Bite size Cyber: #1 Patching

Are you new to cyber security, and / or is it something you’ve been asked to look at for your organisation? Are you struggling to find sensible advice which is practical and pragmatic? Are you looking for some simple steps which you can follow to help get the ball rolling? Then this short series of … Continue reading Bite size Cyber: #1 Patching

Good Social Media Hygiene

We’ve all started to get used to our “new normal” of working from home. There have been a lot of posts about how to do this effectively, and some of you may even have used some of the guidance I recently published on here. (A big thank you if you have!) A quick heads up is … Continue reading Good Social Media Hygiene

Shadow IT

Have you heard of Shadow IT? Do you worry about it? Many organisations have a defined IT policy and processes surrounding it. They may outsource provision to a Third Party, or they may have their own IT department, even if that’s just Billy sitting in the corner, who is totally self taught. The organisation may … Continue reading Shadow IT

X is for …

X-rated It’s well known that the internet hosts a wide variety of pornography sites, from the legal on the surface web to the illegal on the dark web. But what of other adult only material, which is also x-rated and may be illegal. Sites showing gore, mutilation, torture and worse? Again, they’re split between the … Continue reading X is for …

V is for …

VPN A virtual private network (VPN) is a form of network connection between two points which is encrypted. This helps protect the network traffic from being intercepted by others, and helps to keep the message secure. It’s a really good idea to use a VPN if you’re away from home eg in cafes or using … Continue reading V is for …

Social Engineering and Human Nature

I’m often asked, particularly by new entrants into cyber, what books they should read, and what podcasts they should listen to. The list of both is endless, but I thought I’d share some titles with you. Before we start though, a word about my relationship with books… I’m a passionate reader, and a compulsive purchaser … Continue reading Social Engineering and Human Nature

Gatwick Continuity Planning

It was reported on the BBC today that flight departure screens had failed at Gatwick airport for much of the day. The airport authorities implemented their contingency plans – whiteboards – and apparently no flights were delayed or cancelled. Some passengers have complained about a lack of information, but I think that the fact no … Continue reading Gatwick Continuity Planning

Q is for …

Quantum computing You probably know by now that typical computers function by using 1s and 0s, using binary maths. The transistors in them are either off (0) or on (1), with data being held as binary digits (bits). In quantum computing, quantum mechanics form the basis of the machine. Rather than bits and bytes, quantum … Continue reading Q is for …

US names arrested Fin7 cyber-gang suspects

This story appeared recently on the BBC website. Three members of a notorious hacking group, variously called Fin7, Carbanak and JokerStash, have been arrested and named. The three individuals were arrested in Germany, Poland and Spain: one has already been extradited to the US and extradition proceedings have begun against the other two. The hacking … Continue reading US names arrested Fin7 cyber-gang suspects

Town dusts off typewriters after cyber-attack

This story appeared on the BBC website the other day. Basically the town’s borough council was hit with ransomware and their systems were brought to their knees. It’s not unusual for one or two devices in an organisation to be infected with Ransomware. Typically those devices are isolated from the network and all other machines … Continue reading Town dusts off typewriters after cyber-attack