We focus on the latest news surrounding data breaches, leaks and hacks plus daily internet security articles.
Telecommunication companies say they expect the number of breaches to rise over the next year and around 75% of these companies are wary that this is the case.
The study, undertaken by analyst firm Ovum, and commissioned by analytics software firm FICO, found that although 53% of U.K. executives believe there will be a growth in attempts to access data, less than half of firms are likely to direct their resources to enhancing cyber-security. This approach is clearly dangerous and reckless.
They’re aware that more and more people are trying to access data, but they seem to forget that, without effective cyber-security, more and more data breaches will be inevitable.
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Several popular applications were accused of accessing iPhone user contact address books without their knowledge or consent between 2009 and 2012.
Twitter, Instagram, Yelp and Foursquare are among the companies whose apps were accused of the data breach, and many complaints were made that the practice was a breach of personal privacy. With the number of people affected, the matter was brought to the attention of regulators who found that the social network platform Path were liable for breaches, and a huge settlement has been made.
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The University of East Anglia has been hit with anger and disappointment from students and the general public after it was revealed that a member of staff made a horrific error in sending out a spreadsheet listing named students’ extenuating circumstances.
The spreadsheet identified the 40 students by name and student ID number and had their private and confidential information with their names. The list of circumstances included things like family illness and bereavements; mental health problems including depression; and sexual assault cases.
We have already been contacted for advice and we’re investigating the issues.
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Sometimes the Chief Information Security Officer’s (CISO) role is hidden in the shadows, and they may generally be unheard of. However, Yahoo’s CISO, Bob Lord, has been in the limelight in recent years after two massive data breaches – arguably the biggest ones in recent history – that affected approximately a billion and a half of Yahoo’s users.
Mr Lord made jokes during an interview at TechCrunch Disrupt New York saying that he “may have broken a record” for the amount of emails sent. The email that circulated was to inform users of the breach.
Not sure the rest of us are finding this funny…
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Another massive cyber-attack in a healthcare industry.
More than 25,000 private photos – including naked images – were made public by hackers on the 30th May as they gained access to a Lithuanian surgery’s server.
The Grozio Chirurgija clinic based in Kaunas, Lithuania, was hacked earlier this year by a group calling themselves “Tsar Team”. They managed to break into the servers in March, originally releasing a portion of their database alongside a large ransom demand from the surgery.
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The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) has concluded investigations into the online building products supplier, Construction Materials Online Limited (CMO), for breaching data protection principles.
The investigation first began when the online company was hacked back in May 2014.
Cyber criminals managed to identify a security vulnerability and performed an SQL injection into the company’s customer database. This method is commonly used for both destroying databases and stealing information, and in this case, it was to steal bank details from hundreds of customers.
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DocuSign – the company that lets users ‘sign’ documents digitally – has admitted they have been hacked.
During the data breach, hackers managed to take user email addresses, and cyber-criminals haven’t wasted any time as multiple users have already reportedly fallen victim to phishing emails.
The lack of delay means that DocuSign didn’t even have time to warn users that their information was compromised and to look out for “malicious third party” activity. Reportedly, users were enticed to click on a harmless looking Microsoft Word document, but the document contained certain malware to steal passwords and banking information.
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Ffrees is an online banking service that lets customers transfer money into their Ffrees account for discounted shopping, where users may benefit from discounts on purchases in various shops
Recently, they have come under fire for data protection and compliance issues.
Ffrees have previously come under scrutiny for their terms and conditions, but now it seems the company has failed to secure their customers’ personal information following a cyber security incident.
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According to IT Pro Portal, the “majority of UK businesses expect a data breach this year”.
For those who follow this blog, this probably isn’t news at all…
In the past few years, data breaches are becoming so common that they’re almost a norm. Businesses in the UK are being targeted more and more; either directly or with certain malware worms that seek out vulnerable servers.
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Cyber-criminals are targeting more “affluent” individuals to obtain more money, studies have found.
Like a burglar deciding between a modest house and a luxurious one, they’re apparently choosing the ones that are likely to have more valuables. With the continual rise of malware, criminals are becoming more and more sophisticated and are taking on higher security risks for higher stakes.
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