Hackers and cybercrime prevention

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

Home secretary Priti Patel to decide whether to extradite Assange

Home secretary will decide in four weeks whether to approve Julian Assange’s extradition to the US, where he faces espionage and hacking charges Continue Reading

By

• Bill Goodwin, Computer Weekly

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

NSO Group faces court action after Pegasus spyware used against targets in UK

Three human rights activists whose phones were targeted by spyware traced to Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates have begun legal action against both countries and Israel’s NSO Group Technologies Continue Reading

By

• Bill Goodwin, Computer Weekly

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

mail bomb

A mail bomb is a form of a denial-of-service (DoS) attack designed to overwhelm an inbox or inhibit a server by sending a massive number of emails to a specific person or system. Continue Reading

By

• Andrew Zola

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

Kyndryl kindles cyber incident recovery pact with Dell

IBM spin-out Kyndryl hops into bed with Dell Technologies in a joint cyber resilience proposition Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Zhadnost DDoS botnet deployed against Finland

A coordinated DDoS attack hit two government ministries in Finland at the same time as Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky delivered a virtual address to the Finnish parliament Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Incontroller ICS malware has ‘rare, dangerous’ capabilities, says Mandiant

Mandiant joins a growing chorus of warnings over novel nation state threats to ICS systems 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

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

Multiple arrests made in RaidForums takedown

A Portuguese national and a 21-year-old man from Croydon are among a number of individuals arrested ahead of the closure of RaidForums by police Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Sandworm rolls out Industroyer2 malware against Ukraine

A second generation of the Sandworm-linked Industroyer malware has been identified by ESET researchers and Ukraine’s national CERT Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Singapore to start licensing cyber security service providers

Those providing penetration testing and SOC services will need to apply for a licence under a new licensing regime that is expected to safeguard consumer interests and improve service standards Continue Reading

By

• Aaron Tan, TechTarget

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

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

EncroChat: France says ‘defence secrecy’ in police surveillance operations is constitutional

Constitutional court finds that invoking ‘defence secrecy’ to withhold information about the state hacking of EncroChat cryptophones is constitutional. Defence lawyers now head for the supreme court Continue Reading

By

• Bill Goodwin, Computer Weekly

Ukrainian cyber criminal gets five years in jail

A US court has sentenced Denys Iarmak, who worked as a penetration tester for the FIN7 cyber crime group, to a five-year prison sentence Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

US shuts down Russia’s Cyclops Blink botnet operation

Operation by US authorities has taken the Russia-attributed Cyclops Blink botnet ‘off the board’ 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

Denonia malware may be first to target AWS Lambda

The newly discovered Denonia malware appears to be custom designed to target AWS Lambda environments, and may be the first of its kind Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Hydra takedown merely shifts cyber criminal problem elsewhere

The seizure of the Hydra dark web marketplace is a positive development in the fight against cyber crime, but will only be a temporary setback for determined criminals Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

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

Discount retailer The Works hit by cyber attack

A small number of The Works’ bricks-and-mortar stores were forced to close amid a cyber attack of an undisclosed nature Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

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

IBM z16 tackles financial fraud and quantum hacks

New addition to Z series mainframe family uses IBM Telum processor to accelerate AI for real-time credit card fraud detection Continue Reading

By

• Cliff Saran, Managing Editor

How remote browser isolation can mitigate cyber threats

Remote browser isolation can help to mitigate browser-based attacks by separating a user’s browsing activity from the device Continue Reading

By

• Aaron Tan, TechTarget

Two teenagers charged with Lapsus$ cyber attacks

City of London Police have charged two teenagers in connection with the Lapsus$ cyber crime spree Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Four moves to ‘checkmate’ critical assets thanks to lax cloud security

Malicious actors can compromise 94% of critical assets within four steps of the initial breach point, according to a report 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

Bank fraud prevention scheme blocked £60m in fraud last year

Scheme to catch fraudsters, including online scammers, before they commit their crimes has reported a significant increase in crimes prevented Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

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

Spring4Shell zero-day sprung on security teams

Some are describing a newly disclosed Spring Java framework vulnerability as the next Log4Shell, but what is Spring4Shell, and what can we do about it? 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

