Kate O'Flaherty
Kate O'Flaherty is a freelance journalist with well over a decade's experience covering cyber security and privacy for publications including Wired, Forbes, the Guardian, the Observer, Infosecurity Magazine and the Times. Within cyber security and privacy, her specialist areas include critical national infrastructure security, cyber warfare, application security and regulation in the UK and the US amid increasing data collection by big tech firms such as Facebook and Google. You can follow Kate on Twitter.
Latest articles by Kate O'Flaherty
![The Windows 10 logo on a laptop in the back of frame, with another laptop closer to the camera but out of focus showing the Windows 11 logo.](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/hysBSTERh9a8UAhRvwNiDC-320-80.jpg)
Windows 10 end of life: How to prepare for the October deadline
By Kate O'Flaherty published
In-depth Microsoft is ending support for Windows 10 in October this year – so what are the options for IT leaders who are yet to upgrade to Windows 11?
![A hand holding a smartphone with a fishhook and envelope overlaid, to represent MFA bypass and sophisticated phishing attacks.](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/YJRCnXYUbgRxpWBbxnkJ2d-320-80.jpg)
How hackers bypass MFA
By Kate O'Flaherty published
In-depth Security leaders must ensure there’s more to their defenses than the simplest identity checks
![Glowing python programming language code on a blue digital surface with a sphere grid design infographics overlay.](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/p4zua46Fhpwq5Wi9cRGDXm-320-80.jpg)
AI-generated code risks: What CISOs need to know
By Kate O'Flaherty published
As AI-generated code becomes more widespread, security teams will need to be even more vigilant for unwanted vulnerabilities and flaws
![A visualization of East Asia, centered on China, with countries formed of red pixels and linked with yellow dots and lines to represent cyber activity and China cyber threats. The countries sit on a dark globe, against a dark blue background.](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/aBVURaiyRbWgaf7Bp8VqiT-320-80.jpg)
China cyber threats: What businesses can do to protect themselves
By Kate O'Flaherty published
In-depth As attacks from the likes of Salt Typhoon escalate, business leaders must take a proactive approach to improving their cyber capabilities
![A hacker in a Christmas hat in front of multiple screens](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/9vJo8CAuDXjxRpXXpsgfSf-320-80.jpg)
Holiday threats security teams face and how to mitigate them
By Kate O'Flaherty published
Feature The holidays present a unique set of risks for security teams – what are the biggest threats to look out for and how can they be overcome?
![A digital map of Europe, from the west to Russia, covered with glowing orange lines curving in the air from one country to the next to represent Russia's cyber threat and Russian cyber attacks.](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/FERwrLtSzVCdDrYBJA2hpS-320-80.jpg)
Russia is targeting unpatched vulnerabilities – what can tech leaders do to shore up defenses?
By Kate O'Flaherty published
In-depth Understanding the leading Russian threat groups and their methodologies is the key to a robust business cyber strategy
![A black and white photo of a business person's hand holding a stylized key representing a secure password policy, which continually splits apart to resemble an organizational structure, set against a solid red background.](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/fRMQcrMH4gL2kzUKBKa9Uc-320-80.jpg)
How to create a secure password policy
By Kate O'Flaherty published
In-depth Passwords don’t need to be changed every year – and three random words are better than lots of characters, according to the latest NIST guidance
![A CGI representation of phishing shown as a fishing hook piercing through an envelope above a circuitboard.](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/oz5KqTuv45tBygSoR5KBnY-320-80.jpg)
Phishing tactics: The top attack trends
By Kate O'Flaherty published
In-depth Phishing is evolving beyond email as advances such as AI drive targeted attacks – leaders must keep up with the latest tactics to mount an effective defense
![Iran flag digital distorted to denote a disruption caused by a hack](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/RBmH3m9HDsh4cfAWBqaJqf-320-80.jpg)
The Iran cyber threat: Breaking down attack tactics
By Kate O'Flaherty published
In-depth Iran has been implicated in multiple recent cyber attacks – as state-backed hackers evolve their tactics, businesses must respond by shoring up defenses
![An abstract cube filled with multi-colored layers exposed in missing chunks, surrounded by other cubes, representing AI data protection. Decorative: the cube in the center is yellow and the other cubes are blue, while all sit on a polished white surface.](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/ptYVxnFiFQ4ETsmxd8SAS9-320-80.jpg)
AI and data protection: What businesses need to know
By Kate O'Flaherty published
In-depth Generative AI tools such as ChatGPT pose risks to data protection – firms still struggling to put an AI strategy in place will struggle down the line
![A CGI visualization of a city, shown as glowing white buildings and blue energy lines to represent critical national infrastructure.](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/XKUrvW4jeTHEBxbpj7DVed-320-80.jpg)
Why attacks against critical national infrastructure (CNI) are such a threat
By Kate O'Flaherty published
In-depth Organizations operating critical national infrastructure face an onslaught of cyber attacks by state-sponsored adversaries, prompting experts to call for better defense strategies and cooperation
![A stylized graphic showing a large cloud symbol as large as a world map shown in isometric view, with three large red error symbols on the cloud representing a DDoS attack. Decorative: the cloud and surrounding map and background are varying shades of blue-green.](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/8Gh28hqudycz6mJKk5BzgJ-320-80.jpg)
How to recover from a DDoS attack – and what they can teach businesses
By Kate O'Flaherty published
In-depth As distributed denial of service (DDoS) attacks get bigger and stealthier, firms that can recover fast and learn from the experience have the edge
![The Kaspersky logo on a stand at Mobile World Congress 2023, shot from below. It is grey text against a green border, set on a dark background,](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/xzGvoibq88epc97oNu3CFX-320-80.jpg)
What does the Kaspersky ban mean for businesses?
