Security News

Campaign groups have written to the UK Prime Minister warning GCHQ and its digital arm, the National Cyber Security Centre, will have the capacity to re-identify the phones of people who have installed the nation's coronavirus contact-tracing app. "The centralised recording of data could facilitate mission creep; there is no guarantee that the Government will not add additional tracking features or later use the data for purposes other than COVID-19 tracking. Of particular concern is the fact that the National Cyber Security Centre and GCHQ will have the capacity toidentify the phones of people who have installed the app. Based on the UK Government's track record on surveillance, we consider these risks to be real," the letter said.

Campaign groups have written to the UK Prime Minister warning GCHQ and its digital arm, the National Cyber Security Centre, will have the capacity to re-identify the phones of people who have installed the nation's coronavirus contact-tracing app. "The centralised recording of data could facilitate mission creep; there is no guarantee that the Government will not add additional tracking features or later use the data for purposes other than COVID-19 tracking. Of particular concern is the fact that the National Cyber Security Centre and GCHQ will have the capacity toidentify the phones of people who have installed the app. Based on the UK Government's track record on surveillance, we consider these risks to be real," the letter said.

Worried about identifiable personal data from your coronavirus contact-tracing app making it into a British government database? Fear not! The Ministry of Defence is sanitising it all first. Public fears are already running high after official COVID-19 contact tracing app maker NHSX's CEO admitted to Parliament that data harvested by the app would be retained after the pandemic ends for "Research".

Worried about identifiable personal data from your coronavirus contact-tracing app making it into a British government database? Fear not! The Ministry of Defence is sanitising it all first. Public fears are already running high after official COVID-19 contact tracing app maker NHSX's CEO admitted to Parliament that data harvested by the app would be retained after the pandemic ends for "Research".

Harriet Harman, chair of the UK's Joint Committee on Human Rights and former Labour Deputy Leader, has redoubled calls on the British government to ensure any COVID-19 contact-tracing app sufficiently protects users' privacy. "We don't want the system to rely on the individual integrity of any minister, or any ministerial team, or any government. That's not the way to protect rights. The way to have protections is through law," Harman said.

Harriet Harman, chair of the UK's Joint Committee on Human Rights and former Labour Deputy Leader, has redoubled calls on the British government to ensure any COVID-19 contact-tracing app sufficiently protects users' privacy. "We don't want the system to rely on the individual integrity of any minister, or any ministerial team, or any government. That's not the way to protect rights. The way to have protections is through law," Harman said.

A broad-based campaign group has written to UK health secretary Matt Hancock calling for greater openness in the government's embrace of private-sector tech companies contracted to provide a data store and dashboards as part of the NHS response to the COVID-19 outbreak. Campaign groups including Liberty, openDemocracy and Privacy International have now written to Hancock saying that promises of openness about the role of multiple private-sector tech firms in handling the health data of millions of UK citizens have not been fulfilled.

A broad-based campaign group has written to UK health secretary Matt Hancock calling for greater openness in the government's embrace of private-sector tech companies contracted to provide a data store and dashboards as part of the NHS response to the COVID-19 outbreak. Campaign groups including Liberty, openDemocracy and Privacy International have now written to Hancock saying that promises of openness about the role of multiple private-sector tech firms in handling the health data of millions of UK citizens have not been fulfilled.

A card-skimming Magecart malware infection lingered on a British outdoor clothing retailer's website without detection for nearly eight months despite regular security scans. The warning continued: "This code copied card details entered, destined for PayPal and additionally sent them on to the attacker's server. The data transferred was name, address, card number and CVV code."

A card-skimming Magecart malware infection lingered on a British outdoor clothing retailer's website without detection for nearly eight months despite regular security scans. The warning continued: "This code copied card details entered, destined for PayPal and additionally sent them on to the attacker's server. The data transferred was name, address, card number and CVV code."