Australia to spend A$9.9bn on intelligence and cyber capabilities

The Morrison government is investing in a landmark package of measures to shore up the intelligence and cyber security capabilities of the Australian Signals Directorate Continue Reading

By

• Stephen Withers

Wave of Log4j-linked attacks targeting VMware Horizon

Sophos issues a new warning to organisations that have so far failed to patch their VMware Horizon servers against Log4Shell Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

FCA reports 52% jump in security incidents

The Financial Conduct Authority received 116 cyber incident reports in 2021, a fifth of them involving ransomware Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Ten years of the Raspberry Pi

In this week’s Computer Weekly, as the Raspberry Pi reaches its 10th anniversary, we look back on how the low-cost computing device went from schools to supercomputers and even into space. Gartner offers tips on how to motivate IT staff in a hybrid working environment. And we meet the Dutch hackers helping to secure the internet. Read the issue now. Continue Reading

Singapore rolls out cyber security certification scheme

Two new cyber security marks are expected to provide an edge for Singapore businesses with good cyber security practices Continue Reading

By

• Aaron Tan, TechTarget

How Dutch hackers are working to make the internet safe

We hear how the personal mission of a Dutch hacker grew into a serious organisation with international ambitions Continue Reading

European Commission proposes new cyber security regulations

New cyber and information security regulations have been proposed by the European Commission to create a minimum set of standards in both areas Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

London police arrest seven in connection to Lapsus$

Seven people arrested by London police over cyber attacks carried out by Lapsus$ group, which is responsible for a number of recent, high profile attacks Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

Anonymous claims it has hacked the Central Bank of Russia

Hackers operating under the Anonymous banner claim to have stolen more than 35,000 sensitive files from the Central Bank of Russia as part of its cyber war against the Russian state Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

Ransomware demands and payments increase with use of leak sites

Ransomware demands and payments continue to climb as gangs increasingly turn to Dark Web leak sites to add pressure on victims Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

How India organisations can mitigate cyber threats

Organisations in India will need to invest more in cloud security, gain more visibility into their systems and improve security awareness among employees to fend off cyber attacks Continue Reading

By

• Pratima Harigunani

Biden issues warning about Russian cyber attacks

President Biden has said that US companies running critical infrastructure should immediately harden their defences in anticipation of potential cyber attacks from Russia Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

Details of Conti ransomware affiliate released

Information about a new Conti affiliate has been released by eSentire and BreakPoint Lab after a joint investigation into the group’s indicators of compromise Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

Revised scope of UK security strategy reflects digitised society

The omission of the word ‘security’ from the title of the UK government’s new National Cyber Strategy is a telling one, reflecting our increasingly digitised society, say Maximillian Brook and Arunoshi Singh of the ISF Continue Reading

By

• Maximillian Brook & Arunoshi Singh

UK Cyber Strategy a welcome injection of progress

The National Cyber Strategy should be seen as a welcome injection of both focus and investment in bettering cyber defence for everyone, says Turnkey Consulting senior consultant Louise Barber Continue Reading

By

• Louise Barber, Turnkey Consulting

Dark web littered with Ukraine crypto scammers

Cryptocurrency scammers are actively targeting people trying to donate funds to support Ukraine Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Ukrainian cyber defences prove resilient

Thanks to a combination of prior experience and global support, Ukraine’s defences against cyber incidents are holding strong in the face of Russian attacks Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

National Cyber Strategy will enhance UK’s cyber power status

The UK punches above its weight when it comes to wielding cyber power around the world, but challenges to this status are clear. The National Cyber Strategy has a clear role to play in maintaining and enhancing this status, writes Paddy Francis of Airbus Cybersecurity Continue Reading

By

• Paddy Francis

NCSC catches 10 million phishes

Nation Cyber Security Centre’s scam email reporting service enjoys great success as government embarks on new cyber awareness campaign Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Alarm raised over ‘trickster’ LokiLocker ransomware

The new LokiLocker ransomware is, like its namesake, adept at tricks and misdirection, say BlackBerry researchers Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

FCSA takes steps to help umbrella company members protect themselves better from cyber attacks

