Ransomware is a form of malware that provides criminals with the ability to lock a computer from a remote location – then display a pop-up window informing the owner or user that it will not be unlocked until a sum of money is paid. Recent well-publicised examples are CryptoLocker, Cryptowall and WannaCry (and variants of these […]

Social engineering is the route to many types of crime including fraud and identity theft. It refers to the act of manipulating or deceiving someone into certain actions including divulging personal or financial information … a kind of confidence trickery. It exploits elements of human nature such as fear of loss, being protective, wishing to […]

The term hacktivism is used to describe the hacking of a website or social networking page to cause disruption or make a point on politically, socially or ethically motivated grounds.

The internet is effectively a public network, meaning that any connected device can find and connect to any other connected device. A firewall is a barrier between the internet and your computers or network – preventing unauthorised visits to or egress from your systems.

Every organisation relies on email without a second thought, and it is for this reason that it has become such a commonplace method for people to send you unwanted communications that are at best annoying, and at worst harmful to your business.

Downloading is a commonplace and very convenient way to obtain and update software as well as documents, pdfs, video, photos, and other files. Downloading is different from streaming, which is where video, music or sound is sent over the internet for you to watch or listen to in real time, rather than being able to be […]

Insurance has long been used by businesses as part of their risk management and disaster recovery plans and there are plenty of statistics that demonstrate that inadequately insured businesses are unlikely to survive major incidents. Until recently most businesses have insured only computers and mobile devices against physical risks such as damage, theft or loss, with […]

Businesses and other organisations can be affected by many types of fraud, and it is essential to ensure that you are aware of the risks in your particular organisation, and how to identify and prevent it.

Knowing how you are going to maintain ‘business as usual’ in the event of data or technology problems is vital. Disruption of your operations, reduced or absence of customer service, reduced profitability and compromised reputation are all potential consequences of not having the appropriate strategy in place. Having an effective business continuity plan can also […]

A botnet is a network of computers that have been intentionally infected with malware by cybercriminals in order to perform automated tasks on the internet without the permission (or often the knowledge) of the devices’ owners. The term is an abbreviation of ‘robot network’. When a bot penetrates a computer, its controller can assume command […]