Cybersecurity Expert

Ransomware tactics have continued to evolve over the years, and remain a prominent threat to both SMBs and larger organisations. Particularly during the peak of COVID-19,  research by IBM  found that ransomware incidents ‘exploded’ in June 2020, which saw twice as many ransomware attacks as the month prior, taking advantage of remote workers being away from the help of IT teams. The same research found that demands by cyber attackers are also increasing to as much as £31 million, which for businesses of any size, is detrimental for survival. In recent months, ransomware attacks have not left mainstream media headlines. And with the number and frequency of ransomware attacks increasing, not to mention the innovation in distribution methods, this should be a wake-up call for organisations to strengthen their defences. Jack Garnsey, Product Manager Security Awareness Training and SafeSend, VIPRE explains that by taking a preventative approach, businesses can take the necessary st...

Understand your security vulnerabilities Article by  Beau Peters The basic approaches like  phishing simulations are good, but they tend to have limited reach. This is why more agile methods, penetration testing among them, have been getting increasing attention. In essence, this sees experts with a background in ethical hacking utilizing the techniques of cybercriminals to breach a business’ systems. This also receives a certain amount of hesitancy — business owners are often unsure about the idea of letting somebody hack their systems in the name of cybersecurity. As always, there is more to this issue. So, let’s explore what penetration testing is, why businesses should engage with it and how they can do so to get the most impact. What are the Benefits? Penetration testing requires a significant amount of trust. Therefore, it’s important to look at what the payoffs of this approach are as opposed to ostensibly safer techniques. Some of the key benefits include: Ascertai...

Introduction Online shopping digital payment transactions may seem quite simple, but in reality, just one single transaction sets off multiple, long-chain reactions. The Payment Card Industry comprises debit cards, credit cards, prepaid, e-purse/e-wallet, and POS payment transactions that enable easy payment transactions for consumers. However, the card scheme is a popular payment transaction process which is also a central payment network that uses credit and debit cards to process payments.  The card scheme comes in two variants namely the Three-Party Scheme and the Four Party Scheme payment model. The Four Corner Model also popularly known as Four-Party Scheme is the model under which most of the payment systems in the world operate. It is used in almost all standard card payment systems around the globe. So, explaining in detail the payment model, we have shared details on how the Four Corner Model works while also explain the role of every entity involved in it The Payment Ne...

Now everyone can learn what privacy means, how your privacy is impacted when using the web and mobile apps, and how to protect your privacy online thanks to a free course from Coventry University. The UK university has worked closely with experts including Pat Walshe at PrivacyMatters to create an informative online course, offering participants easy access to key information about how to keep their online privacy safe. Coventry University has a strong reputation for its digital education provision and online offering after it was ranked number 1 in the world for the delivery of Massive Online Open Courses (MOOCs) by MOOCLabs for 2021. With people's information and digital footprint becoming increasingly sought after, the university hopes the course will build further awareness while helping people stay protected online. Typically, data is collected through cookies and pixels on websites or other means such as browser fingerprinting and trackers embedded in mobile apps. Track...

     A roundup of UK focused Cyber and Information Security News, Blog Posts, Reports and general Threat Intelligence from the previous calendar month, June 2021. How was UK Government Building CCTV Leaked? The  Sun newspaper published CCTV workplace footage of Health Secretary Matt Hancock, kissing aide Gina Coladangelo  on 6th May 2021, the fact both are married to different people fuelled several days of sensational headlines. Given Matt Hancock has led the charge on directing the UK's COVID rules, his position in government quickly became untenable, resigning a few days later after the story broke. However, the big security concern here, is how was internal UK government building CCTV footage obtained by an external reporter?   CCTV Leaked from UK Gov Buildings is a security concern The Northern Ireland secretary,  Brandon Lewis,  summed up the security concern when he said  “t he security and privacy of government business mean min...

Article by  Beau Peters As a freelancer in any industry, you are likely more susceptible to hackers and cybercrime than many other professions. Not only are you pulling in a constant stream of customer data, but as a worker on the go, you likely work exclusively in the digital realm with all of your information in the online space. That means that you are basically presenting data on a silver platter for cybercriminals to find and use for malicious purposes. If you take your business seriously, then cybersecurity needs to be your top priority , not only for your clients but also for the stability of your own enterprise. Luckily, you can stay out of the way of cybercriminals by implementing a few basic security features along with an understanding of common threats. We’ll explain both solutions below. Protect Client Data It is important to remember that just about any piece of client data can be used by cybercriminals to cause havoc. Credit card and social security numbers are espec...

By Sam Jones | Cyber Tec Security Not too long ago things were looking bleak for the world, still under the dark cloud of the COVID pandemic, but with vaccine rollouts now taking place worldwide, there is finally a light at the end of the tunnel. It’s important to remember, however, as we slowly transition back into some semblance of normality, that there will be new challenges to face in all facets of life, and the Cyber Security sector is no exception. The Rise in Cyber Threat While the COVID pandemic loomed, the world was simultaneously dealing with a slightly different type of pandemic - a cyber one. The number of cyber attacks on businesses rose dramatically over the course of the last year, with estimated increases as high as 90% . Organisations were forced to quickly adapt and move operations out of the office and into home environments, often bypassing best practices for a secure migration. Hackers took advantage of this confusion and chaos and focused on exploiting the vuln...

    A roundup of UK focused Cyber and Information Security News, Blog Posts, Reports and general Threat Intelligence from the previous calendar month, May 2021. UK Smarties Cities Cybersecurity Warning The UK National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) published its Smart Cities (connected places) guidance for UK local authorities . NCSC warned UK  Smart Cities will be highly targeted by hackers, and as such, councils need to ensure they are properly prepared as they rollout increasingly connected and technology-reliant infrastructure. The NCSC said critical public services must be protected from disruption, while sensitive data also needs to be secured from being stolen in large volumes. Smart cities and connected rural environments promise a host of benefits for UK society, for instance, sensors will monitor pollution, real-time information on parking spaces, while cameras will track congestion and smartly manage traffic flow. However, another concern is the large volume...

The West Midlands Train service has come under fire after workers discovered that an email promising them a bonus payment after running trains during the pandemic was actually a phishing simulation test. Around 2,500 employees received a message which appeared to come from Julian Edwards, Managing Director of West Midlands Trains, thanking them for their hard work over the past year under COVID-19, and that they would get a one-off payment as a thank you. However, those who clicked through on the link were then emailed back with a message telling them it was a company-designed ‘phishing simulation test’ and there was to be no bonus. The email warned: “This was a test designed by our IT team to entice you to click the link and used both the promise of thanks and financial reward.” Since the test has been revealed, the train service has received media backlash for promising a fake financial reward to well-deserved teams. However, the modern threat landscape is constantly evolving, and i...

Your mobile device can be hacked very easily without your knowledge. Even if an attacker can’t get into your device they can attempt to gain access to the sensitive information instead that is stored inside such as your places visited, emails and contacts. It's not just consumers who are targeted by cybercriminals, the rise of smartphones and tablets in the workplace and the increase in remote working has resulted in hackers targeting businesses via their mobile device vulnerabilities. Most individuals and organisations with very sensitive information, still do not take basic mobile security measures, even with the rising threats to our smartphones. According to a study by Intertrust on mobile security, the cost of mobile app hacks and violations will hit $1.5 billion by the end of 2021. Yet, network systems or even our desktop computers get more attention, with mobile device security continuing to be ignored by organisations across the globe every day. Three Ways a Mobile Device ...