Category: Cybersecurity
Basic passwords like 123456 still used – cyber security chief
Easy-to-guess passwords like 123456 remain in use despite repeated warnings, according to a senior UK cyber security chief. Chris Ensor, deputy director for cyber skills and growth at the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC), said the organisation is trying to change the “doctrine around passwords” and urging people and businesses to move away from making…
Facial recognition technology at King’s Cross ‘not used since March 2018’
Facial recognition has not been in use around the King’s Cross area of London since March 2018, the site’s developers have claimed. Usage of the controversial technology has been under the spotlight after UK data and privacy watchdog the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) said it had launched an investigation last month. Information Commissioner Elizabeth Denham…
Tech-savvy millennials lose over £2,500 EACH on bank scams
Millennials are increasingly falling victim to scams involving handing money to fraudsters, according to Lloyds Bank. New data shows that victims aged 18 to 34 are losing £2,630 on average to the fraud, which typically involve scammers impersonating banking staff, the police or HM Revenues and Customs. People over 55 are still handing over the…
Google says hackers have ‘monitoring implants’ in iPhones
Hackers have been using compromised websites to install “monitoring implants” in iPhones for years, according to researchers at Google. The malicious software gathers users’ images, contacts and other information. Ian Beer, from Google’s Project Zero, said in a blog post that the hacked sites had received thousands of visitors each week. Mr Beer said: “There…
Hacker who attacked Uber and Sainsbury’s hands over £1m in Bitcoin
A British hacker who led cyber attacks on massive companies including Uber, Asda and Sainsbury’s has had a Bitcoin stash worth £1 million confiscated. Grant West, 27, who operated on the dark web under the nickname Courvoisier – the name of a popular French cognac – attacked more than 100 companies worldwide, stealing financial data on…
Bluetooth security flaw called KNOB uncovered
A Bluetooth vulnerability has been uncovered that could make it simpler for a hacker to intrude on devices, the standards organisation has said. The flaw could allow interference from the moment an encrypted connection is set up between two devices. A joint paper by researchers at Oxford University, Singapore University of Technology and Design and…
Google bug hunters discovered 6 flaws in Apple iMessage
A team of Google bug researchers called Project Zero say they discovered six flaws in Apple’s iMessage app - one of which is yet to be fixed. The firm’s Project Zero is made up of security analysts who hunt for serious vulnerabilities in various software before hackers find them, providing manufacturers with a 90-day deadline…
Capital One applications targeted in bank data breach
A hacker has gained access to personal information from more than 100 million Capital One credit applications in the US, the bank said as US federal authorities arrested a suspect in the case. Paige A Thompson – who also goes by the name “erratic” -was charged with a single count of computer fraud and abuse…
NHS cyber attack ‘hero’ thankful after avoiding jail in US on malware charges
The British computer expert who helped shut down the WannaCry cyber attack on the NHS said he is “incredibly thankful” after being spared jail in the US for creating malware. Marcus Hutchins was hailed as a hero in May 2017 when he found a “kill-switch” that slowed the effects of the WannaCry virus affecting more…
Man arrested over cyber attack on Lancaster University
A man has been arrested after student data was stolen in a cyber attack on a university. The 25-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of Computer Misuse Act (CMA) and fraud offences on Monday following the breach of Lancaster University systems, a spokesman for the National Crime Agency (NCA) said. Records and ID documents of…
