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Take care of all your IT security needs this July

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The Security IT Summit takes place on July 2nd in London, providing cybersecurity experts with a unique opportunity to discover new solutions and learn new skills.

You are invited to attend for FREE as a VIP guest, with your ticket also including lunch and refreshments.

You’ll be matched for series of pre-arranged, 1-2-1 meetings with suppliers who match your requirements and projects, plus you’ll have the opportunity to attend insightful and educational seminar sessions.

Add your name to the guest list. You will be joining other cyber security professionals representing the likes of:

Alzheimer’s Society
Brett Group
Catalyst
Derwentside College
EPR Architects
Federation of Royal Colleges of Physicians of the UK
Glenny LLP
Heathrow Airport
Hesley Group
Pickering Interfaces
Professional Standards Authority
Marshall Motor Group
Soldiers Charity
TGI Fridays
The Salvation Army
United International Pictures
XP Power

We have just 60 places available so register for your free place here today.

Or for more information, contact Emily Gallagher on 01992 374085 / e.gallagher@forumevents.co.uk.

To attend as a solution provider, call Chris Cannon on 01992 374096 or email c.cannon@forumevents.co.uk.

UK begins cybersecurity diversity drive

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Four new projects across England to encourage more women, BAME, and neurodiverse candidates into a career in cyber security have been announced by Digital Minister Margot James.

They will each jointly benefit from a total investment of at least £500,000 as part of the next round of the Cyber Skills Immediate Impact Fund (CSIIF).

The aim of the Fund is to boost not only the total number, but the diversity of those working in the UK’s cyber security industry. The government says the initiative will help organisations develop and sustain projects that identify, train and place untapped talent from a range of backgrounds into cyber security roles quickly.

The projects receiving funding are:

Crucial Academy: Diversity in Cyber Security – This initiative based in Brighton looks to retrain veterans in cyber security, in particular focusing on women, neurodiverse candidates and BAME individuals.

QA: Cyber Software Academy for Women – This project running in London, Bristol, and Manchester will train and place a cohort of women into cyber development job roles within industry. An additional cohort will also be trained in Birmingham as part of the West Midlands Combined Authority Skills Deal.

Blue Screen IT: HACKED – This Plymouth based initiative will scale up an already existing programme which identifies, trains, and places individuals, including neurodiverse candidates, those with special needs and those from disadvantaged backgrounds into a cyber security career.

Hacker House Ltd: Hands on Hacking, Training and Employer Portal – This project based online will develop a portal allowing for an increased number of people to be trained and then engage with employers.

The CSIIF pilot was launched in February 2018 and was open to initiatives delivered in England. The Fund is one of a range of initiatives designed in support of the National Cyber Security Strategy’s aim of developing a sustainable supply of home-grown cyber security talent in the UK.

Digital Minister Margot James said: “Our cyber security industry is thriving but to support this growing success we need a skilled and diverse workforce to match. These latest projects show that whatever your background, ethnicity or sex, there are opportunities to join the cyber security profession. We want to demonstrate that you can have a dynamic and exciting career in a sector that sits at the heart of our economy, and is a key part of our modern Industrial Strategy.”

Hi-tech car theft warning from Which?

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New research by consumer watchdog Which? has found that four of the five best-selling car brands in the UK are susceptible to so called ‘keyless theft’.

Analysed data from roadside recovery organisation General German Automobile Club (ADAC) by Which? revealed that out of 237 keyless cars tested by ADAC for keyless attacks only three remained secure, with the Ford Focus, Nissan Qashqai, VW Golf and Ford Fiesta all at risk.

Latest models of Range Rover and Discovery, along with the 2018 Jaguar i-Pace, were resistant to keyless theft.

Thieves fool the car’s onboard keyless security by bypassing the systems with devices that allow them to access the vehicle and drive away. More than 106,000 offences of theft of a motor vehicle were reported to police in England and Wales up to March 2018, the highest figure since 2009, with keyless technology thought to be partly responsible.

In a statement, Which? said: ”Thieves have been using keyless theft for several years, but manufacturers continue to make new models that can be stolen in this way, meaning there is an ever-larger pool of vehicles for thieves to target.”

In a response to the findings, the Society of Motor Manufacturers & Traders (SMMT) said that new cars were “more secure than ever”, with manufacturers “investing billions” in sophisticated security features.

