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GALA OCCASION ALL SET FOR ‘LIVE’ RETURN
While the 2020 Computing Security Awards could not be staged ‘live’, the event was still a resounding success – and already we are looking forward to the 2021 event, with competition for the top prizes likely to prove as fierce as ever.
As the countdown to the next awards begins, you can look back to see who won what last time around – and soak up the atmosphere of what was, despite everything, a truly gala occasion. We expect the level of anticipation in the build-up will be no less exhilarating this time around.
Check out all of the victors and runners-up by clicking here
CLEVER THINKING
Feature | July 2021
Can AI help transform the industry, making it sharper, wiser and less vulnerable?
INDUSTRIES TARGETED
Comment | July 2021
A global threat intelligence report launched recently by NTT revealed that there has been a 300% increase in attacks, as cybercriminals besiege key players
ATTACKS MULTIPLY
Feature | July 2021
6,000-plus cases of Covid-related fraud and cybercrime were recorded by UK police forces in the 12 months after the virus first struck. But this may be just the tip of the iceberg
WEAPONISED WORLD
Feature | July 2021
Espionage, fraud and ransomware were the weapons of choice in 2020, with the UK's National Cyber Security Centre handling a record number of cyber security incidents
DARKNESS AND LIGHT
Feature | July 2021
In part 2 of Computing Security’s glance into the (possible) future, we hear more predictions on where our industry might be heading, in these doubly uncertain times
INVISIBLE FORCE
Industry View | July 2021
Is there a hacker staring in on you through your devices and gadgets, ready to pounce? We find out how critical it is to keep webcams covered when they're not in use
EU – ENLISTING UNITY
News | July 2021
The EU is creating a Joint Cyber Unit that will respond to cyber attacks across the 27 member countries
CODE RED
News | July 2021
Nearly 80% of the time, third-party libraries are never updated by developers after being included in a codebase, new research reveals
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Comment
Welcome to the July 2021 issue of your Computing Security Newsletter.
After terrorising countless organisations with ransomware demands and paralysing their activities until they paid up, it came as a surprise, albeit a pleasing one, to see that websites for a Russian-linked ransomware gang REvil had suddenly gone offline.
The reason behind the disappearance is unknown, reports the BBC, but it has sparked speculation that the group may have been targeted deliberately by authorities.
It comes amid growing pressure between the US and Russia over cybercrime. US president Joe Biden said he had raised the issue with Vladimir Putin during a phone call, after discussing the subject during a summit in Geneva.
“Although it is unclear the exact reason why REvil ransomware websites have gone offline, it is a positive step in the fight against these cybercriminal gangs,” says John Vestberg, CEO and co-founder of Sweden-based cybersecurity company Clavister. “That said, it is only a matter of time before another ransomware incident takes place. The attack on Kaseya was the latest in a line of incidents that have caused wide-spread havoc – from the Colonial Pipeline to the JBS food production plant in the US.
“In particular, Critical National Infrastructure, such as oil and gas, is a prime target for ransomware gangs – systems are underpinned by a myriad of complex information and operational technology devices, and so the consequences if these are infiltrated can be devastating. Going after organisations with huge supply chains and customer bases provides the opportunity for wide-ranging effects, which makes those impacted more likely to pay up, either individually or collectively.”
The question now is whether the REvil gang has disbanded permanently or is just keeping a low profile until the heat is off. Whichever it might be, the likelihood of more ‘REvils’ emerging in the near future is, sadly, almost guaranteed.
With best wishes…
Brian Wall, Editor
Computing Security
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