Bots-as-a-service and why they might interest shoppers [Q&A]
Bots tend to have a poor reputation, launching cyber attacks, beating you to the best bargains on eCommerce sites and generally being a bit of a pain in the Net.
Nowadays bots are frequently available 'as-a-service' so it's possible to rent one for a period of time to execute an attack. But, according to research for Cequence Security, 32 percent of respondents say they've used a shopping bot before and 38 percent say they might in the future. So that's 70 percent of people who are thinking, 'If you can't beat them, join them.'
Identity fraud gets more sophisticated, pointing to organized crime involvement
In the last year, 47 percent of all identity document fraud was classed as 'medium' sophisticated, a 57 percent increase over the previous 12 months.
A report from identity verification and authentication company Onfido says this points to organized groups attempting to create 'verified' accounts with fake documents before using them to embark on other types of fraud.
Employee burnout puts business security at risk
A new survey of 2,500 adults looks at how workforce burnout has opened businesses to attacks, with trends such as remote and hybrid work, the Great Resignation and worse behavior by cybersecurity professionals being the driving forces behind the threat.
The research, from password manager 1Password, finds that 84 percent of security professionals and 80 percent of other workers are feeling burned out, leading to serious backsliding around security protocols.
99 percent of enterprises struggle to deliver relevant search results
Companies are more than ever reliant on data, but siloed search deployments and a lack of organizational alignment on a strategy are among factors preventing truly relevant enterprise search results, according to a new study.
A survey conducted by Dimensional Research for Coveo Solutions shows that despite an increased investment in search over the past year by 85 percent of IT professionals, 99 percent of organizations still struggle to deliver relevant search results to their users.
IT pros see zero trust as a key element of security strategy
A new survey of over 1,000 IT security professionals finds that 75 percent of organizations recognize zero trust as being important to bolstering their overall cybersecurity posture.
However, the study conducted by Dimensional Research for One Identity also shows only 14 percent have fully implemented a zero trust solution. Another 39 percent of organizations have begun to address this need, and an additional 22 percent say they plan to implement zero trust over the course of the next year.
The challenges of protecting industrial control systems [Q&A]
Industrial control systems are often critical to things like power and water supplies. In theory they should have the strongest protection available.
In practice, however, this isn't always the case. It's estimated that 91 percent of industrial companies are vulnerable to cyberattacks. So what can businesses do to protect themselves and to recover quickly if they do get attacked?
Enterprise security leaders think traditional methods aren't meeting modern threats
A new study of 200 IT security decision makers working at organisations with more than 1,000 employees in the UK reveals that 89 percent think traditional approaches don't protect against modern threats.
The report from threat detection and response company Vectra also finds that 76 percent say they have bought tools that failed to live up to their promise, the top three reasons being poor integration, failure to detect modern attacks, and lack of visibility.
How smart technology is changing the supply chain [Q&A]
Suppliers, distributors and customers alike are faced with rising supply chain costs, partly as a result of disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
The idea of smart contracts, using blockchain and the IoT to automate contract execution, has been around for a while. But is now the time for them to start coming into their own, and how can they benefit enterprises?
Software developers at biggest risk of cybersecurity breaches
Software development companies are among the most at risk from breaches, according to new research from cybersecurity firm Foxtech.
The research used cyber risk scores, calculated using publicly available information and an analysis of a wide range of cyber security indicators, as an indicator of how high or low the risk of a potential cybersecurity breach is for a company.
New report identifies malicious activity 'hotspots'
Threats like phishing and spam are often linked to specific domains, understanding how to spot these can help to strengthen threat intelligence.
Domain name and DNS-based predictive threat intelligence company DomainTools has used its database of more than 380 million currently-registered domains to identify which are likely to constitute threats.
Women still face challenges in pursuing tech careers
While female employees have gained hard-fought ground in the workplace, in the tech sector a large gap still exists when it comes to opportunities for professional development and career advancement according to a new report.
The study from digital learning company Skillsoft identifies a misalignment between the workplace benefits women in tech are seeking and those currently being provided.
Why remote workforces need better strategies for security and data protection [Q&A]
The last couple of years have seen businesses undergo a major shift to remote and hybrid working, largely driven by the pandemic. But this same period has also seen record numbers of data breaches.
Often these attacks begin with phishing to get hold of credentials which can then put both in-house and cloud systems at risk.
Google cloud hacks mostly used for illegal cryptomining
New data from AtlasVPN shows that 86 percent of hacked Google Cloud accounts are used for illegal cryptomining.
Besides cryptojacking, other uses of compromised accounts include conducting port scanning of other targets on the Internet, occurring 10 percent of the time after a Google Cloud compromise.
Malware gets more sophisticated and is more likely to demand a ransom
New analysis of more than 200,000 malware samples by Picus Security, a pioneer of Breach and Attack Simulation (BAS) technology, looks at attacker behavior over the last 12 months.
The 2021 Red Report highlights the top 10 most widely seen attack techniques and demonstrates how cybercriminals have shifted towards ransomware over the last year.
International Computer Security Day seeks to raise awareness
It seems like a while since we've had a day dedicated to some aspect of the tech world, so if you're looking for something to celebrate in the lull between Thanksgiving and Christmas you'll be pleased to hear that today is International Computer Security Day.
This is designed to create greater awareness of computer security issues and encourage people to secure the personal information stored on their computers.
Ian's Bio
Ian spent almost 20 years working with computers before he discovered that writing about them was easier than fixing them. Since then he's written for a number of computer magazines and is a former editor of PC Utilities. Follow him on Mastodon
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