Meanwhile, the AA has released a video sharing its top 10 tips for avoiding car break-ins in light of new Home Office figures that show a 50% increase in vehicle thefts in the last five years.

In 2017, there were 280,313 recorded thefts from vehicles in England & Wales, up 13% on 2016, while 103,644 were stolen, up 19% on 2016.

Network and learn with 60 other senior cyber security professionals

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The Security IT Summit provides a unique opportunity for you to learn and hone skills, plus network with other security peers from across the UK.

You are invited to attend for FREE as a VIP guest, with your ticket also including lunch and refreshments.

2 July 2019 – Hilton Canary Wharf, London

You’ll be matched for series of pre-arranged, 1-2-1 meetings with suppliers who match your requirements and projects, plus you’ll have the opportunity to attend insightful and educational seminar sessions.

Add your name to the guest list. You will be joining other cyber security professionals representing the likes of:

Alzheimer’s Society
Brett Group
Catalyst
Derwentside College
EPR Architects
Federation of Royal Colleges of Physicians of the UK
Glenny LLP
Heathrow Airport
Hesley Group
Pickering Interfaces
Professional Standards Authority
Marshall Motor Group
Soldiers Charity
TGI Fridays
The Salvation Army
United International Pictures
XP Power

We have just 60 places available so register for your free place here today.

Or for more information, contact Emily Gallagher on 01992 374085 / e.gallagher@forumevents.co.uk.

To attend as a solution provider, call Chris Cannon on 01992 374096 or email c.cannon@forumevents.co.uk.

Government wants to ‘design out’ cyber threats

 960 640 Stuart O'Brien
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Business Secretary has announced measures for the UK to become a ‘world leader’ in the race against cyber security threats.

The government says businesses and consumers will benefit from increased security and protections built into digital devices and online services with the help of up to £70 million in government investment through the Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund, backed by further investment from industry.

This investment will support research into the design and development of hardware so that they will be more secure and resilient from the outset.

The ambitious aim is to ‘design out’ many forms of cyber threats by ‘designing in’ security and protection technology/solutions into hardware and chip designs, ultimately helping to eradicate a significant proportion of the current cyber risks for businesses and services in future connected smart products.

Clark said the best defence in the future is seen as developing innovative solutions that can work independently and protect against threats even during attacks and that the government wants to ensure that every UK organisation is as cyber secure and resilient as possible.

A further £30 million of government investment will aim to ensure smart systems, such as doors and central heating systems, are safe and secure, with more than 420 million such devices in use across the UK within the next 3 years.

The government is aiming for R&D investment to reach 2.4% of GDP by 2027.

Clark said: “This could be a real step-change in computer and online security, better protecting businesses, services and consumers from cyber-attacks resulting in benefits for consumers and the economy. With businesses having to invest more and more in tackling ever more complex cyber attacks, ‘designing in’ security measures into the hardware’s fabric will not only protect our businesses and consumers but ultimately cut the growing cybersecurity costs to businesses.

Nearly all UK businesses are reliant on digital technology and online services, yet more than 40% have experienced a cyber-security breach or attack in the last 12 months. Hackable home Wi-Fi routers can be used by attackers in botnets to attack major services and businesses. Moreover, consumers are often the worst affected by mass information leaks than the organisation that held their data. Businesses are having to spend increasing amounts on cyber security, up to 20-40% of their IT spend in some cases. And as more and more systems are connected, whether in the home or businesses, there is a need for security that is secure by design.

Digital Minister Margot James said: “We want the UK to be a safer place to live and work online. We’re moving the burden away from consumers to manufacturers, so strong cyber security is built into the design of products. This funding will help us work with industry to do just that, improving the strength and resilience of hardware to better protect consumers from cyber-attacks.”

Dr Ian Levy, National Cyber Security Centre’s Technical Director, said: “The National Cyber Security Centre is committed to improving security from the ground up, and we have been working closely with government to promote adoption of technology and practices to protect the UK.

“We hope this additional investment will drive fundamental changes to products we use every day. This is vital work, because improving hardware can eradicate a wide range of vulnerabilities that cause significant harm.”

Millennials ‘most vulnerable’ to phishing attacks

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‘Digital savvy’ millennials are more likely to fall victim to cyber threats than baby boomers and older generations, demonstrating a concerning lack of knowledge on cyber threats such as phishing and ransomware.

New research, commissioned by cybersecurity and compliance company Proofpoint for their fifth annual ‘State of the Phish’ report, also revealed that 83 percent of global respondents experienced phishing attacks in 2018, compared to just 10 percent of respondents reporting experiencing a ransomware attack.

Also amongst the standout findings was the revelation that despite popular belief, older generations were actually less likely to fall victim to cyber attacks than their younger counterparts. 58% of those aged 22-27 knew correctly what phishing was, compared to 73% of those aged 54+ who knew correctly what phishing was. In addition, 52% of those aged 54+ knew correctly what ransomware was, whereas only 40% of those aged 22-37 knew correctly what ransomware was.

“Email is the top cyberattack vector, and today’s cybercriminals are persistently targeting high-value individuals who have privileged access or handle sensitive data within an organisation,” said Joe Ferrara, general manager of Security Awareness Training for Proofpoint.

“As these threats grow in scope and sophistication, it is critical that organisations prioritise security awareness training to educate employees about cybersecurity best practices and establish a people-centric strategy to defend against threat actors’ unwavering focus on compromising end users.”

“Lack of cybersecurity awareness, in particular amongst the millennial/Generation Z demographic, presents a greater threat than many businesses expect,” added Adenike Cosgrove, strategist, EMEA, Proofpoint.

“Our latest research shows that surprisingly, older generational groups can more accurately identify threats such as phishing and ransomware than digitally-savvy millennials. This tells us that millennials, despite being much more comfortable and at ease with digital platforms, display greater complacency towards threats and perceived risks.

“With the percentage of millennials in the workforce set to reach 50 percent globally by 2020, it’s imperative that businesses focus on developing a people-centric approach to security and deploy cybersecurity awareness training programs that aim to change employee behaviour. The bottom line is that organisations that do not consider the human factor as a key pillar to their cyber defence strategy will continue to be prime targets for cybercriminals, putting their businesses at risk of potentially crippling attacks.”

A copy of the report can be downloaded here: https://www.proofpoint.com/us/resources/threat-reports/state-of-phish

Access Control

Do you provide Access Control solutions? We want to hear from you!

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Each month on IT Security Briefing we’re shining the spotlight on a different part of the cyber security market – in February we’re focussing on Access Control solutions.

It’s all part of our ‘Recommended’ editorial feature, designed to help IT security buyers find the best products and services available today.

So, if you’re an Access Control solutions specialist and would like to be included as part of this exciting new shop window, we’d love to hear from you – for more info, contact Chris Cannon on c.cannon@forumevents.co.uk.

Here are the areas we’ll be covering, month by month:

Feb – Access Control
Mar – Intrusion Detection & Prevention
Apr – Phishing Detection
May – Advanced Threat Dashboard
Jun – Browser/Web Security
Jul – Authentication
Aug – Penetration Testing
Sep – Vulnerability Management
Oct – Employee Security Awareness
Nov – Malware
Dec – Network Security Management

For information on any of the above topics, contact Chris Cannon on c.cannon@forumevents.co.uk.

Hiscox reveals results of staged ‘real world’ Brompton cyber attack

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Hiscox recently collaborated with iconic bike manufacturer Brompton to stage a ‘real world’ cyber attack, simulating the effects by constructing a complete clone of Brompton Bicycle’s east-London store overnight, hiring ‘staff’ and stocking shelves with counterfeit merchandise.

The fake store, called ‘3rompton,’ opened its doors to the public on the opposite side of the road and subsequently launched a series of cyber attack simulations on the genuine Brompton store in Shoreditch, with reactions of staff and passers by captured on video (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y1b8865GOHU&feature=youtu.be).

Common hacking techniques such as ransomware and phishing were brought to life through a series of simulated offline attacks; the real store was boarded up, displaying a ransom note demanding Bitcoin in exchange for re-entry; genuine stock deliveries were diverted to the fake ‘3rompton’ store, highlighting the potential effects of a phishing scam; finally the real Brompton store was flooded with imitation customers overwhelming staff, simulating a denial-of-service (DDoS) attack.

According to the insurer, one in three (33%) UK small businesses have suffered a cyber breach and this simulation is the latest initiative in its cyber awareness campaign, set-up to highlight this risk. 

The firm says cyber security incidents cost the average small business £25,7003 a year in direct costs (e.g. the costs of IT experts in response to the incident, lost revenue and replacement systems), but this is just the beginning. Indirect costs such as damage to reputation, the impact of losing customers and difficulty attracting future customers, means the true figure can be significantly higher.

