Security Roundup: Cyber attack to hit the UK in the next two weeks

This week the NCA is warning of a ‘powerful computer attack’, John Lewis gets into trouble for sending spam, and Avast discovers fake World Cup apps.

The UK’s National Crime Agency is warning that people have just two weeks before a botnet system – that has already infected between 500,000 and one million machines so far – could strike in the UK. The NCA is urging people to back up important files and make sure their security software and operating system are up to date.

Meanwhile, Avast has detected a number of fake football gaming apps on the Google Play store ahead of the 2014 World Cup. Two notable examples are Corner Kick World Cup 2014 and Free Kick Champion.

Also, Bitdefender has revealed that SMEs remain unclear as to how to utilise cloud computing. The firm has put together a video exploring cloud computing and cyberthreats. Check it out below:

In other news:

• John Lewis has been ordered to pay damages for sending ‘spam’ emails in a privacy ruling.
• Robotics firm EOS Innovation has announced it will unveil its ‘e-vigilante’ mobile security robot.
• Symantec has released Backup Exec 2014, to help organisations protect their critical data.
• Intercede has become an ‘Early Access Trusted Authenticator Partner’ with Good Technology. Intercede’s MyID Trusted Authenticator will provide apps with access to a wide range of secure credentials for signing, authentication and encryption.