Security policy and user awareness

Complex Russian cyber threat requires we go back to basics

The situation in Russia is anything but simple, but it is the fundamentals of cyber security hygiene that pose the best defence against the country’s digital threat, as Mandiant’s Jamie Collier explains Continue Reading

By

• Matthew Staff

Aussie mobile users most vulnerable to security threats

Australia has the highest percentage of mobile app threats detected on a per-device basis, with iPhone users more likely to download a risky app than an Android user, study finds Continue Reading

By

• Aaron Tan, TechTarget

What the EU’s content-filtering rules could mean for UK tech

EU proposals to clamp down on child sexual abuse material will have a material impact on the UK’s technology sector Continue Reading

By

• Peter Ray Allison

Consider governance, coordination and risk to secure supply chain

A recent ISACA study found myriad factors that give good reason to be concerned about supply chain security. Cyber adviser Brian Fletcher recommends three areas to zero in on Continue Reading

By

• Brian Fletcher

MoD sets out strategy to develop military AI with private sector

The UK Ministry of Defence has outlined its intention to work closely with the private sector to develop and deploy a range of artificial intelligence-powered technologies, committing to ‘lawful and ethical AI use’ Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

Office 365 loophole may give ransomware an easy shot at your files

Researchers at Proofpoint have discovered potentially dangerous Microsoft Office 365 functionality that they believe may give ransomware a clear shot at files stored on SharePoint and OneDrive Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Security Think Tank: Best practices for boosting supply chain security

In a highly connected world, managing the supply chain landscape requires an adaptation of the ‘traditional’ approach to managing cyber risk Continue Reading

By

• Carl Nightingale

Interpol arrests thousands in global cyber fraud crackdown

A two-month operation saw law enforcement agencies in 76 countries crack down on organised cyber fraud Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Patch Tuesday dogged by concerns over Microsoft vulnerability response

The last Patch Tuesday in its current form is overshadowed by persistent concerns about how Microsoft deals with vulnerability disclosure Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Security Think Tank: Basic steps to secure your supply chain

When it comes to supply chain security, there are some core things you should be doing – but remember, the devil is in the detail Continue Reading

By

• Petra Wenham

MS Azure Synapse vulnerability fixed after six-month slog

Microsoft patched a critical Azure Synapse vulnerability twice, but each time the researcher who discovered it was able to bypass it with ease, leading to a lengthy saga Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Government recommits to UK’s cyber future in Digital Strategy

New strategy leans heavily on cyber security but stops short of announcing any initiatives that have not already been launched or heavily trailed Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

New warning over tech suppliers in thrall to hostile governments

Ukraine war could lead to shakeup of dual-use tech exports, says former UK intelligence officer Continue Reading

By

• Joe Fay

Qatar bolsters cyber security in preparation for World Cup

With hackers honing their cyber weapons to target the upcoming football World Cup, Qatar is busy developing countermeasures and raising awareness Continue Reading

By

• Pat Brans, Pat Brans Associates/Grenoble Ecole de Management

Security Think Tank: Don’t trust the weakest link? Don’t trust any link

Your security model shouldn’t fall apart just because a part of your business, or a partner, has weak security. This is why information-centric security is a must Continue Reading

By

• Tim Holman, 2-sec

Snake Keylogger climbing malware charts, says Check Point

Cyber criminals behind Snake Keylogger campaigns have been switching up their tactics in the past few weeks, say researchers Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

SolarWinds CEO offers to commit staffers to government cyber agencies

A new proposal from SolarWinds’ outspoken CEO, Sudhakar Ramakrishna, could see software companies commit key staff to work with government cyber agencies to improve cooperation and incident response Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Cyber researchers step in to fill Patch Tuesday’s shoes

Afraid you’ll miss Patch Tuesday when it’s gone? You’re not alone, but security analysts at Recorded Future are taking action to help the community come to terms with its loss Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

China using top consumer routers to hack Western comms networks

An advisory from US cyber authorities shares details of multiple vulnerabilities exploited by Chinese state actors to hack into Western telecoms networks Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

How has the UK response to ransomware worked?

