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The bigger the company, the bigger the target for cyber-crime!

Companies need to start ramping up their security measures as cyber-crime continues to rise!

According to a survey carried out by the British Chamber of Commerce, the bigger the company, the bigger the threat when it comes to cyber-attacks.

Still reeling from the recent WannaCry cyber-attacks that threw 99 countries into panic, companies may be finally starting to turn to their security researchers to see how to defend themselves against such an attack in the future. We all know that the hackers will try again in the future: it’s not a case of if, but when…
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Are companies prepared enough to respond to a data hacks and breaches?

Though most organisations have cyber-security systems in place, the effectiveness of preventing potential incidents is highly questionable.

It seems the media is portraying how companies are becoming increasingly less prepared in the event of a cyber-attack. For the most part, their cyber-security seems to be reactive rather than proactive. However, this theory may not be completely unfounded as the Global CISO study shows that 78% of Chief Information Security Officers (CISOs) are worried about their ability to detect breaches in the first place.
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What legal basis did the Met Police have for disclosing 30,000 addresses?

In early May, the Metropolitan Police were accused of a ‘severe’ security breach when they disclosed 30,000 addresses of shotgun and firearm owners to a direct mail marketing agency, “Yes Direct Mail”.

The British Association for Shooting and Conservation (BASC) has now demanded an answer from the Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police, Cressida Dick, to clarify what legal basis they had for passing on the addresses of so many firearm and shotgun owners. Namely: under the Data Protection Act (DPA) and any wider guidelines surrounding privacy and marketing.
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GP surgeries were on the brink of meltdown following the NHS cyber-attacks

Following on from the WannaCry attack, there were fears that the cyber-attack could continue to have disastrous consequences for healthcare organisations like GP surgeries.

There was extreme concern after the NHS cyber-attack as to exactly how many GP surgeries were directly affected, and health officials were concerned how computer systems would manage when they reopened after the attack.
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Verizon finds that one in ten data breaches went undetected last year

After a year filled with data breaches left right and centre, the reports containing breach statistics are enough to make anyone feel uneasy.

The American TV phone and internet provider Verizon instructed their security research division to look into 2,260 breaches reported by various organisations and companies. Having seen data breaches take a centre spotlight in the news throughout 2016, the results don’t surprise us; but they are nonetheless worrying…
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Salaries of 240 staff affected in the 2015 Plymouth University Data Breach resurfaces

There has been a serious breach at Plymouth University which has seen more than 200 staff members’ salaries leaked.

An investigation, undertaken by Plymouth University solicitors, is well under way. It transpires that a confidential spreadsheet noting 240 senior staff members’ salaries was erroneously sent to an incorrect email address in June 2015.
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Starbucks customers are still victims of data breaches two years on from first cyber-hack

More and more purchases are being made through non-traditional methods, like mobile apps. However, concerns remain about the security of these methods as we continue to see data breaches hit the news on an almost daily basis.

Large numbers of Starbucks’ customers have reported their accounts being hacked, which was reportedly from an attack dating back to 2015. Some say they’ve had money tapped from their accounts on the mobile app, and according to USA TODAY, the cyber-hackers used a ‘clever new attack’ without actually hacking Starbucks itself.
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Patients’ medical records still in the spotlight when it comes to data breaches

Healthcare data breaches continue to rise

Whilst an overwhelming amount of data breaches occur due to human error – like sending an email to the wrong recipient, or failing to hide multiple recipients’ identities from each other – ransomware of healthcare records are on a rapid climb.

In a report conducted by the Breach Industry Forecast, patient data is one of the most valuable types of information to cyber criminals. Hospitals and other healthcare organisations usually keep masses of patient data in digital databases, and these are far from secure it seems.
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The WannaCry hacking’s “accidental hero”

The hack against NHS systems and other organisations across the globe last Friday (12^th May 2017) panicked many across the world, and seriously hampered our NHS’ ability to provide lifesaving care.

It has since emerged that one cyber-security expert managed to kill of the ransomware that was hacking into systems across the globe, and it was practically achieved by accident…
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1 in 8 people in England suffer healthcare data breaches

According to recent figures, 1 in 8 people have suffered a healthcare data breach.

This is very worrying as healthcare data can be very private and sensitive information, and it can also be a goldmine for cyber-criminals.

Off the back of Friday’s monumental ransomware attack that hit almost one hundred countries around the world, and brought the NHS to an almost standstill, this is very worrying news.
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