Sextortion is back and this time it looks personal

Shocked by message

Over the last few weeks you may well have received an email that quotes an old password you once used. It tells you that your account has been hacked, that malware has been placed on your machine to capture data and that you’ve been recorded watching porn.

It then demands that you cough up some Bitcoin -- amounts vary -- to prevent this webcam video from being made public on your social networks.

Continue reading

Comodo launches enhanced solution to secure internet access

Laptop dome

Businesses need to protect themselves against harmful websites, but recognizing which are dangerous and which are not can be a tricky task.

Cyber defense company Comodo is launching a new version of its cloud-delivered, DNS-based Security-as-a-Service (SaaS) solution that allows enterprises, medium-sized and small businesses, MSPs and channel partners to protect users’ digital presence.

Continue reading

Misconfigurations put enterprise cloud data at risk

Cloud risk

While organizations are increasingly using the public cloud to create new digital experiences for their customers, the average enterprise experiences more than 2,200 misconfiguration incidents per month in their infrastructure-as-a-service (IaaS) and platform-as-a-service (PaaS) instances.

This is among the findings of McAfee's latest Cloud Adoption and Risk Report which also finds that 21 percent of data in the cloud can now be classed as 'sensitive', putting the business at risk if it's stolen or leaked.

Continue reading

Boards have wider cyber security awareness but still struggle to manage risks

Board meeting

Risk management specialist Focal Point Data Risk, has released its latest Cyber Balance Sheet Report showing that wider awareness of risks -- including third-party data breaches, ransomware and geopolitical conflicts -- spurs more security dialogue in the boardroom.

However, C-Suite and security leaders still struggle to frame risk in productive decision-making terms and keep an eye on whether companies are operating within an acceptable level of risk.

Continue reading

New platform helps enterprises manage third-party cyber risks

risk jigsaw piece

Moving to digital transformation means that companies frequently have a host of vendors, suppliers, providers, and subsidiaries, all connected to their network or data and each with the potential to publicly expose customer information, intellectual property, or heavily regulated data.

Without continuous insight into these other networks third-party risks can be hard to assess, leaving businesses open to the possibility of data breaches.

Continue reading

Non-Microsoft exploits on the rise as hackers turn to servers

hacker laptop

A new report from AlienVault, based on findings from vendors' threat reports in its Open Threat Exchange (OTX) platform, reveals more non-Microsoft exploits are in the top 10 list this year.

This is largely due to a rise of server attacks, particularly cryptocurrency-mining botnets that use remote exploits, such as Drupal. The report also sees an IoT exploit make the list for the first time.

Continue reading

Major companies' two-factor authentication offerings fall short

2Fa phone

With passwords increasingly being seen as insufficient to properly secure access to websites, more and more companies are turning to two-factor authentication.

New research from digital identity management experts Dashlane looks at how some of the biggest consumer websites are protecting their users. It looks at 17 of the UK’s most popular sites and finds only four get top marks for their 2FA offerings.

Continue reading

Could your brain be a target for hackers?

Connected brain

Implanted brain stimulation devices are used by scientists to explore how memories are created in the brain. New research shows that vulnerabilities mean they could be be targeted in future to steal personal information, alter or erase memories or cause physical harm.

Sound like science fiction? Researchers from Kaspersky Lab and the University of Oxford Functional Neurosurgery Group have used practical and theoretical analysis to explore the very real vulnerabilities that could exist in implanted devices used for deep brain stimulation.

Continue reading

Analysis of British Airways breach uncovers sophisticated techniques

BA plane

The British Airways breach earlier this year affected around 380,000 customers and resulted in the theft of data including personal and financial details.

The threat research team at Securonix has taken an in-depth look at the breach and the Magecart threat actor behind it, to uncover how it was carried out and offer tips to mitigate and prevent future attacks.

Continue reading

The role of the mainframe in digital transformation [Q&A]

mainframe

When many enterprises think of mainframes, they think of reliable, workhorse technology and legacy applications.

Mobile, windows-based applications are rarely top of mind. However, mainframes still power much of today's digital economy, from mobile banking to online ticket reservations, and still have a place in the enterprise IT stack.

Continue reading

Majority of CISOs believe security breaches are inevitable

Security breach

According to research from Kaspersky Lab, 86 percent of CISOs believe that breaches are inevitable, but too many are stuck in a vicious circle of risk.

Financially motivated criminal gangs (40 percent) and malicious insider attacks (29 percent) are the biggest risks to their businesses, and these are the threats that are extremely difficult to prevent, either because they are launched by 'professional' cybercriminals or because they are assisted by employees who are expected to be on the right side.

Continue reading

Identity and access management a major concern for cloud deployments

Access management

According to a new report, 71.5 percent of violations on AWS occur around identity and access management (IAM).

The study from cloud security company Netskope analyzed the Center for Internet Security's Benchmarks for AWS. Many of the IAM violations found involve instance rules, role-based access controls, and access to resources or password policy requirements -- things that enterprises can easily address even without an external security solution.

Continue reading

Interest in Kodi declines following introduction of anti-piracy measures

Kodi logo

The Kodi Media Center has developed something of a reputation as a platform for pirated content. Although the Kodi Foundation has tried to distance itself from this, it seems other measures are having an effect.

The anti-piracy coalition, Alliance for Creativity and Entertainment (ACE), along with new anti-piracy rules in the EU and UK, plus bans on Kodi boxes being sold via online marketplaces, has seen interest in Kodi decline sharply.

Continue reading

Early adopters delay IoT purchases over security concerns

Internet of things

While people are still excited about Internet of Things technology, many are delaying buying over concerns about privacy and security.

A new survey from cyber security company F-Secure shows that 63 percent of early adopters are looking to purchase new devices, but 50 percent have delayed an IoT purchase because of security concerns.

Continue reading

Consumers will stop spending with businesses after a breach

Locked wallet

New research finds that that 83 percent of consumers will stop spending with a business for several months in the immediate aftermath of a security breach or a hack.

More than a fifth (21 percent) will never return to a brand or a business post-breach, representing a significant loss of revenue, according to the study from secure payments provider PCI Pal.

Continue reading

Load More Articles