Outsiders to the world of cybersecurity often regard it as dry and lacking in excitement. But spend more than a few minutes looking at the current topics, attacks and issues, and it is utterly clear that this is not the case.

Sometimes stressful, sometimes terrifying and sometimes even exciting, the world of cybersecurity is a constant, changing battleground in which researchers and criminals match wits in a fight for the world’s data.

In this issue of Verdict Encrypt, we’re looking at some of the more thrilling and concerning sides of the field, from activities that easily form the basis of a Hollywood movie to attacks that are truly devastating for their victims. And through it all, how companies can both benefit and stay protected.

We hear from F-Secure’s red team to discover what it’s like to work in what may well be the coolest job in the industry. Infiltrating company systems isn’t just something hackers do, and the methods red teams use are both surprising and brilliant.

On the more concerning side is the world of account takeover.

The next stage on from targeted phishing attacks, account takeover is gaining ground as the approach of choice for cybercriminals, fooling targets known to the victims into handing over what can sometimes be their life’s savings.

We hear how this approach is increasing in popularity, and the methods that can be used to combat it.

The dark web is where the cybercriminals of the world buy and sell vital attack tools, but sometimes something unusual finds its way onto the market. And this is what happened earlier in the year when US military drone documents were listed.

We spoke to the team who discovered the listing to find out what was so unusual about the occurrence, and what it means for government security.

Plus, with GDPR now in place we look at some of the early insights from the legislation, in particular the damage it is doing to some elements of security.

And if that wasn’t enough we also look at some of the latest security trends, from cloud security solutions to truly secure communications, as well as looking at some of the latest products and innovations bringing benefits to companies.

For all this, and more, read on in the latest issue of Verdict Encrypt.

Lucy Ingham

Editor