Reading

By

• Tim Holman, 2-sec

Israel accuses Hamas of using spy apps to target soldiers

Israel has accused Hamas of using apps to hijack soldiers’ phones to spy on them, and UK defence secretary demonstrates how effective that could be Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Exiting EU committee cattle-prods government on 'data adequacy'

House of Commons Select Committee for Exiting the European Union urges the government to start the process to secure a “Data Adequacy Decision” from the EU pronto Continue Reading

By

• Brian McKenna, Enterprise Applications Editor

Security Think Tank: Use pass phrases and 2FA to beef up access control

In light of the fact complex passwords are not as strong as most people think, and that most password strategies inevitably lead to people following them blindly, what actually makes a good password – and when is a password alone not enough? Continue Reading

By

• Paddy Francis

NHS data breach caused details of 150,000 patients to be shared

The NHS has inadvertently shared the confidential data of 150,000 patients over a three-year period due to a coding error in one of the most common GP IT systems Continue Reading

By

• Lis Evenstad

Feds expand Facebook data sharing probe

The US federal probe into Facebook’s data sharing practices is expanding and MEPs are considering new measures as the firm reveals it granted extended access to 61 companies and admits to another data sharing software bug Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Security Think Tank: Put more layers around passwords to up security

In light of the fact that complex passwords are not as strong as most people think and most password strategies inevitably lead to people following them blindly, what actually makes a good password and when is a password alone not enough? Continue Reading

By

• Maxine Holt, Omdia

HMRC deactivates record number of fake websites

HM Revenue & Customs has removed more than 20,000 malicious websites in the past year, but warns people to stay alert to the threat from online fraudsters Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

UK government cyber security standard welcomed

The information security community has welcomed the publication of the government’s minimum cyber security standard, which could be used by any organisation to improve its cyber defences Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

GDPR exposes breach reporting flaws

In the month since the GDPR compliance deadline, it has become clear that many organisations are not well prepared for personal data breach notifications, says PwC’s data protection lead Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

UK biometrics strategy criticised for lack of content

The long-awaited government biometrics strategy falls short of the mark, say critics, failing to provide a detailed and coherent strategy or governance framework Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

British Muslim considers appeal after court rules repeated terrorism stops are legal

Muzaffar Abdullah, a 37-year-old gas engineer who has been stopped and questioned by police at airports at least 10 times, is considering an appeal after being found guilty of wilful obstruction for refusing to answer questions under controversial terrorism legislation. He received a conditional discharge. Continue Reading

By

• Bill Goodwin, Computer Weekly

First Lorca cohort to focus on security orchestration

The first companies to benefit from the new London cyber innovation centre will focus on cyber security orchestration and automation Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Ticketmaster warns of third-party data breach

Ticketmaster has warned of a potential data breach through malware found in a third-party customer support service, underlining the importance of supply chain security Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Lorca will help drive UK cyber exports, says ex-GCHQ boss

New London cyber security innovation centre will help to boost exports of UK cyber security expertise, says former GCHQ director Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Government must challenge popular smart city misconceptions

A report by the All Party Parliamentary Group on Smart Cities says many people feel alienated by the concept, and calls on the government to challenge some popular misconceptions Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Cyber criminals 'infect and collect' in cryptojacking surge

Illicit cryptocurrency mining offers cyber criminals lower risk, higher efficacy and greater ease of making money, adding passive exploitation to ransomware extortion, data breach theft and fraud, a report reveals Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

AI and other tech key to post-Brexit success, says Matt Hancock

Digital secretary Matt Hancock highlights the importance of emerging technologies to the future of the UK at the opening of London’s cyber security innovation centre Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Global IoT security standard remains elusive

Despite the lack of a global internet of things security standard, existing security frameworks are on the same page in areas such as device upgradability and data stewardship Continue Reading

By

• Aaron Tan, TechTarget

British Muslim challenges use of intelligence databases for repeated police stops

Muzaffar Abdullah is challenging police use of intelligence databases to repeatedly stop and question Muslims, after being arrested for refusing to answer questions under Schedule 7 of the Terrorism Act 2000. His lawyers say he had been stopped at least 10 times before and the police should have known he had no connection to terrorism Continue Reading

