Security policy and user awareness

UK’s FCA bans crypto exchange Binance as crackdown spreads

Ban on Binance Markets comes amid a wider global crackdown on the largely unregulated global market for cryptocurrencies and related assets. Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

HMRC-branded phishing scams surge despite protections

The number of HMRC-branded phishing scams surged 87% in the past 12 months, according to latest revealed figures Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

NCSC CEO: UK-Ireland collaboration crucial to stop cyber threats

Speaking at a conference in Dublin, NCSC Lindy Cameron is highlighting the importance of continued collaboration between the UK and Ireland to protect shared interests and counter security threats Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

CMA to probe Amazon and Google over fake reviews

The CMA has opened an investigation into Amazon and Google over possible breaches of consumer protection law Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

AWS launches bug-busting programme for developers

Amazon Web Services is inviting customers to probe their code for software bugs and vulnerabilities using its CodeGuru console Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Google hands third-party cookies a stay of execution

Google’s proposed Privacy Sandbox initiative – which will see third-party cookies phased out in the Chrome web browser – has been pushed back to 2023 Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

NCSC recognises cyber degree apprenticeships for the first time

Addition of new cyber courses to National Cyber Security Centre’s accredited list will supposedly help students make better choices and help universities get more funding Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Stalkerware apps becoming normalised among young people

Data in a new report appears to show that dangerous stalkerware apps are becoming normalised in younger age groups Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

(ISC)² makes ransomware education course free through 31 July

Cyber security association is making its Professional Development Institute course on ransomware free to the general public until the end of July Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Make ransomware payments illegal, say 79% of cyber pros

Report produced for MSSP Talion claims overwhelming support for the criminalisation of ransomware payments Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

City of York picks Barracuda Networks for data protection

York Council needed to refresh its backup service to bring new security protections after it went ‘all-in’ on Microsoft Office 365 Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

European Union to set up new cyber response unit

Proposed Joint Cyber Unit will tackle a rising number of serious incidents impacting public services, businesses and citizens of the EU Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

UK councils reported over 700 data breaches to ICO in 2020

Data disclosed under the Freedom of Information Act reveals an estimated 700 data breaches were reported to the Information Commissioner’s Office by local councils last year Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

SonicWall sees 226.3 million ransomware attack attempts this year

SonicWall detected 226.3 million attempted ransomware attacks between January and May 2021, more than double the number seen in the same period last year Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

NSPCC, IWF help under-18s scrub their nude photos from the web

Report Remove tool is designed to be used by under-18s to report nude images or videos of themselves that have appeared online Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

UK SMEs lack capacity to fend off cyber attacks

Three-quarters of UK SME leaders would not have sufficient capacity or expertise to deal with a cyber attack, according to a report Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

A new three-year plan for digital government

In this week’s Computer Weekly, the new CEO of the Gov-ernment Digital Service, Tom Read, explains his three-year strategy for improving online public services. EU attempts to regulate AI are under fire – we examine the issues. And we find out how Bupa is turning to the cloud to deliver per-sonalised healthcare. Read the issue now. Continue Reading

Parliamentary devices left in taxis, buses, trains and pubs

Nearly 100 devices belonging to parliamentary staffers, including MPs and peers, were lost or stolen over the course of 2019 and 2020 Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Lorca Ignite programme targets breakout cyber talent

Six of the most successful companies to have come through Lorca’s existing accelerators are being inducted into an intensive programme Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Cyber crooks target Amazon Prime users ahead of retail bonanza

A surge in malicious domain registrations ahead of Amazon Prime Day indicates cyber criminals have set their sights on exploiting vulnerable shoppers Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Biden tackles Putin on ransomware at Geneva summit

Discussions between Joe Biden and Vladimir Putin on cyber crime appear to have been somewhat positive, but the path ahead remains unclear Continue Reading

Organisations cannot rely on cyber insurance to cover losses

Ransomware attacks have become a big driver of cyber insurance claims, but insurance must not be relied upon as a failsafe, says a report Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Privacy pro salaries rise throughout pandemic, but at a cost

Data from the IAPP’s latest salary survey reveals some insight into how the pandemic impacted the privacy profession Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

The Security Interviews: How to build a government model to ‘hack for good’

Kyle Hanslovan started Huntress to give back after a career in the intelligence sector. After US authorities took action to help people hit by the Microsoft Exchange attacks, we discussed how governments can ‘hack for good’ Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

G7 commits to action on ransomware, digital privacy

The G7 urges Russia to do more to hold criminal ransomware gangs operating from within its borders to account as it commits to more action on the issue Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

FBI planned a sting against An0m cryptophone users over drinks with Australian investigators

Australian Federal Police and the FBI came up with the idea over drinks: build a cryptophone network with a built-in backdoor and sell it to crime gangs around the world Continue Reading

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• Bill Goodwin, Investigations Editor

Security Think Tank: To secure printers think process, technology and people

Though rarely discussed in a cyber context, the prevalence of connected printers and MFPs poses security risks both technological and physical. What does a print security strategy need to take into account? Continue Reading

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• Louise Barber, Turnkey Consulting

UK promises tougher line on cyber crime

Speaking ahead of the G7 Summit, foreign secretary Dominic Raab says the UK is ready to take on cyber criminals and other malicious actors wherever they may be Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Australia names ‘strategic’ datacentre operators

Australia’s Digital Transformation Agency certifies Macquarie Telecom, Canberra Data Centres and Australian Data Centres as strategic operators for hosting government data Continue Reading

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• Aaron Tan, Informa TechTarget

Risk data shows UK energy sector most vulnerable to cyber attack

New report compiled by insurance firm Hiscox reveals the state of cyber preparedness in the UK and beyond Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Security Think Tank: Time to accept printers will leak data

Though rarely discussed in a cyber context, the prevalence of connected printers and MFPs poses security risks both technological and physical. What does a print security strategy need to take into account? Continue Reading

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• Andy Jones, Information Security Forum (ISF)

Australian organisations face heightened cyber attacks

Nearly three in four Australian organisations experienced cyber attacks that largely resulted from a growing remote workforce in 2020 Continue Reading

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• Aaron Tan, Informa TechTarget

Unit 42 warns of emergent Prometheus ransomware

Palo Alto’s Unit 42 shares intel on the emergent Prometheus ransomware gang, with apparent links to the Thanos crew Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Why agility is the key to secure software

Continuous delivery of software product releases demands continuous security. Businesses and regulators are right to wonder whether organisations are valuing cyber security by the design of their products Continue Reading

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• Raihan Islam, defineXTEND

Microsoft fixes seven zero-days on its Patch Tuesday rounds

Fixes for six actively-exploited – and one yet-to-be-exploited – zero-day bugs are released in the June 2021 Patch Tuesday update Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

NHS Digital delays data collection plans until September

NHS Digital has postponed its proposed collection of GP data for two months, to allow more time for the public to understand the process and opt out if wanted Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

We Open Tech community supports non-binary and trans security pros

New tech community established to advocate for the interests of non-binary people, trans and cis women, trans men, and other marginalised genders in security Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

National data guardian calls for dialogue on NHS Digital GP plans

The UK’s national data guardian says it is important the public has clarity on how their confidential medical information will be used and kept secure under NHS data-sharing plans Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

The rise and rise of supply chain attacks

Supply chain attacks in Asia-Pacific and elsewhere have intensified as cyber threat actors look to exploit the weakest links in business and digital supply chains Continue Reading

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• Aaron Tan, Informa TechTarget

Security Think Tank: What must a secure print strategy take into account?

Though rarely discussed in a cyber context, the prevalence of connected printers and MFPs poses security risks both technological and physical. What does a print security strategy need to take into account? Continue Reading

By

• Josh Foote

NCSC updates schools ransomware guidance amid surge

The National Cyber Security Centre says it is dealing with a renewed surge of ransomware attacks targeting schools, colleges and universities Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Campaigners plan legal action over NHS data sharing

Privacy coalition aims to force NHS Digital to push back its plans to scrape medical information on millions of patients into a central database Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Towards Joined Up Action on On-line Harms, Fraud and Cybersecurity

We have to join up the debate and put cybersecurity into business, economic and social context. Hence the importance of the Digital Policy Alliance and its groups. Continue Reading

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• Philip Virgo, Winsafe Ltd

Security Think Tank: Printers can’t be an ‘add-on’ in your cyber strategy

Though rarely discussed in a cyber context, the prevalence of connected printers and MFPs does pose security risks both technological and physical. What does a print security strategy need to take into account? Continue Reading

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• Michael Howard and Kimberlee Ann Brannock, ISACA

BCS: Lack of communication over NHS GPDPR ‘astonishing’

The Chartered Institute for IT has warned that millions of people are not being properly informed of NHS Digital plans to harvest their data Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Government action on ransomware epidemic gathers pace

The US government steps up action against ransomware operators, while the UK’s NCSC publishes guidance on preparing to deal with a ransomware attack Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Norway’s auditor general lifts lid on energy industry’s cyber security risks

Auditor General’s Office questions the security posture of Norway’s energy industry Continue Reading

By

• Gerard O'Dwyer

Scottish businesses missing out on Cyber Essentials benefits

More than a third of Scottish businesses do not believe they are adequately prepared to deal with a cyber security incident Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Security Think Tank: Steps to a coherent print security strategy

Though rarely discussed in a cyber context, the prevalence of connected printers and MFPs poses security risks both technological and physical. What does a print security strategy need to take into account? Continue Reading

By

• Paddy Francis

What the Telecommunications (Security) Bill means for UK industry

The Telecommunications (Security) Bill is intended to reinforce the security of the UK telecommunications infrastructure, but what are the implications for industry? Continue Reading

By

• Peter Ray Allison

Security Think Tank: Printer risks go deep into IT history

Though rarely discussed in a cyber context, the prevalence of connected printers and MFPs does pose security risks both technological and physical. What does a print security strategy need to take into account? Continue Reading

By

• Mike Lloyd, RedSeal

Long-term thinking is vital to secure UK’s critical infrastructure

To face down the threat of cyber warfare against UK CNI, the government needs long-term thinking that looks beyond the next general election cycle, says Advent-IM’s Mike Gillespie Continue Reading

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• Mike Gillespie

Ex-IT manager stole over £800,000 from NHS trust

A former senior IT manager at an Essex NHS trust has pleaded guilty to defrauding his employer out of more than £800,000 Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Microsoft brings APAC policymakers together in security council

Microsoft’s APAC public sector security council will meet once a quarter to share threat intelligence and best practices for combating cyber threats Continue Reading

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• Aaron Tan, Informa TechTarget

Inept cybersecurity education and training feed into skills gap

Learn why former infosec instructor and author of 'How Cybersecurity Really Works' advocates for changes to security education and training to alleviate the industry skills gap. Continue Reading

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• Katie Donegan, Social Media Manager

Privacy experts concerned over NHS data collection plans

Security and data privacy experts warn NHS Digital that its data collection plans could increase risk and cause a public backlash Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Loss of 150,000 police records made worse by management failures

The loss of 150,000 records from a number of national policing systems was caused by a human coding error, but made worse by process and management failures Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

Security ops teams struggle to switch off at home

Spiralling stress levels among SOC and IT security teams can be attributed mainly to alert overload, says Trend Micro Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Lessons from the Post Office Horizon Case

The presumption of the machine functioning properly in practice, means that the prosecution can rely on the presumption that a computer was operating reliably at all material times. It needs to be ... Continue Reading

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• Philip Virgo, Winsafe Ltd

Policies key to revolutionising Identity Governance and Administration

The proliferation of digital identities, applications, data, security threats and compliance requirements means that Identity Governance and Administration (IGA) has never been more important, but not all organisations are approaching it in an effective and efficient way Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

CyberSprinters game gives kids a head start, says NCSC

An online game for primary schools, clubs and youth organisations will teach children aged seven to 11 the fundamentals of staying safe online Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Threat of group GDPR legal action haunts CISOs

The vast majority of security leaders questioned for a new report say they are concerned about the possibility of group legal settlements against them following a serious data breach Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

McAfee to change terms of auto-renewing consumer plans

Consumers who found their McAfee antivirus contracts auto-renewed will be able to get out of their contracts and get their money back Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Industry reflects on three years of GDPR

Looking back on 12 tumultuous months, we assess how GDPR has weathered the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic and Brexit, and consider what the coming year may hold for data protection Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Air India is latest victim of Sita hack

Data on millions of people who flew with Air India between 2011 and 2021 appears to have been compromised in the recent Sita supply chain attack Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Dutch researchers build security software to mimic human immune system

Software could help IT systems develop immunity to some cyber attacks in a similar way to how the body fights infection Continue Reading

By

• Kim Loohuis

MEPs urge European Commission to revise UK adequacy decisions

Members of the European Parliament are calling for the European Commission to ensure EU citizens have greater privacy rights Continue Reading

By

• Bill Goodwin, Investigations Editor

Lack of developer attention to cloud security prompts alerts

The personal data of over 100 million Android users may have been put at risk through a variety of cloud service misconfigurations Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Pandemic tech use heightens consumer privacy fears

Report on consumer attitudes to privacy finds evidence of a “heightened sense of fear” as digital footprints expand inexorably Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Malicious scans for at-risk systems start minutes after disclosure

Statistics collated by Palo Alto Networks reveal malicious actors begin scanning the internet for systems at risk of new CVEs within minutes Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

UK government publishes framework on automated decision-making

The framework focuses on making the use of algorithms and automated decision-making systems within the public sector more ethical, transparent and accountable Continue Reading

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• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

From Talk to Action - Joining up Cyber, Resilience, Fraud and On-line Safety Skills.

The current pipeline supplies less than half the demand. Most of that demand is not for full-time professionals with technical skills. It is for those with the people skills to manage business risk ... Continue Reading

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• Philip Virgo, Winsafe Ltd

Irish High Court dismisses legal bid by Facebook over EU-US data transfers

Latest twist in long-running legal battle sees Facebook lose legal bid to prevent the Irish Data Protection Commissioner suspending its transfer of data about European citizens to the US Continue Reading

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• Bill Goodwin, Investigations Editor

NCSC study to probe disability and neurodiversity in cyber

National Cyber Security Centre and KPMG have launched a new diversity study aiming to capture benchmarks on disability and neurodiversity in cyber Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Government seeks input on supply chain security

Amid concerns that too few companies are addressing vulnerabilities in their supply chain, DCMS is opening a consultation on new measures to enhance security Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Dutch police used deep learning model to predict threats to life

Dutch police developed a deep learning model in their EncroChat investigation to predict which messages contain serious threats to life Continue Reading

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• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor
• Bill Goodwin, Investigations Editor

Okta and Auth0 to expand APAC coverage

Okta’s acquisition of rival Auth0 will enable both companies to expand their footprint in the Asia-Pacific region as demand for identity management services soars amid the pandemic Continue Reading

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• Aaron Tan, Informa TechTarget

Biden beefs up public-private security cooperation

Joe Biden has signed a new Executive Order to harden US cyber security and government networks, with an emphasis on information sharing Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

CISOs weathered the pandemic well, but at personal cost

Over 80% of CISOs think their existing security capabilities stayed strong during the worst of the Covid-19 pandemic, but now face stress and burnout on an unheard-of scale Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

CyberUK 2021: NCSC encourages startups to invest in cyber

National Cyber Security Centre is launching bespoke cyber security guidance aimed at the UK’s valuable startup community Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

UK to fund national cyber teams in Global South

Government will commit millions of pounds to supporting vulnerable countries in establishing cyber capacity Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Microsoft fixes four critical bugs on lighter Patch Tuesday

Four critical RCE vulnerabilities put users of various Microsoft products at risk, and should be patched right away Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

UK Plc invited to sign up for Early Warning of cyber incidents

The launch of the Early Warning incident notification service is among the enhancements being made by the NCSC to its service packages Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Collaboration key to success of UK’s Cyber Security Council

The founders of the UK’s Cyber Security Council have been setting out their plans to professionalise the cyber sector at the NCSC’s CyberUK 2021 event Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Government to reform Computer Misuse Act

Home secretary Priti Patel will explore reforming the Computer Misuse Act as calls mount for the 31-year-old law to be updated to reflect the changed online world Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

SolarWinds CEO calls for collective action against state attacks

SolarWinds CEO tells NCSC’s CyberUK conference he is exploring the possibility of collaborating with other companies on collective cyber action against attacks backed by nation states Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

NCSC Active Cyber Defence blocks surge of pandemic scams

The NCSC responded to a surge in online scams last year as it moved to protect both the general public and critical national services during the pandemic Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

How do I get my users to pay attention to security training?

As cyber security risks grow daily, businesses must educate staff about these through cyber awareness training. But how can they ensure this is taken seriously by employees? Continue Reading

By

• Nicholas Fearn

NCSC, CISA publish new information on Russia’s Cozy Bear

New intelligence from UK and US cyber agencies suggests that APT29, or Cozy Bear, has been switching up its tactics Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Cyber accreditation to improve legal standing of security pros

Institute of Cyber Digital Investigations Professionals will help incident responders and cyber investigators get the professional recognition they deserve Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Government urged to add scam protections to Online Safety Bill

Group of organisations calls for the government to use the Online Safety Bill to protect people from cyber scams Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Google to introduce mandatory MFA for users

In future, holders of Google accounts will have no option but to use multifactor authentication if they want to use the firm’s services Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

HSBC blocks £249m in UK fraud with voice biometrics

HSBC voice recognition technology has reduced telephone banking fraud as demand for the channel increases Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Deploying productivity monitoring software ethically

While software that tracks the activities of staff can be helpful to companies with a remote workforce, managers must consider employees’ concerns and privacy Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

The case for vaccine passports: the real world versus the digital world

What are the security issues challenges presented by vaccine passports, and how should they be designed and used with ethics and privacy in mind? Continue Reading

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• Andy Jones and Alex Jordan

Northern Ireland pilots security training plan for 16-25s

Pilot scheme in Northern Ireland aims to widen access to cyber security careers Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Recruiters can’t afford to hold out for cyber ‘unicorns’

The perfect security candidate is hard to find, so hiring policy needs to be more pragmatic Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

NHS App to serve as vaccine passport for foreign holidays

Existing NHS App will have vaccine passport functionality added to it, transport secretary confirms Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Total cost of ransomware attack heading towards $2m

Sophos’ latest study finds that ransomware attacks are proving increasingly disruptive to their victims’ finances Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Apple OS updates patch multiple security holes

The much-heralded release of the privacy-centric iOS 14.5 also brings patches for multiple CVEs, and users of Apple smartphones, tablets and notebooks are best advised to update as soon as possible Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor