The Impact Of Digital Amnesia And The Google Effect On Security
‘The Google Effect’ – the thought that our reliance on the internet is making us dumber – was first put forward by Professor Betsy Sparrow of the University of Columbia, Professor Daniel Wegner of Harvard University and Jenny Liu of the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 2011. Psychologists posited that our increased use of the web to discover […]
Ransomware – Would Your Organisation Feel Compelled To Negotiate With The Data Hostage Takers?
I’ve just finished reading an interesting mini-report from ESET that was compiled during InfoSec earlier this month. Based on the responses of 200 security professionals, the security vendor has deduced that a whopping 84% of them believe their company would be screwed if its systems became infected with ransomware (bogus claims of illegal activity on […]
Downing Street – The Place Where Information Security Goes A Little Too Far?
There was an interesting piece in the Financial Times yesterday (registration/payment required, unfortunately) about the topic of information security/data protection within the heart of the UK government. It seems as though politicians and civil servants got a little bit tetchy back in 2004, just before the then Labour government introduced the Freedom of Information Act. […]
Charity Says A Lack Of Digital Skills Is A Problem For Older People, But Surely It's A Problem For Everyone?
If you hang around security professionals on Twitter, LinkedIn or at conferences for any length of time then you’ll almost certainly see or hear a conversation about “the skills gap” and how school and university leavers either lack ability, formal qualifications or the inclination to join an industry we hear, time and again, is crying […]
Majority Of Data Breach Incidents Not Reported To ICO
According to ViaSat UK, a specialist security and communications company, the number of breaches of the Data Protection Act reported to the Information Commissioner’s Office only represent a tiny proportion of the actual such incidents occurring across the UK. I can’t say that I’m in the least bit surprised by that. Data pulled from Freedom of Information (FOI) requests […]
Privacy And Porn Faux Pas Leaves 'Earl Grey' Choking On His Tea
We here at SecurityWatch believe security is important. Very important. But, as we’ve often said, technical security can often amount to nothing when human nature gets added into the mix. And yesterday Ars Technica provided a fine example of what we mean. Those of you with good memories, or an interest in the certain corners […]
Adult Friend Finder Breached, Millions Of Records Exposed
Casual dating website Adult Friend Finder, which boasts some 63 million users across the globe, has warned customers that their personal data may be at risk following what appears to be a massive leak. The breach, which is believed to have exposed around 3.6 million or more records, is currently being investigated by police. Compromised information is […]
C-level Execs Lack Confidence, Bear Blame For Data Breaches
Cause and effect anyone? A new study conducted by Dimension Research on behalf of Tripwire has revealed how executives view cybersecurity risks as well as their preparedness and confidence towards dealing with a security breach if or when it should occur. The study, which solicited the views of 200 business executives and 200 security professionals, revealed how […]
Insecure Employees And Their Brainwaves
Here at BH Consulting we often talk about how all the security in the world could be for nought if your employees themselves are not cyber aware and sufficiently well trained to avoid the generalised and socially engineered threats that come their way. The solution, we think, is to tackle the lack of security knowledge head […]
What Can A Dope Dealer Teach Your Organisation About Information Security?
Irrespective of the type of business your organisation conducts, the protection of its assets is vitally important. That’s why traditional brick and mortar stores employ physical controls such as alarms, restricted access and guards, and why companies looking to protect information employ technical measures and security professionals. But all of the above may be for […]