By

• Bill Goodwin, Computer Weekly

High-Tech Bridge bets on machine learning capabilities

Machine learning has a great potential to drive the automation of some security tasks to free up information security professionals to do more strategic work, says High-Tech Bridge founder Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Hospitality industry under siege from botnets

The hospitality industry, including hotels, airlines and cruise lines, is the biggest target for cyber criminal botnet attacks that abuse credentials and overwhelm online systems, a report reveals Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

London cyber innovation centre opens

The government-funded London cyber innovation centre is set to open today and welcome the first cyber security businesses as a study reveals that a quarter of UK firms lack the right security technology Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

UK privacy groups join call on EU to halt comms data collection

UK-based privacy groups have joined calls for a halt to the collection of communications data by European Union member states Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

UK cyber skills in demand, says Dorset firm C3IA Solutions

UK cyber security skills are in demand and there is a bright future in exporting them, according to Dorset-based firm C3IA Solutions Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Firms look to automation for cloud security

In the face of increasingly sophisticated and nation-state-sponsored cyber attacks, organisations are looking to managed security services and automation for security in the cloud and on-premise Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Infosec pros expect increase in nation state cyber attacks

Most information security professionals expect a rise in nation state cyber attacks, with more than two-thirds preparing to defend against them Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Government sponsors diversity cyber academy

The UK government has awarded a grant for the establishment of a cyber academy to promote neurodiversity in the industry Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Younger employees 'main culprits' for security breaches

UK senior decision makers believe younger workers are the biggest risk to cyber security, but are doing little to support them and reduce that risk, a report reveals Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Most small businesses fail to act after a cyber attack  

Nearly half of small businesses have suffered at least one cyber attack in the past year, yet most fail to take action afterwards, citing lack of budget at the biggest challenge Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Singapore remains hotbed for cyber threats

Singapore was a victim of advanced persistent threats, phishing and website defacements in 2017, according to the latest threat landscape report by the Cyber Security Agency Continue Reading

By

• Aaron Tan, TechTarget

Surface web used in private data sales

The surface web plays an integral role in the selling of personal information, a report on identify fraud has revealed Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

MPs see risk to critical infrastructure as top threat

A majority of MPs are concerned about the cyber threat to critical national infrastructure, a survey has revealed Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Singapore firms unprepared for GDPR

An EY study reveals that only 10% of organisations in Singapore are ready to comply with the Europe’s new data protection regime. Continue Reading

Microsoft becomes devoted to open source developers

In this week’s Computer Weekly, after Microsoft’s recent acquisition of GitHub, we examine the software giant’s tools for embracing open source developers. Secretary of state for digital, culture, media and sport Matt Hancock talks about growing the UK digital economy and supporting the tech sector. And we look at SAP’s next steps for its “intelligent enterprise” strategy. Read the issue now. Continue Reading

European Parliament heads for showdown with US over Privacy Shield

By Kevin Cahill The Justice Committee of the European Parliament has set the scene for a major showdown with the US over data transfers between the EU and the US by setting a Sept 1st deadline for ... Continue Reading

By

• Bill Goodwin, Computer Weekly

AI is key to keeping IBM compliant with GDPR

Artificial intelligence is vital for keeping IBM compliant with the principles of the General Data Protection Regulation, which, in turn, provides opportunities for business, says the company’s data protection officer Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

NCSC urges action after Dixons Carphone breach

The National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) is urging UK business to improve data protection capabilities after Dixons Carphone revealed that millions of payment card and personal data records may have been compromised in a cyber breach Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Dixons Carphone admits 'falling short' on data protection

Dixons Carphone has warned that millions of credit card and personal data records may have been compromised in a cyber breach Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

Insurer Beazley meets global challenge to secure mobile workforce

Beazley has stolen a march on other London-market insurers by implementing a versatile global digital workspace with improved security Continue Reading

By

• Christian Annesley

Security Think Tank: GDPR requires unprecedented view of data flows

Why is it important to know where data flows, with whom it's shared and where it lives at rest, and what is the best way of achieving this? Continue Reading

By

• Yves Le Roux, (ISC)2