By Kate O'Flaherty published
In-depth The US has banned Kaspersky software, saying the Russia-based firm is a threat to national security. What does that mean for businesses?
![A digital illustration of a handshake between two businesspeople, with their hands rendered as circuits to represent acquisition risks.](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/MQJug5ikPbyaW4VPDJcQHW-320-80.jpg)
Mitigating cyber risks in mergers and acquisitions
By Kate O'Flaherty published
In-depth Mergers and acquisitions can open the door to significant cyber security gaps, which IT teams must work hard to overcome in the immediate aftermath of any deal closing
![An abstract CGI image of red, blue, white, and purple layers representing an organization's cyber incident response strategy.](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/SziFRufF3tyKcNVPeFHz8K-320-80.jpg)
Building an incident response strategy
By Kate O'Flaherty published
In-depth As the threat landscape changes, businesses must ensure their incident response strategy is up to the task and ready to meet the needs of regulators and stakeholders
![A CGI render of a chain, formed from blue lines, moving from the top right half of the frame to the bottom left against a dark background. As it extends to the left, it breaks apart into individual blue strands to represent a supply chain.](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/hRV9zUbEM6roDdKfixiEGC-320-80.jpg)
Why the CISO role is so demanding – and how leaders can help
By Kate O'Flaherty published
In-depth Battling decreasing budgets and stressful working patterns, those in the CISO role need support and space to communicate to do their jobs well
![A glowing golden shield, in a shadowy environment to represent stealthy malware.](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/u3S7jDuzCNTCN3RZTa5mcj-320-80.jpg)
Stealthy malware: The threats hiding in plain sight
By Kate O'Flaherty published
In-depth As malicious software becomes increasingly difficult to detect, businesses must act to counter the stealthy malware threat
![A CGI render of glowing blue and purple lines connecting to represent AI threats.](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/fj9R8CirBNKsHxZDSiQz8D-320-80.jpg)
AI threats: The importance of a concrete strategy in fighting novel attacks
By Kate O'Flaherty last updated
In-depth Malicious AI use could accelerate cyber attacks, but how big is the AI threat in practice and what can businesses do to prepare?
![A pixelated world map with red circles to indicate state-sponsored cyber attacks by hacking groups.](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/AUkNwn4shduFJqKnsDWdGN-320-80.jpg)
State-sponsored cyber attacks: The new frontier
By Kate O'Flaherty published
In-depth With a new breed of groups launching state-sponsored cyber attacks against businesses, security teams will have to look beyond the traditional “CRINK” attackers
![Lines of green binary code on a black screen, with zero day written in red in the middle](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/f3bDeBHjcWLjQhewbRstRR-320-80.jpg)
Zero-day exploits: How risky are they for businesses?
By Kate O'Flaherty published
In-depth Zero-day exploits in popular software are a growing risk to all businesses. What can be done to mitigate the danger?
![A digital shield logo on a screen, with code surrounding it to represent a cyber security vendor.](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/Jd3pxZCLYdY6GikcNyQbuT-320-80.jpg)
How to choose the best cyber security vendor for your business
By Kate O'Flaherty published
In-depth What the best cyber security vendor means for you will depend on your needs – and if you require one at all
![A CGI circuitboard, with a multi-colored cloud symbol at the center.](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/HFbiSvrN3m45qzwtKg5VyE-320-80.jpg)
Cloud security for SMBs: Simple steps to stay secure
By Kate O'Flaherty published
In-depth While a lack of budget and resources makes cloud security for SMBs harder, there are steps leaders can take to boost defenses
![Five asterisks progressively fading away to represent the end of passwords. The asterisks are on a pale green background.](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/dGTux2KBas4ecwSzZBZas4-320-80.jpg)
The end of passwords – and how businesses will embrace it
By Kate O'Flaherty published
In-depth What will the end of passwords look like in practice and what can businesses do to prepare?
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