Ransomware gangs begin with their own due diligence - to calculate how much the victim (or insurer) will pay before reporting. They are likely to move on and find a victim who will not report, ... Continue Reading

By

• Philip Virgo, Winsafe Ltd

What does the EU’s NIS 2 cyber directive cover?

We run the rule over the European Union’s updated NIS2 security directive Continue Reading

By

• Will Dixon

The importance of making information security more accessible

Robin Smith, CSO of Aston Martin Lagonda, talks about how an accessible approach to cyber is helping him to keep the organisation secure Continue Reading

By

• Robin Smith, chief security officer, Aston Martin Lagonda

Researchers discover zero-day Microsoft vulnerability in Office

Malicious Word documents have been used to invoke a previously undisclosed vulnerability in Microsoft Office without user interaction through Windows utility functions Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

Attack of the clones: the rise of identity theft on social media

The proliferation of social media has resulted in the rise of identity theft on these platforms, with accounts copied for fraudulent or malicious purposes. What can be done to mitigate it? Continue Reading

By

• Peter Ray Allison

Industrial systems not safe for the future, say Dutch ethical hackers

Ethical hackers in the Netherlands say operational technology and IT networks need to be integrated to prevent cyber attacks penetrating their operations Continue Reading

By

• Kim Loohuis

Strong internal foundations are key to withstanding external threats

The modern-day abundance of platforms, apps and IT tools presents malicious actors with a web of interconnection that is easily exploited to move rapidly through the network to compromise critical assets. Security teams need to understand these attack pathways better in order to fight back Continue Reading

By

• Steve Forbes

Security Think Tank: Core security processes must adapt in a complex landscape

The modern-day abundance of platforms, apps and IT tools presents malicious actors with a web of interconnection that is easily exploited to move rapidly through the network to compromise critical assets. Security teams need to understand these attack pathways better in order to fight back Continue Reading

By

• Andrew Morris, Turnkey Consulting

Two-thirds of UK organisations defrauded since start of pandemic

Nearly two out of three UK companies say they have experienced some form of fraud or economic crime in the past two years, according to a report Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Most CFOs being left out of ransomware conversations

Barely a tenth of CFOs are actively involved in planning for cyber attacks, according to a report Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Ransomware volumes grew faster than ever in 2021

Verizon’s annual DBIR assessment of the security landscape highlights an unprecedented boom in ransomware volumes, to the surprise of nobody Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Did the Conti ransomware crew orchestrate its own demise?

Analysts examining the shutdown of the Conti ransomware syndicate suggest the cyber crime collective orchestrated its own demise Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Security Think Tank: Understanding attack paths is a question of training

The modern-day abundance of platforms, apps and IT tools presents malicious actors with a web of interconnection that is easily exploited to move rapidly through the network to compromise critical assets. Security teams need to understand these attack pathways better in order to fight back Continue Reading

By

• Mike Gillespie

How Ivanti views patch management with a security lens

Bringing development, operations and security teams together will help organisations to improve their visibility of IT assets and vulnerabilities while keeping threat actors at bay Continue Reading

By

• Aaron Tan, TechTarget

Applying international law to cyber will be a tall order

Many in the security community have voiced their support for the UK government’s ambitions to work towards agreement with other countries on the application of international law to cyber space, but not without some reservations Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Microsoft drops emergency patch after Patch Tuesday screw up

Microsoft fixed a certificate mapping issue that caused server authentication failures on domain controllers for users that had installed the most recent Patch Tuesday updates Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Former Welsh steelworks becomes ‘living’ cyber lab

ResilientWorks security centre in Ebbw Vale provides an education hub for students and a testbed for industry Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Defensive cyber attacks may be justified, says attorney general

Speaking ahead of a speech at the Chatham House think tank, the UK’s attorney general has suggested defensive cyber attacks against hostile countries may be legally justifiable Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Top cyber criminal earnings outpace those of business leaders

Cyber crime can pay significantly better than leading a FTSE 100 organisation, according to a report Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Red teaming will be standard in Dutch governmental organisations by 2025

The Dutch government wants to include the testing of the digital security of systems, processes and people – also known as red teaming – in all of its governmental organisations’ test planning and budgeting by 2025 at the latest Continue Reading

