Posts

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Government Pushing For Right To Spy On WhatsApp Users (and others)

The recent amendment to the Online Safety Bill which means a compulsory report must be written for Ofcom by a “skilled person” before encrypted app companies are forced to scan messages has led to even more criticism of this rather…
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Two Key Cyber Security Insights

With phishing attacks being favoured for their effectiveness by attackers and most ransomware attacks now targeting backup storage, we look at what businesses can do to protect themselves.   Spear Phishing Accounted For Two-Thirds…
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View Deleted WhatsApp Messages

In this Insight, we look at how it is possible to uncover and read deleted messages on WhatsApp, and what a number of privacy features on the app mean for business users.  Changes   WhatsApp have made changes as regards message…
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ChatGPT Banned At Apple

Apple has reportedly banned the internal use of ChatGPT and other chatbots plus AI writers like Bard, Copilot and GitHub to prevent the sharing of sensitive company information.  Internal Document Seen  The ban came to light following…
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How To Delete Your ChatGPT Conversation History

If you’d like to protect your privacy and the privacy of your business in terms of what you share with ChatGPT, here’s how to delete your ChatGPT chat history:  Sign-in to your ChatGPT account and click on the three dots next to your…
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Erasing Yourself From Google

In this insight, we look at the steps you can take to erase any details about yourself from Google to protect your privacy.  Why Might A Person Want To Erase Their Details From Google?  Google collects your personal information…
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Even After Opting Out, Your Data May Still Be Shared

A recent US research paper entitled “Opted Out, Yet Tracked: Are Regulations Enough to Protect Your Privacy?” highlights how, in many cases, user data is still being collected, processed, and shared, even when users opt out through…
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How To Fake Someone’s Voice

Following recent security concerns about Amazon’s plans to enable Alexa to mimic voices, we look at how easy it is to do, what the benefits are, and what risks it poses.  Alexa The Mimic  Recently, Amazon announced that it was…
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Recording Phone Calls On Your Mobile

In this article, we look at the legal issues around recording calls on your mobile, and the different methods for doing so.  Is It Legal To Record Phone Calls On Your Mobile?  In the UK, as an individual mobile phone user, generally…
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More Control To Remove Personal Data From Google Searches

Google has announced that it is changing its policies to allow more types of personally identifiable information removal requests.  Personal Information Showing Up In Google Search  Google acknowledges that personally identifiable…
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Stop Your Smart Devices From Being Used To Spy On You

With so many smart devices now all around us in homes and offices, we look here at ways to minimise the risk of having your privacy invaded.    The Internet of Things (IoT)    IoT devices are those devices that are now…
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Social Networks May be Forced To Filter Out Unverified Accounts

If the Online Safety Bill is passed in its current form, it could mean that the main social networks will be forced to filter out any unverified accounts.  One Of Two New Duties Added To The Bill  Last Friday, the government published…
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Why Solid Black Bars May Be Best For Redacted Text

In this insight, we look at how to best to avoid redacted text from being ‘unredacted’ by certain software tools, and we look at what researchers advise based on recent experiments.  The Problem  For businesses and organisations,…
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Phone Recordings App – Police Investigation

The ICO launched an investigation after more than 1,000 Sussex and Surrey police officers were found to have downloaded a free app to covertly record calls with members of the public on police-issued phones. Google Play Store App The…
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What’s All the Fuss About Julian Assange?

In this article, we take a look at some of the main details of the case of WikiLeaks and Julian Assange, and what can be learned from this ongoing battle between Assange and the US government, whose secrets his website shared. Who Is Julian…
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How To Know If Someone Has Read Your Email?

In this tech insight, we take a look at the better-known ways of being able to tell if someone has read your email. The Usual Suspects The main ways to tell if a person has read your email include: Request a read receipt when…
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Digital Markets Act Could Protect Whistleblowers

The EU’s adoption of a proposal on the Digital Markets Act (DMA) on Tuesday not only offers the potential to help tackle the market dominance of big tech businesses but could also protect whistleblowers. What Is The Digital Markets Act? Currently…
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One-Third Of UK Employees Being Remotely Monitored By The Boss

A Prospect trade union poll has revealed that 32 per cent of UK workers are being remotely monitored and tracked by employers. Big Rise The poll also shows a rise in the number of employees under remote surveillance that’s up from a…
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What Is The ICO?

In this tech-insight, we look at the role of the Information Commissioner’s Office, and how it can be a source of valuable compliance information and help to businesses. What Is It? The Information Commissioner’s Office is the UK’s…
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Proposed Ban For Mass Facial Recognition & ‘Predictive’ Policing

The European Parliament has adopted a resolution calling for a ban on the use of AI-based predictive policing systems and the processing of biometric data that leads to mass surveillance. Areas The resolution seeks to ban the use of facial…
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Apple To Scan Phones For Inappropriate Content

Apple has announced that all iPhone photos will be scanned for any evidence of Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM) to protect children and to help stop the spread of CSAM online. How? Apple’s new versions of iOS and iPadOS, due…
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Conservative Party Gets £10,000 Data Protection Fine

The ICO has fined the Conservative Party £10,000 for sending unlawful marketing emails to people who did not want to receive them. Breach The ICO has decided that after an investigation into emails sent from the Conservative Party, in…
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Data About You Held By UK Government

In this article, we look at not just the story of how a staggering 400,000 police records were accidentally deleted but also at the wider picture of what information is held about us UK citizens by the authorities, and what powers we have over…
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Huge Demand for Employee Monitoring Software

The move to home working has prompted more businesses to invest in more digital, online staff-monitoring tools to help with transparency and productivity. Home Working Working at home because of the pandemic has led to companies wanting…
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Facial Recognition, Photo Identity and Privacy Protection

With phone cameras, surveillance cameras with facial recognition seemingly everywhere and the world entering a new phase of social change, many people are looking at how they can take simple steps to retain and protect their privacy rights. Faces Enshrined…
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Apple and Google Ban Location Tracking in Contact Tracing App

Apple Inc and Alphabet Inc (Google) have both announced that they will not use GPS location tracking as part of the COVID-19 contact tracing app that they are jointly developing. Contact Tracing Apps With contact-tracing and testing believed…
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Businesses Get Extra Time To Meet New Secure Payment Processing Rules

The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has given UK businesses an extra 6 months to reach compliance with the new Strong Customer Authentication (SCA) rules for secure payment processing. What Are the SCA Secure Payment Processing Rules? The…
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How Much Does Google Know About You?

To have access to Google’s many features and services, as with other platforms, we need to give some personal information and then sign-in, but have you ever wondered just how much information Google keeps about you and your activities? Google This…
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Facebook Sued Down-Under For £266bn Over Cambridge Analytica Data Sharing Scandal

Six years after the personal data of 87 million users was harvested and later shared without user consent with Cambridge Analytica, Australia’s privacy watchdog is suing Facebook for an incredible £266bn over the harvested data of its citizens. What…
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ICO Warns Police on Facial Recognition

In a recent blog post, Elizabeth Denham, the UK’s Information Commissioner, has said that the police need to slow down and justify their use of live facial recognition technology (LFR) in order to maintain the right balance in reducing our…