Cyber security is a key risk for UK solicitors 29th August 2018 Cyber security has been identified as one of the top ten business issues in the Risk Outlook 2018/19 Report published by the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA). The annual SRA risk report is an accurate ‘barometer’ of the commercial and legal challenges faced by…
Cisco highlights huge growth in complexity of future cyber attack 17th August 2018 The Cisco Annual Security Report 2018 highlights the huge growth in the complexity and impact of malware used in cyber attacks. It also identifies the common use of encryption to enhance security is being used by malicious actors as a powerful tool…
16th August 2018 The increasing frequency and severity of cyber attack is now on the agenda of the boardroom of every major global organisation. The appointment of a Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) is essential to ensure the alignment of security measures with enterprise and business objectives. What is a CISO? A Chief Information…
The Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) of the FBI is reporting that email-based social engineering attacks were the most commonly reported cybercrime category in the US in 2017. Business e-mail compromise (fake CEO attack) and fake investment scams targeting companies and not for profit organisations resulted in an estimated loss of over $676 million dollars.…
Researchers from Check Point Software have announced at DEF CON 26 that fax machines can be easily used by cyber attackers to breach an IT system. In this age of advanced cyber attack methodologies, it is ironic to be reminded of a wide-spread security vulnerability in a digital technology that’s been used in offices since…
9th August 2018 General Partners in UK private equity firms are under increasing pressure to mitigate the business risks associated with the exponential growth in cyber crime. They also face the burden of complying to strict data security requirements of European regulations which include the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and the Alternative Investment Fund…
As a regular commentator on the cyber security industry, I am frequently surprised at the seeming lack of understanding of what cyber security is and how it can be used by an organisation to truly mitigate the growing risk of cyber attack. This is often demonstrated by the incorrect (and annoying) use of the terms,…
The National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) has published its first report into the cyber threat to UK law firms. The highlights of this document were presented at the UK Legal Sector Breakfast Briefing on the 19th July. Ciaran Martin, Chief Executive Officer NCSC, confirmed, “Like all businesses, law firms are increasingly reliant on IT and…
With the Creators Fall release of Windows 10 last year, Microsoft confirmed the intention of offering their desktop customers a true end-to-end cyber security framework. Their mission defines the delivery of ‘protect, detect and respond’ across the entire Windows stack and the current version of Windows Defender Advanced Threat Protection (ATP) offers an impressive set…
The Center for Internet Security (CIS) has announced that it has released an update to its highly regarded CIS Controls best practice list. Published at the end of April 2018, the CIS Controls V7 feature the same twenty ‘must have’ counter measures that businesses around the world already depend upon to stay cyber secure. …
The Augentius 2018 Technology Survey reports that over half of the global private equity and real estate fund managers (PERE) managers contacted are dissatisfied with their firm’s current cybersecurity arrangements. It also confirms that 54% of firms have a commitment to investing in more effective cyber security measures. They also plan to spend on business…
The Continuous Threat Visibility and Cyber Management Threat Services report from Ovum Research highlights that while the number of recent cyber attacks has increased by 40%, over a third of the companies surveyed continued to rely on basic cyber protection tools. It also shows that while there has been a significant increase in cyber security…
The use of Managed Security Service Providers (MSSP) in the last few years has become accepted by larger organisations as a solution to improving the efficacy of their cyber security defenses. The key drivers for this outsourcing remain the continued shortage of skilled cyber security professionals and the increasing complexity of modern cyber attack methodology.…
What is an endpoint? An endpoint is a hardware device that provides a user with access to a distributed computer system. These devices include mobile phones, tablets, laptops and desktop PC machines. When connected to a local area network or the Internet, all have the potential to access the information assets of an organisation. …
Last year may well be remembered as the year that the ransomware cyber attack came of age. Against a background of high profile attacks reported by the National Health Service, FedEx, and Telefonica, Kaspersky has confirmed that the number of ransomware attacks on businesses tripled in the year, jumping from one attack every two minutes in Q1…
1. Viruses, spyware and malware By far the greatest cyber security risks come from viruses, spyware and malware, according to the survey, with 68% of firms having experienced this type of attack in the last month. Spyware should also be of concern to private equity firms, as it can be used to secretly record what…