By

• Kim Loohuis

Security Think Tank: Yes, zero trust can help you understand attack paths

The modern-day abundance of platforms, apps and IT tools presents malicious actors with a web of interconnection that is easily exploited to move rapidly through the network to compromise critical assets. Security teams need to understand these attack pathways better in order to fight back Continue Reading

By

• Paul Holland, Information Security Forum

Security Think Tank: To follow a path, you need a good map

The modern-day abundance of platforms, apps and IT tools presents malicious actors with a web of interconnection that is easily exploited to move rapidly through the network to compromise critical assets. Security teams need to understand these attack pathways better in order to fight back Continue Reading

By

• Petra Wenham

(ISC)² to train 100,000 cyber pros in UK

Security association (ISC)² unveils ambitious UK training programme Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Australian CISOs least prepared for cyber attacks

Australian CISOs are under pressure and feel the least prepared globally to deal with the consequences of a cyber attack, study finds Continue Reading

By

• Aaron Tan, TechTarget

Keeping Singapore’s critical systems secure

Tracy Thng offers a glimpse into her work in strengthening the cyber resilience of 11 essential service sectors in Singapore Continue Reading

By

• Aaron Tan, TechTarget

Open source community sets out path to secure software

A 10-point plan to improve the security and resilience of open source software was presented this week at a summit in the US Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Mind the gap: public and private sector disparity in cybersecurity

Amidst increasingly sophisticated cyber attacks and a constantly shifting threat landscape, cyber security partnerships across the private and public sector are essential in tackling these threats. ... Continue Reading

By

• Louella Fernandes, Quocirca

GPDPR data scrape a ‘mistake’, says leading scientist

Giving evidence to the Science and Technology Committee, academic, physician and science writer Ben Goldacre has expressed serious misgivings about the on-hold GPDPR NHS data scrape Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

CW Benelux: Meta shelves hyperscale datacentre plan in Netherlands

Meta’s plan for a hyperscale datacentre in the Netherlands which was to serve the metaverse world has been halted following a campaign by environmentalists and the Dutch parliament’s call for the government to do everything in its power to stop the facility being built. Also read how the Dutch arm of customer services supplier Teleperformance has led the entire organisation to adopt robotic process automation software. Continue Reading

Security Think Tank: Your path to understanding attack paths

The modern-day abundance of platforms, apps and IT tools presents malicious actors with a web of interconnection that is easily exploited to move rapidly through the network to compromise critical assets. Security teams need to understand these attack pathways better in order to fight back Continue Reading

By

• Paddy Francis

APAC career guide: Becoming a cyber security pro

The region’s burgeoning cyber security industry has attracted more talent last year, but it takes more than just technical knowhow to succeed in the field Continue Reading

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• Aaron Tan, TechTarget

Nerbian RAT enjoys using Covid-19 phishing lures

The world is slowly coming to terms with Covid-19, but fear of the coronavirus is no less useful to cyber criminals because of it, as Proofpoint researchers have discovered Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Emotet has commanding lead on Check Point monthly threat chart

Emotet remains by some margin the most prevalent malware, according to Check Point’s latest monthly statistics Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

CyberUK 22: Five Eyes focuses on MSP security

The western intelligence community has set out practical steps IT service providers and their customers can take to protect themselves Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

CyberUK 22: Data-sharing service to protect public from scams

A new data-sharing service set up by the NCSC and industry partners will give ISPs access to real-time threat data that they can use to block fraudulent websites Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Cyber accreditation body Crest forges new training partnerships

Crest says partnerships with Hack The Box and Immersive Labs will enhance its members’ defensive and offensive security skills Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Microsoft fixes three zero-days on May Patch Tuesday

It’s the second-to-last Patch Tuesday as we know it, and Microsoft has fixed a total of 75 bugs, including three zero-days Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

‘Spy cops’ inquiry delves into police relationship with MI5

There was ‘no filter’ on the information that undercover police officers were collecting on activists throughout the 1970s, despite senior managers and officials involved in directing the surveillance questioning the appropriateness of the information gathering and sharing Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

CyberUK 22: Cyber leaders affirm UK’s whole-of-society strategy

On the opening day of CyberUK 2022, GCHQ director Jeremy Fleming and NCSC CEO Lindy Cameron have spoken of their commitment to the government’s ambition for a whole-of-society cyber strategy Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

