News
Four UK arrests amid malware cybercrime crackdown
Sky News is reporting that UK arrests of malware developers have been made. Four people have been arrested in the UK as part of an international operation targeting criminals developing tools to fool anti-virus software… …at the heart of the investigation is “a platform used by malware developers… to test samples for their ability to…
Read MoreGloucester City Council fined £100,000 after a cyber attack
The ICO reports that Gloucester City Council has been fined for leaving personal information vulnerable to attack. The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) has fined Gloucester City Council £100,000 after a cyber attacker accessed council employees’ sensitive personal information. The attacker took advantage of a weakness in the council’s website in July 2014, which led to…
Read MoreElectronic assistants pose security risk
The Mail is reporting that hackers could use Amazon voice gadget to steal bank details. Millions have bought voice-activated speakers which play music, provide weather forecasts, order groceries and answer questions… …The devices are brought to life by vocal commands such as ‘Alexa’ or ‘Hello Google’ but experts warn they pose a major security risk…
Read MoreSecurity firm asks EU to investigate Microsoft
The BBC is reporting that Russian security software-maker Kaspersky has filed an anti-trust complaint against Microsoft with the European Commission. It claims that the software giant is abusing its market dominance by pushing Windows 10 users towards its own anti-virus software. The European Commission confirmed it had received the complaint. Microsoft said its security features “comply…
Read MoreAvailability of low-level hacking tools encourages criminal behaviour
The BBC is reporting that according to a report, free, easy-to-use hacking tools help many young people slip into a life of cyber-crime. The National Crime Agency (NCA) has detailed the “pathways” taken by people who become criminals. Many started by getting involved with game-cheat websites or forums that talked about ways to change or…
Read MorePasswords continue to be weakest link in cyber security
Computer Weekly is reporting that one of the biggest problems continues to be compromised passwords according to Darren Martyn, a security researcher who breaks into organisations as part of enterprise network security assessments. …The easiest way into any organisation, he says, is to search for people’s usernames and passwords online from previous breaches and trying…
Read MoreCyber attacks target IT providers as stepping stone to gain access to their clients
The BBC is reporting that serious cyber attacks are targeting IT outsourced service firms to gain access to their true targets. UK firms have been warned about “serious” cyber attacks originating in China that seek to steal trade secrets. The gang behind the attacks has compromised technology service firms and plans to use them as…
Read MoreTechnology behind ‘all serious crime’
The BBC is reporting that Europe’s Police Agency say that technology is now at the “root” of all serious criminality, The returns generated by document fraud, money laundering and online trade in illegal goods helps to pay for other damaging crimes, said Europol. The wider use of technology by criminal gangs poses the “greatest challenge”…
Read MoreChildren’s messages in CloudPets data breach
The BBC is reporting that a lack of cyber security on Cloudpets database could leave children’s messages vulnerable to hackers. The open database contains links to more than 2 million voice messages recorded on cuddly toys. Cybersecurity researcher Troy Hunt has revealed in his blog that the messages recorded via a phone app and the toy…
Read MoreAberdeen City Council website attacked by hackers
The BBC is reporting that Aberdeen City Council launches an urgent investigation into recent hacking of its official website. A group calling itself Team System DZ took over the authority’s homepage for more than two-and-a-half hours on Saturday evening. During that time, the homepage carried the message “security stupidity”. In a statement, the city council…
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