After a spate of suspected ransomware attacks on its members, the Freelance and Contractor Services Association is partnering with a cyber security firm that can coach its umbrella firms on how to protect themselves better Continue Reading

By

• Caroline Donnelly, Senior Editor, UK

Biden signs ransomware reporting mandate into law

CNI operators in the US must now report cyber attacks within 72 hours, and ransomware payments within 24 hours Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Two men convicted after using EncroChat cryptophones to plot killing

Evidence from the encrypted phone network EncroChat led to the conviction of two men for conspiracy to murder Continue Reading

By

• Bill Goodwin, Computer Weekly

CaddyWiper is fourth new malware linked to Ukraine war

ESET’s cyber security analysts have identified yet another destructive wiper malware being used against targets in Ukraine Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

How cyber security teams can conquer the four-day working week

The four-day week may be an idea whose time has come, but for always-on cyber security professionals, the impact of squeezing more work into fewer days is a tricky proposition Continue Reading

By

• Keiron Holyome

Supreme Court refuses Julian Assange extradition appeal

The case will be referred to the home secretary Priti Patel to make a decision. The WikiLeaks founder has yet to say whether he will file further appeals Continue Reading

By

• Bill Goodwin, Computer Weekly

How the tech sector is supporting Ukraine

In this week’s Computer Weekly, we examine the global tech sector response to the invasion of Ukraine, and how hackers are responding to calls for an IT army to target Russia. Our latest buyer’s guide looks at cloud-based ERP and other business applications. And IBM’s UK chief tells us how Big Blue is reinventing itself. Read the issue now. Continue Reading

Direct action is a risky business for Ukraine's volunteer hackers

Hackers have been responding to Ukraine’s call to create an IT army, but there are many reasons why taking direct action in a kinetic conflict is a bad idea Continue Reading

Ukraine: Cyber warfare and IT industry boycott of Russia – Computer Weekly Downtime Upload podcast

Alex Scroxton joins the team to discuss the cyber war dimension of the conflict arising from Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, and the IT industry’s response to Putin’s war Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor
• Brian McKenna, Enterprise Applications Editor
• Caroline Donnelly, Senior Editor, UK

How can I avoid an exodus of cyber talent linked to stress and burnout?

Cyber security professionals have played a crucial role during the pandemic, yet many feel like their employers aren’t providing adequate mental health support and have considered quitting their jobs as a result. What can employers do to help them? Continue Reading

By

• Nicholas Fearn

Encryption myths versus realities of Online Safety Bill

The UK government can’t legislate the impossible – a safer society depends on encryption, not breaking it Continue Reading

By

•  Robin Wilton, director, internet trust at the Internet Society

Kaspersky forced to deny source code leak

Kaspersky says an alleged leak of its source code was in fact material anyone could have gleaned from its public servers Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Police EncroChat cryptophone hacking implant did not work properly and frequently failed

Surveillance operation against EncroChat encrypted phone network had repeated technical failures Continue Reading

By

• Bill Goodwin, Computer Weekly

National Cyber Strategy misses the mark in one important way

The National Cyber Strategy is full of fine words, says Petra Wenham, but as the old expression goes, fine words butter no parsnips, and it misses the mark in one very important way Continue Reading

By

• Petra Wenham

Tech brands sign on to HackerOne responsible security drive

Tech companies sign HackerOne’s new corporate security responsibility pledge to bring cyber out of the shadows and promote effective, secure development practices Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Government to force tech firms to stop fraudsters using their platforms for scams

Changes to legislation will make social media and search engine firms responsible for preventing fraudsters using their platforms to commit crimes Continue Reading

By

• Karl Flinders, Chief reporter and senior editor EMEA

Paid-for advertising measures included in Online Safety Bill

New measures to deal with fraudulent paid-for advertising have been included in the government’s draft Online Safety Bill, marking the fourth extension in two months Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

Strategic Review of Policing: Police tech needs better ethical scrutiny

The Strategic Review of Policing confirms the central role that tech will be playing going forward, but warns of the need for greater ethical scrutiny to ensure public trust Continue Reading