Robert Hannigan, former Director of GCHQ and Special Advisor to Hiscox, said: “Cyber crime is one of the biggest security risks facing businesses today but many aren’t taking it seriously and many more are underprepared. It’s a less tangible risk than burglary or a fire which can make it hard for businesses to grasp, so bringing cyber crime to life with an exercise like this is a useful way of conveying an important message. 

“The hacking techniques being simulated such as ransomware and phishing are extremely commonplace and have been for many years. At the same time, new types of cyber crime continue to emerge, which makes staying on top of cyber security an ever-evolving challenge.”

Will Butler-Adams, CEO Brompton Bicycle, added: “Our business is about our bike; the design, function and support we give to our customers over the life of the product. We have spent forty years developing the Brompton brand and continue to take risks to innovate and improve the design. When people copy us, with little understanding of the engineering and care behind the design, they are trying to fool our customers who may go on to buy a potentially dangerous product. We wanted to work with Hiscox to highlight these risks, as it is a serious issue and is not limited to the product but also to online cyber fraud, spam emails and viruses, that hurt businesses and their customers alike.”

LORCA reveals second cohort intake

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A second cohort has been announced by LORCA, focussing on securing supply chains and user-centric security.

LORCA (London Office for Rapid Cybersecurity Advancement) has selected 11 companies with relevant solutions looking to scale, either domestically or internationally, with the LORCA team offering support at its innovation centre, Plexal, along with access to experts from Deloitte’s Cyber Risk Service teams and the Centre for Secure Information Technologies (CSIT) at Queen’s University, Belfast.

Lydia Ragoonanan, LORCA’s Director, said: “We’re thrilled to welcome these high-potential UK companies that have genuinely promising solutions to the biggest industry challenges in cybersecurity. The engagement from industry in the development and selection process ensures that the cohort has clear markets to scale into and is addressing the cyber challenges that will make the most difference to industry. Following on from the success of first cohort, we look forward to seeing these 11 companies grow and thrive.”

The 11 members of the second cohort are:

• CyNation
• RazorSecure
• Bob’s Business
• Cypto Quantique
• OutThink
• Distributed Management Systems
• ObjectTech
• Xanadata
• CyberSmart

Minister for Digital Margot James said: “This latest round of companies selected by LORCA highlights how the UK continues to be at the forefront of cyber innovation. Supporting these businesses through all stages of their growth will help make the UK the safest place to be online and ensure that through the government’s modern Industrial Strategy the UK maintains its position as a world leader in cybersecurity.”

Warning for businesses still using Windows 7

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There’s just one year to go until Microsoft ends support for its ten-year-old operating system Windows 7, but as many as 43% of enterprises are still running the outdated platform.

That’s according to a new ‘Death of Windows 7’ report from Kollective.

The report, which includes data from a survey of 260 US and UK IT professionals, examines the potential costs and security threats involved in staying on Windows 7 after Microsoft’s support deadline passes.

Kollective’s research found that nearly a fifth (17%) of IT departments don’t know when the end of support deadline is, while 6% are aware of the end of support but are yet to start planning for their migration away from Windows 7.

Those that remain on Windows 7 past January 14, 2020 will either have to pay Microsoft significant sums for extended support or will leave their systems open to cyberattack. In the case of those largest enterprises, with 10,000 or more terminals, the fee to Microsoft could be in excess of $1.4m a year.

Perhaps most worrying of all, 16% of IT professionals admit to still running Windows XP and Windows Vista on some of their machines – despite support for these operating systems having ended more than three years ago.

Dan Vetras, CEO of Kollective, said: “With only a year to go, these findings should be a major cause for concern among the business community. When it came to migrating away from Windows XP it took some large enterprises as long as three years to transfer their entire systems to the new operating system, now, many firms will have to make the transition in less than 12 months. Those that fail to do so will have to pay for extended support, with the largest organizations paying more than a million dollars a year in order to remain on Windows 7.”

“Most worrying of all is that this migration is just the first step. Once businesses are on Windows 10, they will need to continuously update their systems as part of Microsoft’s new ‘Windows as a Service’ model. This means distributing increasingly frequent updates across their systems – something many IT departments will find impossible due to outdated infrastructure. At Kollective, we’re committed to raising awareness for this issue and helping enterprises solve their network challenges before it’s too late.”