In this article, we look at what BYOD is, why a BYOD policy is important, and what elements form the essential blueprint of a BYOD policy. What Is BYOD? The term Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) has been around since 2004 when it was first…

In this tech insight, we take a look at the many threats to email security that businesses face and what businesses can do to mitigate them, together with what help is available to help tackle those threats effectively. Email Accounts For…

In this tech insight, we take a brief look at the WEP and WAP security protocols, and what happened to them. What Is WAP? Developed by Ericsson, Motorola, Nokia, and Unwired Planet, and introduced back in 1999, Wireless Application Protocol…

The latest “ThreatLabz: The State of Encrypted Attacks,” 2021 report has shown a 300 per cent increase in online attackers using HTTPS to cloak their activities and blend in with other traffic. HTTPS HTTPS, the encrypted version of…

Many cybers attacks now take the form of using fake/spoof communication to trick victims into parting with personal (or company) data, or money. We take a look at some of the most popular and widely reported methods and how to avoid falling…

In this tech-insight, we take a look at what QR codes are used for, review some well-known security risks, and outline what action you can take to protect yourself from malicious QR codes. Quick Response (QR) Codes A QR code is a machine-readable…

Apple has issued a security update following the discovery of a zero-day, zero-click “spyware” that could infect iPhones and iPads. Discovered By Researchers The threat was discovered by independent researchers from the University…

Human Rights groups fear that the Taliban could soon be able to use collected biometric data to identify contractors and locals working with the US military. What Biometric Data? It has been reported that, over time, while on operations…

On 12 August, the Poly Network DeFi platform announced that, following the theft of $610 Million in digital coins, the hacker thieves had returned $342 million. However, it’s been reported that more recently, almost all of the stolen crypto…

Recognising that Microsoft 365 does not comprehensively back up your data means that making sure that you have a third-party, “point-in-time” backup solution is an important consideration for your business. Only For 30 Days Microsoft…

After a recent high profile media story highlighted how poor router security led to a police raid of the home of an innocent family, we take a look at how Wi-Fi piggybacking attacks against home and domestic targets, and VoIP hacking of businesses…

With Barclays Bank recently publishing the figures of refunds it made to customers who fell victim to authorised push payment (APP) fraud, there have been calls for greater transparency and reform to the current (voluntary) reimbursement code. Authorised…

In a recent blog post, Google has announced that the automatic enrolment of Google account users in Two Step Verification ‘2SV’ is coming soon. Passwords – Single Biggest Threat To Online Security In the blog post on ‘On World…

MI5 is using a ‘Think before You Link’ campaign to warn its workers about the growing threat of being targeted for information by actors for hostile states using fake profiles on platforms such as LinkedIn. Think before You Link It…

Apple Macs have long had a reputation for being more secure than PCs but where does this idea come from and is it really the case? How Did It Start? Apple itself supported the idea that Macs didn’t get computer viruses until (in 2012)…

The Post Office has announced that its new, free app will include the latest biometric-face matching and liveness biometric authentication. Partnership With Yoti As a result of a partnership with London-based digital identity company,…

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…

With Christmas just around the corner here are some suggestions for how you and your loved ones can stay safe online over this festive period and beyond. The Shift Online The pandemic has prompted a huge shift online this year for work…

This article looks at the difference between cloud backup and cloud storage and how each contributes to daily business life; business continuity and disaster recovery. The Need For Storage Businesses not only have limited hard drive space,…

In this article, we look at why bring your own device (BYOD) is still popular and we look at some of the risks businesses face by allowing BYOD. BYOD BYOD has been around since 2004 and essentially allows employees to bring in their personally…

With domestic abuse on the rise, particularly since the pandemic lockdowns, we look at some of the chilling ways that smart devices and other technology are being used as a tool by abusers. Rise In Reports A BBC Panorama and Women’s…

Facial Recognition and facial authentication sound similar but there are distinct differences and this article takes a broad a look at how both are playing more of a role in our lives going forward. So firstly, what's the difference? Facial…

Employees being given too much access to privileged, sensitive company data can put an organisation in danger.  In this article, we explore the issues around this subject and how businesses can minimise the risk. Survey In a recent…

Details emerged this week of a scam whereby a man claiming to be on a top-secret military mission contacted a lady on a dating site and encouraged her to switch to an encrypted message service in order to steal money and personal details. Hooked In…

