Editor's News

Two-thirds of executives expect that business efficiencies and productivity will force them to adopt Internet of Things (IoT) devices despite the security risks.   The survey of 404 IT professionals and 302 executives from retail, energy and financial services organisations in the US and UK by Tripwire found that 24 per cent have already connected at least one device to their enterprise networks, while only 46 per cent of respondents say that the risks associated...

The Information Commissioner’s Office has said that it has no plans to investigate the issue regarding a reportedly unsecure database of personal details of members of the Scouts.   According to The Register, the Scout Association's database holds the contact details of 450,000 young people and volunteer adults, and a Scout leader contacted The Register to express concerns that the Compass database is not secure, despite the organisation's assurances it had been tested. The system has...

Minecraft’s maker Mojang has said that it was not hacked, and instead user details were collected by a phishing attack. According to the story, email addresses and passwords of 1,800 Minecraft users were posted online and published online in plain-text format. Heise found that the details would allow strangers to log into each of those user’s accounts on Minecraft to play online, and download the game to their own computers. Mojang said in a statement...

Putting in place security controls and processes and adopting a defence-in-depth approach are the keys ways to reduce your exposure to a cyber attack.   According to a Government document, on “Common Cyber Attacks: Reducing The Impact”, preventing, detecting or disrupting the attack at the earliest opportunity limits the business impact and the potential for reputational damage.   The report claimed that there are “effective and affordable ways” to reduce your organisation’s exposure to the...

For an open internet, policymakers should demand openness not just at the traffic/transport layer, but also at the content/applications layer of the ecosystem.   In a letter sent to the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation, the Chairman of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce and US Senator Bill Nelson and US Representative Frank Pallone Jr, the BlackBerry CEO John Chen claimed that President Obama and FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler...

An exploit kit named “Angler” is currently using an unpatched Flash 0-day to install malware.   According to the SANS Institute, current versions of Windows may be vulnerable, although Windows 8.1 and Google Chrome do not appear to be vulnerable. “Typically we see these exploits more in targeted attacks, not in widely used exploit kits,” it said. “This flaw could affect a large number of users very quickly.”   French security researcher Kafeine spotted the version...

More UK firms are adopting managed security services to alleviate cyber security concerns. According to a new study conducted by Pierre Audoin Consultants, as a global security skills shortage continues, firms are looking to external provision in order to lower costs and access the required expertise. Its survey of 230 people from both business and IT functions found that 21 per cent of companies use no external cyber security resources, 40 per cent buy in...

Verizon has confirmed that it has fixed a vulnerability in its My FiOS app, to enable users’ ability to securely access their Verizon email via the app.   In a story published by Forbes, it revealed that there was a vulnerability in Verizon's My FiOS Android app that could be exploited to gain access to other customers’ emails with little effort.   The bug was uncovered by Randy Westergren, senior software developer with XDA-Developers, who said...

The email addresses and passwords of 1,800 Minecraft users have been posted online.   According toHeise, the details were published online in plain-text format, although it remains unclear how they were obtained, reported the Guardian.   The report states that the details would allow strangers to log in to each of those user’s accounts on Minecraft to play online, and download the game to their own computers.   However, the more serious implication would be...

Australian insurer Aussie Travel Cover has suffered a breach of hundreds of thousands of records, but opted not to inform insurance policy holders or customers. According to ABC News, Aussie Travel Cover was made aware that its computer system was hacked on December 18th 2014, and let third party agents know about the incident on December 23rd, but did not inform insurance policy holders or customers. Among the stolen data was a large amount of...