CyberUK 22: NCSC refreshes cloud security guidance

The National Cyber Security Centre is revising its cloud guidance as increasing uptake of potentially vulnerable cloud services puts more organisations at risk of compromise Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

CyberUK 22: Wales splashes £9.5m on cyber innovation hub

A new innovation hub hopes to spur on cyber security innovation in Wales Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

CyberUK 22: NCSC’s ACD programme blocks 2.7 million scams

On the opening day of its annual CyberUK event, the NCSC reveals how organisations around the country have used its Active Cyber Defence programme to their advantage Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

How to retain cyber talent in the Great Resignation

The cyber security industry is experiencing alarming rates of resignations, leaving organisations vulnerable to cyber attacks. How can we better retain cyber talent? Continue Reading

By

• Nicholas Fearn

Security Think Tank: Identify, assess and monitor to understand attack paths

The modern-day abundance of platforms, apps and IT tools presents malicious actors with a web of interconnection that is easily exploited to move rapidly through the network to compromise critical assets. Security teams need to understand these attack pathways better in order to fight back Continue Reading

By

• Rob McElvanney

NHS email accounts hijacked for phishing campaign

Microsoft credentials targeted in phishing operation using hijacked NHSMail accounts Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

Intellectual property theft operation attributed to Winnti group

Winnti conducted a prolonged cyber espionage campaign that went undetected for years, allowing it to exfiltrate massive amounts of corporate data and intellectual property Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

Security Think Tank: Defenders must get out ahead of complexity

The modern-day abundance of platforms, apps and IT tools presents malicious actors with a web of interconnection that is easily exploited to move rapidly through the network to compromise critical assets. Security teams need to better understand these attack pathways to fight back Continue Reading

By

• Jack Chapman

Five TLS comms vulnerabilities hit Aruba, Avaya switching kit

Five new vulnerabilities in the implementation of transport layer security communications leave several popular switches vulnerable to remote code execution Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

Ransomware recovery costs dwarf actual ransoms

The cost of recovering from a ransomware attack far outweighs the ransoms now being demanded by cyber criminals, according to recent data Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Manufacturer sues JPMorgan after cyber criminals stole $272m

Manufacturer files lawsuit alleging that US bank failed to inform it of suspicious transaction activity Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Russia plumbs new depths in cyber war on Ukraine

Microsoft details cyber attacks on Ukrainian civilian communications, nuclear safety authorities, and the exploitation of the destruction of Mariupol in a phishing campaign Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Log4Shell, ProxyLogon, ProxyShell among most exploited bugs of 2021

These 15 CVEs were the most commonly exploited last year, and if you haven’t mitigated against them, now is the time Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Leeds Beckett’s ethical hacking platform wins Innovate UK backing

An ethical hacking and cyber education platform developed at Leeds Beckett University has received a major funding boost to help it launch commercially Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

BT, Toshiba team on first commercial trial of quantum secured network with EY

Revolutionary computer infrastructure to be used in trial of management consultancy’s aim to connect quantum secure data transmission between its major London offices Continue Reading

By

• Joe O’Halloran, Computer Weekly

Emotet tests new tricks to thwart enhanced security

The operators of the Emotet botnet seem to be trying to find a way to get around recent changes made by Microsoft to better protect its users Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

How Adnovum is leveraging its Swiss roots

Software company Adnovum is leveraging its strengths in identity and access management and its Swiss heritage as it expands into new markets and areas such as zero-trust security Continue Reading

By

• Aaron Tan, TechTarget

UAE bolsters cyber security

The United Arab Emirates has successfully improved its security posture amid mounting cyber threats Continue Reading

By

• Pat Brans, Pat Brans Associates/Grenoble Ecole de Management

Five Eyes in new Russia cyber warning

Latest cross-body alert warns of Russian threat to utilities and other core elements of national infrastructure Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

CW APAC: Trend Watch: Cyber security

Protection from malicious actors has become a critical consideration for organisations in recent years. In this handbook, focused on cyber security in the Asia-Pacific region, Computer Weekly looks at how to minimise edge security risks, India’s rise in cyber security revenues, Check Point’s sales force and partner ecosystem processes, and Trellix’s decision to democratise XDR access Continue Reading