An Apple iPhone user in the U.S. has sued LinkedIn over allegations that its app was reading the contents of an Apple device user’s clipboard without their knowledge. Spying Complaint The complainant, Adam Bauer, alleges that LinkedIn’s…

In partnership with Visa, NatWest has added an invisible layer of behavioural biometrics as part of an authentication process that will enable compliance with a new EU regulation. Which Regulation? The Strong Customer Authentication (SCA) regulation,…

Reports that eBay has been running port scans against the computers of visitors to the platform have caused alarm over potential security issues. Port Scans Port scanning is something that many people associate with cyberattacks…

More scam warnings for Zoom, Teams and Meet users as reports show hackers still use domains related to popular collaborative platforms to target remote workers with phishing scams during lockdown. Domains Almost as soon as the lockdown…

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…

London-based security company Redscan has reported that recent Google searches reveal how businesses are focused on how they can adapt to the security and technology challenges posed by remote working. Not Prepared This does appear to…

It has been reported that the surge in the use of streaming music and video services has been accompanied by a surge in the number of user accounts being taken over by cybercriminals. Entertainment During Isolation Self-isolation and…

A security threat to devices, Wi-Fi access points (APs), and routers that comes from the Kr00k Wi-Fi chip vulnerability could affect billions according to security researchers. Kr00k The existence of Kr00k, also known by the catchy name…

Security fears about Huawei products being used in the new 5G networks are still being expressed by the Trump administration, while Google has clarified its position on the matter. What’s So Bad About Huawei? Back in July 2018, …

Avast, the Anti-virus company, has announced that it will not be providing any more data to, and will be commencing “a wind down” of its subsidiary Jumpshot Inc after a report that it was selling supposedly anonymised data to advertiser…

In this week's featured article, which is the first of two parts on what is a huge subject for businesses to tackle, we take a look at some of the important issues of email security and how businesses can try to strengthen this crucial area…

We’re all familiar with the value of making a backup of business data, but how does this fit with ‘Disaster Recovery’ and ‘Business Continuity’ strategies?  This article takes a brief look at how these elements fit together to…

Shopping online is appealing, not only do you save time avoiding trying to park in a full car park, or queuing to pay in crowded, and very hot store, but you do need to navigate an increasingly dangerous cybersecurity minefield. It's…

The latest news from the sector finds worrying Amazon’s IoT technologies with big cyber security flaws, could Microsoft be in trouble thanks to GDPR, and is Simjacking the next big cyber security threat? Ring Doorbell Tech Leaves Door…

Berlin-based Security Research Labs (SRL) discovered possible hacking flaws in Amazon Echo (Alexa) and Google Home speakers and installed their own voice applications to demonstrate hacks on both device platforms that turned the assistants…

A lawsuit against US Credit Rating Company Equifax relating to the massive 2017 hack alleges that the breaching of Equifax’s systems was “inevitable because of systemic organisational disregard for cybersecurity and cyber-hygiene best practices.” What…

Well known food writer, Jack Monroe, has reported falling victim to criminals who were able to steal £5,000 from her bank and payment accounts in a "Simjacking” attack. What Is Simjacking? Simjacking, simswapping or ‘phone hijacking’…

Microsoft has announced that the ‘Personal Vault’ security features for its OneDrive storage service are now available worldwide on all OneDrive consumer accounts.  What Is Personal Vault? Personal Vault is a protected area in…

Security researcher Aleksejs Kuprins of CSIS cybersecurity services company has discovered 24 apps which have been available for download in the Google Play Store that contain ‘Joker’ malware. What Is Joker Malware? Joker malware…

The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) has warned those retiring or taking a new job that under the Data Protection Act 2018, employees can face regulatory action if they are found to have retained information collected as part of their…

Researchers from SMU’s (Southern Methodist University) Darwin Deason Institute for Cyber-security have found that the sound waves produced when we type on a computer keyboard can be picked up by a smartphone and a skilled hacker could…

Research by Kaspersky Labs has discovered that cyber-criminals are now hijacking and using the confirmation emails from registration, subscription and feedback forms of legitimate company websites to distribute phishing links and spam content. How? Kaspersky…

Researchers from security company Positive Technologies have reported found a vulnerability in Visa contactless cards that could lead to your bank account being drained if your card fell into the wrong hands. Device The researchers…

Cybersecurity firm CyberMDX has reported the discovery of a security flaw in some Internet-connected GE Healthcare anaesthetic machines which could leave them vulnerable to hacks. Security Flaw The security flaw has been described as…

The latest news from the sector sees Malware on a laptop become “art”, Microsoft in trouble with the NSA thanks to WinXP vulnerabilities, Dark Net police crackdowns driving cyber criminals into encrypted chat spaces – like Telegram and  more…

Later this month, Google will be rolling out 3D Augmented Reality (AR) in its search results, a change which could allow retailers to show their products online in a way that enables customers to a virtually ‘try’ those products and see…

The findings of Verizon’s 2019 Data Breach Investigations Report have reminded companies that let customer information go astray that they could be facing big fines and damaging publicity. The Report The annual Verizon Data Breach Investigations…

A Reddit user claims to have used a 3D printer to clone a fingerprint and then use the fake fingerprint to beat the in-display fingerprint reader on a Samsung Galaxy S10. Fingerprint Scanner The Galaxy S10 and S10+ phone models have an…

RBS is reportedly about to hold trials of a new, more secure biometric bank card where customers can use their fingerprint instead of a PIN to verify purchases. April The trial, which will involve some 200 RBS and NatWest UK-based customers, is…

In this edition we find why Magnacrest Ltd were charged by the ICO for failing to reply to a Subject Access Request, why your company needs to pay the Data Protection Fee if it is a data controller, ICO announce more Brexit-related data protection…

Password-based authentication has long been known to be less secure than other methods such as multi-step verification or biometrics, but a massive leak of a staggering 87GB of 772.9 million emails, 21.2 million passwords and 1.1 billion email…

The latest news from the sector sees Marriot Hotels fall victim for the second largest cyber attack in history, GDPR hits the news again as SMEs continue to fail to understand the scale of their data privacy responsibilities, 25% of NHS trusts…

The latest multi-factor authentication (MFA) issue left users of Azure and Microsoft Office 365 unable to login to their accounts on Monday 21st, causing widespread disruption to businesses in Europe, Asia, and some parts of the US. What Happened? According…

Researchers from Radboud University in the Netherlands have released a paper highlighting several security flaws that they’ve discovered in SSDs which mean that data from a flash disk can recovered in more than one way, even if it’s supposedly…

As a widening attack surface and evolving threats mean that organisations continue to breached despite a large security spend, many businesses are now turning to the 'zero-trust' security model. What Is The Zero-Trust Security Model? The Zero…

As if the recent Facebook hack of 50 million user accounts that was discovered on 25th September wasn’t bad enough, it became apparent that it could also affect "Facebook Login" service, which allows other apps to use people's Facebook account…

A discovery of the file containing the code used in the recent hack of the British Airways website and app that affected 380,000 transactions has revealed that it only took 22 lines of JavaScript to cause the massive data breach. Skimming The…

In Australia, a new draft bill proposing ways for tech firms, software developers and others to assist security agencies and police has been given the thumbs-down by a major industry group over its ambiguity, and the potential security risks…

The ICO has fined the UK Government’s historic sexual abuse inquiry after a “very distressing” data breach, CISCO promotes a new way of tackling cryptomining hacks, UK Government to launch consultation on changing the UK cyber security…

Major tech giants aren’t “respecting” the GDPR, the ICO is offering grant funding for ‘innovative’ research into data privacy, Ticketmaster subject to ICO investigation after major breach and more… BEUC argues tech giants’ privacy…

The ICO have fined BT for a 5 million customer email ‘spam’ campaign that was found not to have ‘customers’ consent’, the ICO have also fined Gloucestershire Police an eye-watering £80,000 after an horrendous email error resulted…

An advisory notice from software and VR Company IndigoFuzz has highlighted the continued potential security risk posed by a vulnerability in the WPS feature in TalkTalk's Super Router. What Vulnerability? According to IndigoFuzz, the WPS connection…

To cloud or not to cloud? It's a question a lot of clients are asking more often and is undoubtedly one of the biggest trends in the IT industry right now. The choice is usually based on a number of criteria's, making it a seemingly overwhelming…