Category: Computer Security
1 in 12 IT directors ‘taken hammer to hardware’
A survey of IT Directors has revealed that 8% have taken a hammer to dispose of hardware containing valuable electronic data. Some 12% admit to having submerged devices in water to try and destroy the hardware, and 18% have used drilling to do this. The most popular method is shredding (90% of IT Directors have…
55% of Americans worry more about getting hacked than murdered
72% of US citizens often or sometimes worry about their personal, credit card, or financial information stolen by cybercriminals. 66% of Americans frequently or occasionally dwell on the possibility of being victims of identity theft. Respondents from the US dwell on cybercrime-related offences at least twice as often as on other crimes. As many as…
Report claims Brits ‘surrendering to cybercriminals’
A new study claims that people in the UK are 'surrendering to cybercriminals' as the British Government fails to step in and provide police forces with the skills and resources required to pursue perpetrators. According to The Great Cyber Surrender report, 73% of cybercrime victims did not get in touch with Government organisations that are in place…
Computer takeover scams cost users over £16 million a year
Consumer watchdog Which? is warning of the dangers of fraudsters using computer takeover scams to steal money and personal details from unsuspecting victims, as data shows reported losses reached more than £16 million in the last year. The consumer organisation has heard from people who have lost thousands of pounds to this convincing scam where…
ICO fines Marriott £18.4million for data breach
The Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) has fined Marriott International Inc £18.4million for failing to keep millions of customers’ personal data secure. Marriott estimates that 339 million guest records worldwide were affected following a cyber-attack in 2014 on Starwood Hotels and Resorts Worldwide Inc. The attack, from an unknown source, remained undetected until September 2018, by…
Half of UK adults don’t trust online information
Nearly half of UK adults do not trust the integrity of online information, a new survey from VPN provider TunnelBear reveals. The study, which looks at global perspectives on online censorship experiences from the UK, US, Canada, Australia, Russia, Norway and Sweden shows large segments of people in each country do not trust the information…
Stressed home workers struggling to switch off during COVID-19 lockdown
Stressed home workers are struggling to switch off during COVID-19 lockdown and it’s impacting their mental health, according to the findings of a new study by cloud communications platform provider, 8x8. Almost half (42%) feel more stressed and overwhelmed than when in the office, blaming too many apps, a blurring of the lines between work…
Man arrested over cyber attack on Lancaster University
A man has been arrested after student data was stolen in a cyber attack on a university. The 25-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of Computer Misuse Act (CMA) and fraud offences on Monday following the breach of Lancaster University systems, a spokesman for the National Crime Agency (NCA) said. Records and ID documents of…
US blacklists five Chinese technology companies
The US is blacklisting five Chinese organisations involved in super computing, calling them national security threats and cutting them off from critical US technology. The move by the Commerce Department could complicate talks next week between President Donald Trump and his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping, aimed at de-escalating a trade dispute between the world’s two…
Virus-ridden laptop sold for over £1 million as work of art!
An old laptop loaded with some of the world’s most crippling viruses has sold for more than £1 million as a work of art at auction. The Persistence of Chaos is running six well-known pieces of malware, including WannaCry which brought down parts of the NHS in May 2017, disrupting 80 trusts across England alone.…