By

• Sebastian Klovig Skelton, Data & ethics editor

China’s APT41 exploited Log4j within hours

APT41 compromised multiple government organisations via the Log4Shell exploit within hours of its initial disclosure, Mandiant claims Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

How APAC organisations can mitigate edge security threats

The move to the edge expands an organisation’s attack surface. Here are some measures that organisations can take to minimise their edge security risks Continue Reading

By

• Aaron Tan, TechTarget

When more is too much in security

The view that more security tools equals better protection still persists, but security researcher Etay Maor argues that success in cyber lies in simplicity Continue Reading

By

• Etay Maor

Ukraine joins Nato cyber knowledge hub

Ukraine is to become a contributing participant in Nato’s Cooperative Cyber Defence Centre of Excellence Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Microsoft stops sales of products and services to Russia

Citing sanctions and cyber security concerns, Microsoft has become the latest company to withdraw from the Russian market Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Universities need better protection from email-based cyber attacks

The need to educate university staff and students on avoiding email-based cyber attacks is more acute than ever, says Proofpoint’s Adenike Cosgrove Continue Reading

By

• Adenike Cosgrove

Boardroom does not see ransomware as a priority

Less than a quarter of company directors think ransomware is a top priority for their security teams, according to Egress Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Direct action is a risky business for Ukraine's volunteer hackers

Hackers have been responding to Ukraine’s call to create an IT army, but there are many reasons why taking direct action in a kinetic conflict is a bad idea Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Use of encrypted Telegram platform soars in Ukraine, Russia

Encrypted messaging service Telegram is proving a valuable asset to both sides in Russia’s war on Ukraine Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Cyber companies step up support for Ukraine

Security companies Bitdefender and Vectra AI are both to offer products and services in support of Ukraine Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

SunSeed malware hits those involved in Ukraine refugee relief

European governments involved in managing the logistics of hundreds of thousands of people fleeing Ukraine have been targeted by a suspected state-backed actor Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Toyota production to resume after supply chain attack

Toyota production has been set back by over 10,000 vehicles following a cyber attack on a critical components supplier in Japan Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

BBC blasted with millions of malicious emails

Responding to an FoI request, the BBC has revealed it receives more than 300,000 malicious email attacks every day Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

DCMS opens consultation on telecoms cyber standards

Proposed rules will set out the specific measures telecoms providers need to take to fulfil their legal duties under the Telecommunications Security Act Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

ESET details new IsaacWiper malware used on Ukraine

Having been among the first to report on the HermeticWiper malware used against Ukraine last week, ESET has now identified another destructive malware called IsaacWiper Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Ukraine cyber attacks seen spiking, but no destructive cyber war yet

While cyber attacks linked to Russia’s war on Ukraine are taking place, they are having little impact beyond the region Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Cloudflare: Our network is our product

Cloudflare’s chief product officer explains why its network is its product and how it protects organisations against cyber threats Continue Reading

By

• Aaron Tan, TechTarget

Mass phishing attacks against Ukrainian citizens reported

The Ukrainian cyber authorities are alerting people located in the country to be alert to phishing attacks Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

Darktrace buys attack surface management firm Cybersprint

Emergent AI cyber specialist Darktrace is to pay £39.7m for Netherlands-based Cybersprint Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

The UK’s cyber security sector is thriving, but our work has only just begun

The government’s Annual Cyber Sector Report painted a positive picture of the UK security industry. CIISec’s Amanda Finch thinks we can go further in developing cyber talent and opening up the sector Continue Reading

By

• Amanda Finch, Institute of Information Security Professionals

Researchers link Dridex botnet to emergent Entropy ransomware

A little-known new ransomware called Entropy contains significant code similarities to the general purpose Dridex botnet, suggesting some kind of link between the two Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

KnowBe4 cyber drama tackles Colonial Pipeline in fourth season

KnowBe4’s ongoing cyber security training drama, The Inside Man, reaches its fourth season with a plot drawing inspiration from one of the most impactful cyber attacks of 2021 Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor

New wave of cyber attacks on Ukraine preceded Russian invasion

A wave of DDoS attacks, and a second data wiper attack, were seen hitting Ukraine in the hours leading up to the Russian invasion Continue Reading

By

• Alex Scroxton, Security Editor