One-third of scams that hit TSB are impersonation fraud

TSB reports an increase in fraudsters impersonating trusted organisations to trick consumers into making payments to them Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

AWS fixes vulnerabilities in Log4Shell hot patch

AWS issues fixes for a series of Log4Shell hot patches after they turned out to leave its services vulnerable to further exploitation Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Median threat actor ‘dwell time’ dropped during 2021

Security teams appear to be getting better at detecting attackers within their networks, according to a report Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Lack of expertise hurting UK government’s cyber preparedness

UK government bodies and critical infrastructure owners cite a lack of staff resources, and internal and external expertise, as hampering factors when it comes to cyber readiness, according to a report Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

WatchGuard firewall users urged to patch Cyclops Blink vulnerability

The US authorities have seen fit to add the WatchGuard vulnerability used by Sandworm to build the Cyclops Blink botnet to its list of must-patch vulnerabilities Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Microsoft patches two zero-days, 10 critical bugs

Patch Tuesday is here once again. This month, security teams must fix two privilege escalation zero-days in the Windows Common Log File System Driver and the Windows User Profile Service Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Criminals researched hacking TTPs post-breach in ‘messy’ cyber attack

Sophos shares details of a cyber attack that saw attackers hang out in their victim environment for five months while they prepared to sow further mischief Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Universal IAM policy failings put cloud environments at risk

Almost all organisations lack appropriate IAM policy controls to effectively secure their data in the cloud, according to a damning study Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Open source CMS platform Directus patches XSS bug

A stored cross-site scripting vulnerability in the Directus platform could have enabled malicious actors to gain access to valuable data Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

We must target a broad church to fill vacant cyber roles

The security industry focuses a lot on cyber-specific specialisms and technical skills, but it could really benefit from widening its search. Take it from a social anthropologist Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Raspberry Pi Foundation ditches default username policy

Raspberry Pi owners will no longer be able to use the default ‘pi’ username, as the Raspberry Pi Foundation clamps down on insecure practices Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Just How Secure Are You?

Back in the autumn of last year, I talked about a vendor – Bugcrowd – that doesn’t simply rely on AI and ML within a microchip, but actually uses real flesh and bone people (AKA ethical hackers) to ... Continue Reading

By

• Steve Broadhead, Broadband Testing

Nordic countries discuss joint cyber defence capability

Nordic countries are in talks to increase their cyber defences in the face of the threat from Russia Continue Reading

By

• Gerard O'Dwyer

Was Spring4Shell a lot of hot air? No, but...

Find out why Spring4Shell was apparently not as impactful a security problem as many had at first feared, and why it’s on the cyber community as a whole to do better Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Apple criticised over unpatched CVEs in Catalina, Big Sur

Apple patched two zero-days in macOS Monterey last week, but did not address the same issue in Catalina or Big Sur, raising questions Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Does Anyone Trust Zero Trust?

Has there been a more over-used term within IT security over the past few years than “zero trust”? Answers in the virtual black box at the back of the virtual room (in the virtual universe). I ... Continue Reading

By

• Steve Broadhead, Broadband Testing

Secrecy over police EncroChat hacking is unconstitutional, defence lawyers tell top French court

France’s constitutional court, the Conseil Constitutionnel, has heard arguments that the use of ‘defence secrecy’ to withhold information about police surveillance operations breaches the French constitution Continue Reading

By

• Bill Goodwin, Computer Weekly

Triple-threat Borat malware no joke for victims

Unlike its namesake, the newly discovered Borat malware won’t raise a smile for IT security pros Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Apple drops emergency patches for two zero-days

Apple has fixed two zero-day vulnerabilities that appear to have been actively exploited in the wild Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Global upheaval shows cyber security isn’t good enough, says GCHQ director

Generational global upheaval has laid bare significant gaps in national cyber strategies, GCHQ chief Jeremy Fleming has said in a speech Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Lapsus$ cyber crime spree continues despite arrests

The arrests of seven people in connection with the Lapsus$ cyber crime group has not dented the gang’s enthusiasm for causing chaos Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

One-third of UK firms suffer a cyber attack every week

New statistics from the annual DCMS Cyber security breaches survey reveal the extent and frequency with which UK organisations are being attacked by malicious actors Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor