Web application security

Security Think Tank: Amid panic, how to find a sound level of security

In our globalised world, high-profile events such as Covid-19 have huge business impacts, some of which may be felt by CISOs. What responsibilities do security professionals have in such circumstances? Continue Reading

By

• Sabba Mirza and James Walsh

Covid-19: NCSC issues secure remote working guidance

With hundreds of thousands likely to be working remotely for some time, the UK’s NCSC has issued best practice guidance to enable security teams to support them Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Coronavirus-linked hacks likely as Czech hospital comes under attack

The world of cyber security is on high alert to heightened vulnerabilities as the spread of the Covid-19 coronavirus changes daily life across Europe Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Cookie-stealing trojans found lurking on Android phones

Kaspersky discovers two new Android malware modifications that could give hackers control of their victims’ social media accounts Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Microsoft locks down new vulnerability with EternalBlue echoes

Microsoft has moved to get ahead of a serious remote code execution vulnerability in Microsoft Server Message Block 3.1.1, which was accidentally disclosed then missed in its March Patch Tuesday update Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Microsoft fixes 26 critical vulnerabilities in another heavy Patch Tuesday

March’s Patch Tuesday is another big one for Microsoft, addressing 115 vulnerabilities, 26 of them critical Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Schoolgirl security experts prepare to do battle

The finals of the CyberFirst Girls contest will take place on 16 March as the culmination of the NCSC’s annual competition to unearth future security talent Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

VAT software supplier exposed data of millions

Eight million sales records belonging to UK and EU consumers left exposed due to misconfigured server Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Singapore among world’s top sources of online threats

Singapore remained a hotspot for originating cyber attacks in 2019, with 11 million attacks launched from servers in the city-state Continue Reading

By

• Aaron Tan, TechTarget

The Security Interviews: Inside the world of bug bounties

You may not make a million as a bug bounty hunter, but you might help remove some of the stigma that persists around cyber security, says HackerOne’s Shlomie Liberow Continue Reading

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Fake CDNs obscuring credit card fraudsters

Fake content delivery networks and ngrok servers are being pressed into service to obscure credit card skimming activities Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Cloud Snooper firewall bypass may be work of nation state

Cloud Snooper deploys a combination of specialised techniques to sneak past enterprise firewalls, warns Sophos Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

The Security Interviews: Gil Shwed’s 10-year vision for security

Check Point founder Gil Shwed discusses his new Infinity Next concept and how he plans to remodel the world of cyber security in the next 10 years Continue Reading

McAfee buys Light Point to enhance web browser protection

Acquisition of Light Point Security will extend the capabilities of multiple McAfee products Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Open security group unveils common OpenDXL language

Open Cybersecurity Alliance announces the availability of OpenDXL Ontology, the first open source language for connecting disparate security tools through a common messaging framework Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Labour condemns Google data plans

Shadow digital minister Chi Onwurah challenges the government to stop Google’s plans to move UK user data out of the EU Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Malicious apps still getting past Google controls

Check Point researchers have found multiple malware-infected apps in the Google Play store, including a clicker called Haken, which has been downloaded more than 50,000 times Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

F-Secure’s AI reads mean tweets to fight abuse and trolls

Researchers working on F-Secure’s Project Blackfin have developed a model for clustering tweets to help pinpoint abuse and harassment Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Addressing the IoT security challenge

We consider how best to address some of the critical security challenges around the internet of things Continue Reading

By

• Charaka Goonatilake, Panaseer

Cost of cloud misconfigurations set at $5tn

Cloud security outfit DivvyCloud says more than 33 billion records have been exposed in cloud misconfiguration incidents in the past 24 months Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Girlguiding hosts interactive cyber security workshop

100 Guides from South West England took part in an NCSC event to learn more about security fundamentals Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Ex-soldiers to become ethical hackers

A new programme will give armed forces veterans in Scotland a grounding in cyber security skills, including penetration testing and ethical hacking Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Security Think Tank: Practical steps to achieve zero trust

In theory, the elimination of trust on the network simplifies IT security, but zero trust also brings new complications and new challenges. How should CISOs go about moving their organisations from traditional network security to a zero-trust architecture? Continue Reading

By

• Petra Wenham

Internet Explorer zero day among 99 Patch Tuesday problems

After an eventful January Patch Tuesday that marked the end of support for Windows 7, the February 2020 update is another whopper, fixing close to 100 vulnerabilities Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Mac-based security threats outpacing Windows

Security threats targeting Apple endpoints are growing more quickly than those targeting Windows machines, according to Malwarebytes Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Security Think Tank: Zero trust is complex, but has rich rewards

In theory, the elimination of trust on the network simplifies IT security, but zero trust also brings new complications and new challenges. How should CISOs go about moving their organisations from traditional network security to a zero-trust architecture? Continue Reading

By

• Bhanu Jagasia

Joaquin Phoenix’s Joker is ‘most dangerous’ movie

Ahead of the 2020 Oscars, Kaspersky researchers say they found more than 300 files masquerading as the Joker movie Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Security Think Tank: No trust in zero trust need not be a problem

In theory, the elimination of trust on the network simplifies IT security, but zero trust also brings new complications and new challenges. How should CISOs go about moving their organisations from traditional network security to a zero-trust architecture? Continue Reading

By

• Silvano Sogus

Darktrace signs to McLaren for 2020 F1 season

McLaren Racing has enlisted Darktrace to become its official artificial intelligence cyber security partner Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Scammers using fake PayPal emails stole over £1m in the UK in last quarter

Fraudsters tricked Brits into sending over £1m worth of goods to them that they hadn't paid for Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Web app ubiquity gives cyber criminals new opportunities

The popularity and ubiquity of web-based apps such as Office 365 and Salesforce is a temptation too good to miss for cyber criminals Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Check Point pledges end to security updates

Check Point’s Gil Shwed expands on a vision for the next 10 years of cyber security, which he calls Infinity Next Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Davos: The clock is ticking on climate change but cyber crime and emerging technologies add to risks

Climate change, natural disasters, extreme weather and loss of biodiversity are the greatest risks we face. With cyber conflicts, state-sponsored hacking and internet fragmentation, doing nothing is not an option, says the World Economic Forum Continue Reading

By

• Bill Goodwin, Computer Weekly

NCSC launches study on cyber security diversity

The UK’s National Cyber Security Centre wants to improve the diversity of the cyber security sector Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

UK cyber security sector worth more than £8bn

The UK’s cyber security industry employs 43,000 full-time workers, and contributed nearly £4bn to the UK economy in 2019, according to DCMS Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

SANS Institute calls on Manchester security pros

Manchester will play host to a week-long cyber security training event during February Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Milan hosts Cisco’s first European security innovation unit

Cisco has cut the ribbon on its first Cyber Security Co-Innovation Centre in Europe, at Milan’s Leonardo da Vinci Science and Technology Museum Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Citrix releases IoC scanner for ADC and Gateway vulnerabilities

As patches for its compromised NetScaler ADC and Gateway products begin to roll out, Citrix enlists FireEye Mandiant to develop an indicator of compromise scanner for end-users Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Internal error left Microsoft customer service data exposed

Customer service and support records of nearly 250 million Microsoft customers left exposed after database misconfiguration Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

ICO code sets out digital privacy standards for children

The Information Commissioner’s Office has published its Age Appropriate Design Code, a set of 15 standards that online platforms must meet to protect the privacy of younger users Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

5G builders test vulnerabilities in Finnish hackathon

University hackathon puts 5G security to the test as new wireless technology’s roll-out nears Continue Reading

By

• Gerard O'Dwyer

Don’t become the next Travelex: Get ready for ransomware

With Travelex’s IT still in disarray and banks and travellers left without access to funds more than a week after it was hit by a ransomware attack, we ask what others can learn from the foreign exchange services company’s response to the incident. Continue Reading

Exposed AWS buckets again implicated in multiple data leaks

A series of data leaks in the past week have once again implicated poorly secured Amazon S3 buckets, which are supposed to be private by default Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

A quarter of users will fall for basic phishing attacks

Phishing emails that appear to be security alerts are the most effective method of compromise, says KnowBe4 Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Lorca announces new cohort of 20 security scaleups

20 scaleups will focus their attention on automation, zero trust and supply chain security Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

LGBTQ+ social app Grindr accused of breaching GDPR

Norwegian Consumer Council files complaints about LGBTQ+ social networking app, alleging it is in breach of the General Data Protection Regulation Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

NSA Windows 10 security disclosure raises questions

In an unprecedented move, the NSA has got out in front of a critical cryptographic flaw in Windows 10, but in doing so has raised multiple questions Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Threat landscape grew in complexity in 2019, no respite in sight

Check Point’s annual state of security report shares some 2019 trends and looks ahead to 2020 Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Two-thirds of UK healthcare organisations breached last year

The majority of healthcare organisations in the UK experienced a cyber security incident during 2019, with almost half the result of viruses and malware introduced on third party devices Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Turn the end of Windows 7 support into a security advantage

CISOs can take advantage of the end of support for Microsoft Windows 7 by making the case for more investment in cyber security Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

National Lottery hacker jailed for nine months

Small-time cyber criminal jailed for his role in a cyber attack on lottery operator Camelot that netted him just £5 Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

TikTok video-sharing app left user data exposed

Check Point uncovered serious vulnerabilities in the TikTok video-sharing app that left users exposed Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Top 10 cyber crime stories of 2019

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

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Top 10 cyber security stories of 2019

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

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Finnish government supports local authorities in cyber security initiative

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

By

• Gerard O'Dwyer

Alarm bells ring, the IoT is listening

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

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Jailed hacker ordered to pay back £270k

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

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Great Cannon DDoS operation fires on Hong Kong protesters

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

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Two Russians indicted over Dridex and Zeus malware

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

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Black Hat Europe: Mental health websites are leaking user data

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

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Aviatrix VPN vulnerability left user endpoints wide open

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

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

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

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

By

• Petra Wenham

Top Android apps at risk from StrandHogg vulnerability

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

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Hack Friday: This Christmas, fight back against cyber criminals

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

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• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Uber app exploit posed safety risk to passengers

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

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Tim Berners-Lee launches nine principles for the web

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

By

• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor

Macy’s Magecart breach presages Christmas fraud spike

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

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Notorious hackers claim responsibility for Labour DDoS

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

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Home Office Brexit app contains multiple security flaws

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

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Cyber criminals tool up for Christmas fraud season

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

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

CW APAC: Expert advice on container security

For all the promises of containers, changes in architecture and practices associated with the technology bring new challenges and opportunities. In this handbook, Computer Weekly looks at the security challenges associated with container technology. Continue Reading

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

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

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Nordic SMEs lack the money needed for cyber security

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

By

• Gerard O'Dwyer

‘Robust’ security foils cyber attack on Labour Party

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

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Shared responsibility model key to solving 5G security problem

Both buyers and sellers need to cooperate to solve the thorny issues around 5G security Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Saudis recruited Twitter employees to spy on critics

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

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Global security workforce must more than double to meet demand

There are about 2.8 million cyber security professionals working today, and the world needs four million more Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Ransomware authors seeking new ways to avoid being spotted

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

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

EU patches 20-year-old open source vulnerability

Ethical hackers taking part in a bug bounty programme on behalf of the European Union have uncovered a 20-year-old vulnerability Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Banks let customers down with mixed approaches to security

Treasury Committee report recommends new measures to tackle financial fraud Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Take responsibility for cyber security basics, urges NCSC CEO

At the launch of its third annual review, NCSC head Ciaran Martin appealed for individuals and businesses to address the fundamentals of cyber security hygiene to help lighten the load Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

NordVPN blames datacentre provider for server breach

VPN provider insists no user data was compromised in a March 2018 server breach, and says its datacentre provider failed to inform it of the issue Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Attacker hit VPN firm Avast through its VPN

Avast has published details of how attackers attempted to gain access to its network over a five month period Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Over-30s tend to do better at cyber security than younger colleagues

Attitudes to workplace cyber security differ by age group, but not in the way one might imagine, according to a new study by NTT Security Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Sodinokibi emerging as a diverse, multi-vector threat to businesses

McAfee shares insight into the Sodinokibi ransomware campaign gleaned from its network of honeypots Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

IBM, McAfee among founders of open source security alliance

A group of cyber security suppliers have come together to form the Open Cybersecurity Alliance Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

UK and US call on Facebook to walk back encryption plans

The US, Australian and UK governments have asked Facebook to ditch plans to deploy end-to-end encryption across Facebook Messenger, Instagram and WhatsApp Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

LogRhythm touts unlimited data plan for SIEM systems

SIEM supplier introduces three-year, term-based pricing plan that lets enterprises ingest as much data as they want without breaking the bank Continue Reading

By

• Aaron Tan, TechTarget

Attackers breached supplier systems to steal Airbus secrets

Airbus has been the subject of at least four major cyber attacks in the past 12 months, with contractors and suppliers targeted through their VPNs Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Overinvestment breeds overconfidence among security pros

CISOs have made an abundance of security investments in multiple suppliers, but this might not be the right approach Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Google pushes back on scale of YouTube phishing threat

Millions of YouTubers may be at risk after some high-profile influencers reported their accounts were compromised in an apparent phishing attack, but the platform’s owner, Google, is not so sure Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

UN agency Unicef praised for response to accidental data leak

The UN’s children’s agency has disclosed an inadvertent leak of personal data belonging to users of its online learning platform Agora Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Singapore’s SecureAge eyes US market

The Singapore-based supplier of encryption and anti-malware tools has set up a new office in Greater Washington, DC as the next logical step in its global expansion plan Continue Reading

By

• Aaron Tan, TechTarget

How to mitigate IoT security risks to tap business benefits

Security concerns are preventing many businesses from adopting IoT-based technologies, but with a bit of planning, the business benefits can be realised by mitigating the risk Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

VMware’s latest acquisitions point to emerging platform war

VMware’s buyout of Carbon Black and Pivotal is a sign of an emerging platform war following the IBM-Red Hat deal Continue Reading

By

• Aaron Tan, TechTarget

Kaspersky eyes enterprise business, opens APAC transparency hub

The security firm wants to engage with enterprises and use its newly launched Malaysian Transparency Centre to burnish its credentials Continue Reading

By

• Edwin Yapp

Top four considerations when securing the multi-cloud environment

This is a guest post by Stephen Dane, managing director for cyber security at Cisco Asia-Pacific, Japan and Greater China We live in a multi-cloud world. A world where a multitude of offerings from ... Continue Reading

By

• Aaron Tan, TechTarget

Silence APT group eyes APAC banks

Russian-speaking advanced persistent threat group has set its sights on banks in the region, customising its arsenal for targeted attacks Continue Reading

By

• Aaron Tan, TechTarget

Even fintech startups battling to meet cyber security challenges

A study shows that most fintech startups, like most banks, are failing to address vulnerabilities in the web and mobile applications, underlining the scale of the challenge Continue Reading

By

• Warwick Ashford, Senior analyst

How EDR is moving beyond the endpoint

An emerging breed of detection and response offerings is going beyond endpoints to collect and decipher telemetry data from across the enterprise Continue Reading

By

• Aaron Tan, TechTarget